Cincinatti Chili

I couldn't find my recipe for chicken curry (with pecans and,
if you can take it, FIVE jalapeno peppers (I usually use just one)), but
I do have this one:



From "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American" (highly recommended in general):
Cincinnati Chili. Texans will tell you it isn't chili if it has beans in it,
New Mexicans will tell you it's not real chili if it isn't green, and folks
from Cincinnati will tell you it's not chili it if doesn't have...chocolate
and spaghetti?? :-)


This is a slightly modified Cincinnati chili. Ordinarily, you serve it over
spaghetti or linguini; this is called "two-way". Add grated Cheddar cheese for
"three-way". Add chopped yellow onions for "four-way", and to finish up, add
beans for the ultimate, "five-way". This recipe makes a good batch, but a
double or triple batch is recommended if your serve it at a party without all
of the trimmings. Our office (20 people) usually can demolish a double batch
in about half an hour. This is thick, rich stuff. You may substitute a second
pound of ground beef for the pork if you prefer; I've never tried it with
ground chicken or turkey, but I'd be interested to hear how well it works if
anyone tries it.


2 Tbsp. peanut oil 2 tsp. cinnamon
1 pound [450 grams] lean pork, coarsely ground
1 pound [450 grams] hamburger 2 tsp. Tabasco
4 yellow onions, peeled and chopped 4 Tbsp. cocoa powder
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped fine 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire
1 Tbsp. whole cumin seeds 4 Tbsp. white vinegar
4 Tbsp. hot chili powder, commercial 1 28 oz. [800 g] can tomato puree
3 whole bay leaves 1 Tbsp. oregano
2 pounds [900 grams] kidney beans 2 tsp. allspice


Heat a 12-quart [11 litre] stockpot and add the oil. Saute the pork,
hamburger, onions, garlic, cumin seeds, chili powder, and bay leaves until
the meat is just browned and the onions are clear (limp and kinda
translucent, for the Cooking Challenged). Drain the fat and discard.


Add everything else, including the beans, to the pot and bring to a simmer
(just barely boiling, for the C.C.). Cook for 1 1/2 hours or until the beans
are tender. Add water as it cooks to keep the consistency the way you like it.


Comments: this is a really easy recipe. The most challenging part is probably
trying to figure out what to do with the fat when you drain it off (*don't*
pour it down the sink; it will condense into a monstrous chunk of reddish
grease and clog your pipes. Put it in something disposable, or straight into
the garbage). I use generic kidney beans in the can, off-the-shelf chili
powder, and have been known to substitute cider vinegar (the brownish kind)
for white vinegar. The cocoa is good but not essential. I usually can't wait
for a full hour and a half; this stuff smells too good. I usually manage about
15 minutes. :-) It keeps well in the fridge, getting better and better the
longer it sits. It will keep about a week, possibly longer. It usually doesn't
get a chance, though.


VR: Joe