Have you ever noticed how insanely proud Ohioans are? I didn’t understand what the fuss was all about until I tried the famed Skyline (Cincinnati) chili. Suddenly, Drew Carey made so much more sense. (OK, not really, but it was tasty–more a savory meat gravy than the chunky, spicy stew I was familiar with. And Skyline chili dip? Nearly had me singing Akron’s praises.)*
It used to be, you could only get Skyline chili in D.C. if you bribed someone from Ohio to bring it back. Its reputation must be growing, because now Harris Teeter carries a frozen version. I found the following recipe online and thought it sounded good.
*[Ed. note: after doing more research, I eventually made an awesome pot of Skyline chili—with some key changes. Check it out!]
-1 qt. water
-2 med. onions, finely chopped
-2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
-5 whole allspice or 1/2 tsp. ground
-1 1/2 tsp. red pepper
-1 tsp. ground cumin
-3-4 Tbsp. chili powder
-1/2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
-2 lbs. very lean ground beef (at least 90/10)
-4 garlic cloves
-2 Tbsp. vinegar
-1 whole bay leaf
-5 whole cloves
-2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
-1 1/2 tsp. salt
-1 tsp. cinnamon
1. Add ground beef to water in 4 quart pot. Stir until beef separates to a fine texture. Boil slowly for 30 minutes.
2. Add all other ingredients. Stir to blend, bringing to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 3 hours. Pot may be covered the last hour after desired consistency is reached.
Serve over spaghetti. Serve with oyster crackers.
3-way: spaghetti, sauce, finely grated Cheddar cheese
4-way: spaghetti, sauce, cheese, onions
5-way: spaghetti, sauce, cheese, onions, beans.
I’m trying a modified version of this recipe today, Superbowl Sunday (2/1/09), and will post results soon! One change is using beef stock instead of water, plus a few additional spices.
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