Cincinnati "Skyline Chili"

It wasn't the 1st thing on our list, but it was definately near the top! Cincinnati's famous Skyline Chili, we didn't know what to expect... rumor was it has cinnamon AND chocolate in the recipe. For former Texans, born and raised in the south that might be sacrilege! We went to the old downtown location, 7th and Vine, natives say it's where you get the true "experience."  

It was a Friday and nearly every seat was taken, we found a table near the back in good view of the show. Just behind the counter was line of seasoned employees who ladled out  1 Ways to 5 Ways in portions that shouldn't have fit on the 6" oval plates, but did!

Our waitress Tabby was a walking, talking tour guide... the city may just have her "planted" to make sure tourists get the real flavor of Cincinnati!

It was a little hard, there were so many ways to enjoy the chili, but I decided on TWO coneys, I thought they were small!  

They start you off with a bowl of oyster crackers and if I had payed attention to the locals (that's a really good tip when you are someplace that you just aren't sure what to order) I'd have noticed that many started with the small bowl of chili and then got ONE coney! 

Jerry ordered the 5 Way... chili, spaghetti, cheese, onions and beans. I was too busy diving into my coneys to get any before pictures, sorry! I came home with a recipe for Cincinnati style chili, but after Googling a little, I found one that was leaked by an employee. Sunday afternoon I decided to try it out. The technique of simmering the hamburger in water for 30 minutes before adding the remaining ingredients is key to the texture that is distinctive to this chili. The spices are right on, this is  a very good knock off recipe that will satisfy our NEED for Cincinnati's most famous addiction!

Cincinnati "Skyline Chili" Click to Print! 
revised from About.com

1 quart cold water

2 lbs ground beef (I used lean ground beef)

2 cups crushed tomato

2 yellow onions, diced 

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa

1/4 cup chili powder

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tbsp cider vinegar

1 whole bay leaf

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp salt

Cooked spaghetti to serve chili over, optional

Add beef and water to a 4-quart pot. Bring to a simmer while stirring until the ground beef is in very small pieces. Simmer for 30 minutes and add all the rest of the ingredients. Simmer on low, uncovered, for 3 hours. Add water as needed if the chili becomes to thick. Refrigerate the chili overnight, and the next day remove the layer of fat from top before reheating and serving. Since I used lean hamburger, there wasn't any fat to remove. Makes 6 servings

The Cincinnati "Skyline" Chili Ordering Code

1-way: just the chili

2-way: chili served over spaghetti

3-way: chili, spaghetti, and grated Cheddar cheese

4-way: chili, spaghetti, cheese, and onions

5-way: chili, spaghetti, cheese, onions, and beans

All "ways" are served with oyster crackers.