The Art of Making Cincinnati-Style Chili: A Recipe to Die For

As we delve into the world of Cincinnati-style chili, it's essential to understand that this iconic dish has been a staple in the city for over 80 years. The story goes back to 1920 when a Greek immigrant named Nicholas Lahy opened a restaurant called Skyline Chili, which quickly gained popularity for its unique flavor profile. Over time, the recipe has evolved, but the essence of Cincinnati-style chili remains the same - a rich, thick, and flavorful sauce served over spaghetti or hot dogs.

To start making this masterpiece, we begin by adding a tablespoon of oil to the bottom of our Dutch oven. This initial step sets the tone for the entire cooking process, providing a neutral base that won't overpower the other ingredients. Next, we add half a chopped onion and stir until it becomes translucent, releasing its natural sweetness into the pot. The aroma of sautéed onions is an essential component of Cincinnati-style chili, and we want to make sure it's cooked to perfection.

Once our onions are softened, we introduce three cloves of minced garlic, stirring constantly as they release their pungency into the mixture. Garlic is a fundamental flavor enhancer in many cuisines, and its presence is unmistakable in Cincinnati-style chili. After about 30 seconds of sautéing, we add six ounces of tomato paste, which may seem like an excessive amount but trust us, it's necessary for achieving that rich, thick consistency we're aiming for. We stir until the paste is fully incorporated, coating our onions and garlic evenly.

Now it's time to introduce the spices that make Cincinnati-style chili so unique. We add one teaspoon of ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon of all spice, half a teaspoon of nutmeg, a teaspoon of cinnamon, a teaspoon of ground cumin, three tablespoons of chili powder, and a tablespoon of brown sugar. Yes, it's a lot of spices, but this is where the magic happens. We stir until they're well combined, releasing their aromas into the pot. The addition of salt and black pepper completes our spice blend, which will undoubtedly elevate the flavor of our chili.

Next, we add two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce to give our chili a tangy kick, followed by another tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to balance out the flavors. Now it's time to introduce the star of the show - dark semi-sweet or unsweetened chocolate. We stir until everything is well combined, creating a rich and velvety texture that will make your taste buds dance.

The final step in making Cincinnati-style chili is adding liquid. We pour in about four cups of water, which can be beef broth or half beef broth for added depth of flavor. To this mixture, we add two pounds of lean ground beef, mashing it with a potato masher to create a cohesive sauce. The key to Cincinnati-style chili is achieving a smooth texture that coats the spaghetti or hot dog without being too thick or clumpy.

As our chili simmers away for about 45 minutes, the flavors meld together in perfect harmony. If needed, we can adjust the consistency by adding more water or simmering it for a longer period. Once our chili has reached perfection, it's time to serve it over spaghetti or hot dogs, garnished with chopped onions and grated orange cheddar cheese.

The moment of truth arrives when we take that first spoonful of Cincinnati-style chili. The flavors explode on the palate, a symphony of spices, sweetness, and tanginess that will leave you wanting more. It's no wonder this dish has become an icon in Cincinnati and beyond. Whether you're serving it over spaghetti or hot dogs, one thing is certain - Cincinnati-style chili is a culinary experience like no other.

