Pasta
Cincinnati chili
Ohio’s cult dish: a thin, cinnamon-spiced beef chili over spaghetti, piled high with grated cheddar.
- 105 min15 prep · 90 cook
- MediumDifficulty
- 850 kcalper serving
Ingredients
4 servings
- Spaghetti400 g
- Minced beef500 g
- Onion1
- garlic2 cloves
- Chilli powder2 tbsp
- Ground cinnamon1 tsp
- Ground cumin1 tsp
- Ground allspice1 tsp
- Cocoa powder1 tbsp
- Tomato paste2 tbsp
- Cider vinegar1 tbsp
- Cheddar, finely grated200 g
- kidney beans (400 g), drained1 can
- Saltto taste
Missing something? Ingredients with × can be left out.
Steps
- 1
Put the raw beef in a pot with 1 litre of cold water and break it up with a whisk until fine.
- 2
Add the chopped onion, garlic, all the spices, cocoa, tomato paste, vinegar and salt and bring to the boil.
- 3
Simmer uncovered, stirring now and then, until thickened but still saucy.
- 4
Warm the beans. Cook the spaghetti in salted water and drain.
- 5
Serve “five-way”: spaghetti, chili, beans, chopped raw onion if you like, and a big mound of cheddar.
Tips and questions
- Why boil the meat instead of browning it?
- It gives the fine, smooth texture that makes Cincinnati chili different from Texan chili.
- What do “three-way” and “five-way” mean?
- Three-way is spaghetti, chili and cheese; four adds onion or beans, and five-way adds both.
- Can I make the chili ahead?
- Yes, it’s better the next day: chill it overnight and lift off the fat before reheating. It also freezes well.
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