Cincinnati Chili

When I first moved to Cincinnati twenty years ago, Cincinnati chili was only served in local chili parlors. It's a unique taste, but everyone in Cincinnati has their "way" of enjoying it. A two-way is chili over spaghetti. A three-way is topped with mounds of cheese. A four-way is topped with kidney beans or chopped raw onions, and a five-way is the works!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped fine
1 medium glove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups canned tomato sauce
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 1/2 pounds 85-90% lean ground beef

Directions:

• Heat oil in Dutch oven over med-high heat. Cook onions until soft and browned around edges, 7-8 minutes.
• Add garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper and allspice. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir in broth, tomato sauce, vinegar and sugar.
• Add beef and stir to break up meat into small pieces. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to med-low and simmer until chili is deep brown and slightly thickened, 15-20 minutes.
• Season with salt and serve with spaghetti, cheddar cheese, onion and kidney beans.

Servings: 6-8