Cincinnati Chili (Ana Cacciato, Guest Blogger)
For our 20th posting, we are very fortunate to feature a guest blogger! Ana Cacciato from Buffalo, New York has agreed to share her mother-in-law's recipe for Cincinnati Chili. Enjoy!
Cincinnati Chili
Contributed by Ana Cacciato
Somehow, I have hit the mother in law jackpot; not only can the woman cook incredible foods but she is the sweetest, most enduring lady I know. One cold night in October, before my husband and I were married, Helene asked if she could make us dinner and suggested Cincinnati Chili.
"It's spicy. But it has a ton of flavor and it’s served over noodles!"
I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I said yes. Over the course of the next 2 hours, her entire house was filled with the most delicious smells of chili and underlying hints of cinnamon and cocoa. And the taste... holy bologna was it incredible.
I've had her Cincinnati Chili a few times since then, but noticed that she does it differently than the traditional pot. This recipe will follow her standards, because I really think it adds a better flair and taste. Also, my husband and I both prefer it over any other recipe I've tried.
Here's what you will need:
1 baby helper* (I used my 3 month old.)
1 pound of ground beef (I've done this with vegan crumbles too - still delicious!)
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
1 can petite diced tomatoes (you can use fresh too, but keep the juices)
1 half can of 4 oz tomato paste
Spices:
2 tbsp red chili powder (this makes it really, really spicy, cut back and add
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp cocoa powder or half a bar of chopped unsweetened dark cocoa! (Experiment! if you want a less spicy chili, use a dark chocolate that has a bit of sugar in it!)
2 bay leaves
*baby helper optional
First, brown your beef.
Here's what makes my recipe different - I brown my beef, but when I finish it, I drain all the fat and pat it as dry as I can.
Helene does this for two reasons - one, beef fat absorbs spices and she wants the spices to be the taste that sticks out; two, it helps make the chili thicker.
As the beef is draining, I finely chop my onions and garlic.
I mix together all my spices EXCEPT for the chocolate. *Keep spices away from baby helper.
In a large pot, combine the dried beef, onions and garlic. Over medium to high heat, add the bowl of spices and mix everything together until the aroma really starts to kick in. It's ok to let it brown a bit - remember, there are no oils or fats anymore.
After a minute or two, add your can of diced tomatoes and half the can of tomato paste. Things will start to boil and get hot, so really stir it. Next, add your chocolate. (Baby helper had my bay leaves so we added that last.)
Now the waiting game... once everything is combined and smells incredible, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and lie low for 2 hours. Honestly, you can do less time but the longer it sits, the better the taste!
Traditionally, it is served over spaghetti noodles with a dollop of sour cream and fresh cheddar on top. My husband, however, eats it with rice, quinoa, or just by itself. (He's a rebel.) Also, note that I haven't added any salt here... this is something you can do afterwards. The spices really give it a huge taste so salt is never added in our household.
Enjoy, foodies!
If you'd like to see more of Ana, you can follow her tumblr at writinggreen.tumblr.com.