So, if you're ready to taste the magic of Cincinnati-style chili, follow along with me as we bring this recipe to life. From sautéed onions to mashed ground beef, every step of the process is crucial in creating that perfect balance of flavors. And don't forget to try it over spaghetti or hot dogs - the traditional way to enjoy this iconic dish. Happy cooking!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enCincinnati chili or Skyline Chili warm vibrant Mediterranean like and absolutely delicious developed around 1920 and has become an icon in Cincinnati and other parts of the United States so let's make some up so let's kick things off here by adding a bit of oil to the bottom of my Dutch oven about a tablespoon and this is over medium high heat now in with half a chopped onion and we'll just stir and Fry this until that onion becomes a little bit translucent and I don't know about you but there's just something about stirring and frying onion three cloves of finally chopped garlic and once again we'll stir and sauté this until that wonderful Aroma of garlic fills the air now 6 oz of tomato paste and this seems like quite a bit but you want this rich and thick so I use one of those whole cans those small cans give this a quick stir around until it coats those onions now aord teaspoon of ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon of all spice half a teaspoon of nutmeg a teaspoon of cinnamon a teaspoon of ground cumin 3 tablespoon of chili powder and a tablespoon of brown sugar dump all those spices in and we ain't done yet cuz you want to go in with a few cracks of salt about a teaspoon same amount of our ground black pepper and I keep saying in all my videos I'm a pepper fanatic I don't know strange maybe then we shall give this the old stir until those spices activated oh my goodness guys this smell this Aroma is absolutely intoxicating all right next up two tablespoon of worser sauce just for that Tang another tablespoon of apple cider vinegar just to balance things out a little bit more now about an ounce or two of dark semi sweet or unsweetened chocolate and of course once again a stirring we will go until everything Blends together nicely and you're going to say my jeeper zene that's a lot of spices yes it is but it works and you'll also say and chocolate yes but it is so rich beyond belief and of course we have to add some liquids so grab up about four cups of water and pour it in you can use beef broth or half beef broth follow this up with 2 lb of lean ground beef you don't have to use lean but but I just kind of want to keep the fat off a little bit now here is the trick I'm going to grab up my potato masher and mash all this ground beef up and you're going to say what well Cincinnati chili is not a thick clumpy chili it's more of a cohesive sauce if you know what I mean and this works just great with the masher and this is about the texture you want here guys it's kind of a blended sauce if you know what I mean great over spaghetti which we're going to serve it over and of course I'm going to throw in a couple of bab Le leaves just for some good luck and flavor we shall just go ahead and bring this to a burl or boil now I'm going to reduce the Heat and partially cover this you really don't have to but I'm going to and let it simmer away for about 45 minutes and while the chili is simmering you can think read a book go have a sleep whatever after 45 minutes our chili is done and if it's too thick add a little bit more water if it's not thick enough let it simmer a bit longer but to me in my humble opinion I think this is just about Perfecto so we are going to go ahead and Chow Down and as I said before Cincinnati chili is traditionally served up over spaghetti or a hot dog and we have a video coming up for chili dogs but I didn't use it but I should have but anyway go ahead and watch the video so we shall spoon some of that ever so delicious sauce over top of our spaghetti and oh my goodness doesn't this look sensationally good of course my friends you simply must must must grate some of that orange cheddar cheese over the top and lots of it now I'm using an old sharp cheddar here but you can use the cheese of your choice and to keep up with our Cincinnati tradition we have to sprinkle some white chopped onions over the top oh this is looking so good now it is time to taste it but they tell me not to swirl it on the fork but just kind of of slice it and lift it up which I tried to do and didn't do a bad job now here's the thing when you taste this guys couple of thoughts go through your mind you think hm this is interesting and then kind of a second wave hits your palette and you think this is interestingly good I mean this is absolutely delicious nothing like I've ever had before believe me my friends you've got to try Cincinnati chili if you've never tried it if the spirit hits you follow the video get the recipe give it a try and leave a comment and let me know what you think hungry for more subscribeCincinnati chili or Skyline Chili warm vibrant Mediterranean like and absolutely delicious developed around 1920 and has become an icon in Cincinnati and other parts of the United States so let's make some up so let's kick things off here by adding a bit of oil to the bottom of my Dutch oven about a tablespoon and this is over medium high heat now in with half a chopped onion and we'll just stir and Fry this until that onion becomes a little bit translucent and I don't know about you but there's just something about stirring and frying onion three cloves of finally chopped garlic and once again we'll stir and sauté this until that wonderful Aroma of garlic fills the air now 6 oz of tomato paste and this seems like quite a bit but you want this rich and thick so I use one of those whole cans those small cans give this a quick stir around until it coats those onions now aord teaspoon of ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon of all spice half a teaspoon of nutmeg a teaspoon of cinnamon a teaspoon of ground cumin 3 tablespoon of chili powder and a tablespoon of brown sugar dump all those spices in and we ain't done yet cuz you want to go in with a few cracks of salt about a teaspoon same amount of our ground black pepper and I keep saying in all my videos I'm a pepper fanatic I don't know strange maybe then we shall give this the old stir until those spices activated oh my goodness guys this smell this Aroma is absolutely intoxicating all right next up two tablespoon of worser sauce just for that Tang another tablespoon of apple cider vinegar just to balance things out a little bit more now about an ounce or two of dark semi sweet or unsweetened chocolate and of course once again a stirring we will go until everything Blends together nicely and you're going to say my jeeper zene that's a lot of spices yes it is but it works and you'll also say and chocolate yes but it is so rich beyond belief and of course we have to add some liquids so grab up about four cups of water and pour it in you can use beef broth or half beef broth follow this up with 2 lb of lean ground beef you don't have to use lean but but I just kind of want to keep the fat off a little bit now here is the trick I'm going to grab up my potato masher and mash all this ground beef up and you're going to say what well Cincinnati chili is not a thick clumpy chili it's more of a cohesive sauce if you know what I mean and this works just great with the masher and this is about the texture you want here guys it's kind of a blended sauce if you know what I mean great over spaghetti which we're going to serve it over and of course I'm going to throw in a couple of bab Le leaves just for some good luck and flavor we shall just go ahead and bring this to a burl or boil now I'm going to reduce the Heat and partially cover this you really don't have to but I'm going to and let it simmer away for about 45 minutes and while the chili is simmering you can think read a book go have a sleep whatever after 45 minutes our chili is done and if it's too thick add a little bit more water if it's not thick enough let it simmer a bit longer but to me in my humble opinion I think this is just about Perfecto so we are going to go ahead and Chow Down and as I said before Cincinnati chili is traditionally served up over spaghetti or a hot dog and we have a video coming up for chili dogs but I didn't use it but I should have but anyway go ahead and watch the video so we shall spoon some of that ever so delicious sauce over top of our spaghetti and oh my goodness doesn't this look sensationally good of course my friends you simply must must must grate some of that orange cheddar cheese over the top and lots of it now I'm using an old sharp cheddar here but you can use the cheese of your choice and to keep up with our Cincinnati tradition we have to sprinkle some white chopped onions over the top oh this is looking so good now it is time to taste it but they tell me not to swirl it on the fork but just kind of of slice it and lift it up which I tried to do and didn't do a bad job now here's the thing when you taste this guys couple of thoughts go through your mind you think hm this is interesting and then kind of a second wave hits your palette and you think this is interestingly good I mean this is absolutely delicious nothing like I've ever had before believe me my friends you've got to try Cincinnati chili if you've never tried it if the spirit hits you follow the video get the recipe give it a try and leave a comment and let me know what you think hungry for more subscribe\n"