Recipe: Chili Recipe – Cincinnati & Tex-Mex Style variations

1052137_469817996436179_849075978_oThis recipe includes both a cincinnati and a more traditional tex-mex variety.  Both varieties of this Chili are very popular (I’ve been known to call the chili-crazed folks vultures as they circle while the smell permeates the kitchen during the cooking process).  Believe it or not, even the kids will eat it.  Well….ok, maybe if you add the optional habanero chilis or go a little crazy with some of the “optional” stuff the kids might be traumatized for life, but otherwise if you stick pretty close to the recipe, most folks should really enjoy it.
Warning:  I make this in large batches, so pull out the calculator for smaller quantities.

  • 5lbs ground beef (80/20 mix)
  • 3 large white onions chopped
  • 8 cups of good beef stock
  • 32 ounces of canned tomato puree (not flavored sauce – PUREE)
  • 2 15 ounce cans of red kidney beans (to be added midway through)
  • 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar (can be removed for diabetic types)
  • 5 tablespoons of your favorite chili powder
  • 5 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
  • 5 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
  • 5 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder (yes chocolate + beef = good)
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 4 large cloves of garlic minced (cloves – not heads!)
  • 4 tablespoons of spice mixture (as noted below)

Spice Mixture
(can be prepared & set aside.  Surprisingly good on baked chicken and other meats)

  • 8 parts cinnamon (add for the cincinnati style)
  • 8 parts cumin (add for either tex-mex or cincinnati style)
  • 4 parts salt (add for either style)
  • 4 parts cayenne pepper (optional for a spicy kick – for either style)
  • 2 parts allspice (add for the cincinnati style)
  • 2 parts cloves (add for the cincinnati style)
  • 1 part powdered bay leaf (add for either style)

Brown the ground beef (with salt) and onions together, and near the end, add the minced garlic.
Drain the fat that is accumulated after the browning.
Make a decision whether you are going for cincinnati style or tex-mex style on the spices and add them accordingly.
Add all the rest of the ingredients except for the beans and bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.
Add the beans to the mix, and continue simmering for another 30 minutes.
You are done!  Like most chili, it is even better the next day after the flavors have had more time to meld together.
You can optionally add peppers to the mix for flavor or heat.  If you love the flavor and don’t want to mess with it, but want more heat, I would suggest chopping up a few habanero peppers into the mix at the beginning of the cooking process.  For those that like the jalapeño flavor, obviously those are great candidates and I would chop those in to-taste.  Since people claim that I am obnoxiously immune to spiciness, I won’t give suggested quantities since I might be somewhat immune to heat.  😉
-Mike Rothman