TSC's Cincinnati Chili

   Here is my take on Cincinnati Chili. It is a sweet and savory chili containing cinnamon and cocoa powder among other spices. I grew up with this chili, and it was always interesting to see people's reactions when you tell them it has chocolate in it! 
   The unique flavor is complex and intriguing, and you will find yourself wanting a second plate. I hope my recipe is easy to follow, and fun to make!


To make this recipe easier to follow, I am going to put the ingredients into 2 groups. They are as follows:

GROUP 1 WET/FRESH
2   Tbsp. Olive oil
2   Onions (small-medium)
1   lb Ground Beef
1   6oz Can Tomato Paste
1.5 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
4   Cups Water

GROUP 2 DRY/SPICES
2   Tbsp. Chili Powder
3/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Cumin
1/8 tsp. Allspice
1/4 tsp. Cloves
2   Tbsp. Cocoa Powder
1/8 tsp. Cayenne
1/4 tsp. Coriander
1/4 tsp. Salt
1.5 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

LET'S BEGIN:

1. Heat Olive Oil in a large saute pan

2. Finely chop onions.

3. Add chopped onions and ground beef to heated olive oil, and saute until beef is  just browned.

4. Add water, apple cider vinegar and tomato paste.

Bring to a boil and stir until tomato paste is combined and no longer in clumps.



5. Add all of the spices/dry ingredients and bring to a simmer, stir to combine. 

Cover with lid and turn down to low simmer. 

Stirring every 20 minutes or so, continue to simmer with lid on for at least 1 hour, preferably 2.


6. After the first 20 minutes add about 1 cup of water to maintain moisture.


7.When chili is nearly done, boil a pot of water and prepare spaghetti or your choice of pasta.

8. Shred as much Cheddar cheese as you might want for topping your chili.

When chili is done it will look like this:

9. Serve as pictured, or to your preference.

ALTERATIONS AND ADDITIONS:
If during the long simmer you see a significant amount of oil floating around, you can skim it off with a spoon.

If you prefer a hotter chili, add more Cayenne. Such as 1/2 tsp. instead of 1/8 tsp.

You can chop a small onion if you like raw onion as a topping. Oyster crackers or broken up saltines are a good topper as well.