Cincinnati-Style Five-Way Chili

Cincinnati-Style Five-Way Chili

  
Cincinnati chili was invented by Greeks. It’s like a bolognese sauce with unusual spicing, including cinnamon,and bears no resemblance to the con carne style seen in Texas and most of the rest of the world.  In Cincinnati, chili is a layered meal, normally served in a large oval bowl. It is served either on soft, fat spaghetti – that’s a “way” – or on top of teeny hot dogs in a bun. That’s a coney. The “ways” are two-way: chili and spaghetti; three-way, with a crown of fluffy grated cheddar on top; a four-way bean, with kidney beans between the spaghetti and the chili; a four-way onion, with pungent chopped onions on top; or a five-way, with everything that’s been mentioned so far. Any "way" you order it, it is garnished with oyster crackers.  Coney options are mustard and onion. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1½ lbs lean ground beef
• ½ half medium red onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 8-oz can of tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 oz (2 squares) dark unsweetened chocolate, grated (or 2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon marjoram
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon coriander
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 dried bay leaf

9 ounces spaghetti, cooked and lightly buttered 
1 (16-ounce) can kidney beans, heated and drained 
1 pound cheddar cheese, finely shredded 
oyster crackers (garnish) 

Instructions:

Stove Top Method:

1. Brown meat with half the chopped onion and the garlic, stirring to keep it loose. (Set the remaining onion aside to top the chili when it’s done.) Drain any fat from the pan. 
2. Add tomato sauce and apple cider vinegar and bring the mixture to a boil. Add all spices, chocolate and bay leaf. 
3. Cover pan, reduce heat to low and simmer 1-1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The chili will thicken as it cooks. 
4. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
5. Allow the chili to "rest" at least 30 minutes in a covered pan at room temperature. (Chili can be refrigerated and reheated to serve.) 

To serve, put a layer of spaghetti on each plate, top spaghetti with hot chili, then a few beans, then the reserved chopped onions (to taste). Pat on the cheese so the chili’s heat can begin to melt it. Serve immediately with oyster crackers.

Slow Cooker Method:

After Stop 2 (above) transfer the beef mix to the pot adding the tomato sauce and apple cider vinegar and making sure it is mixed well.  Cover and cook on low for 7 hours, or 3-4 hours on high, stirring frequently in the last hour. Remove the bay leaf before serving.