Cincinnati Style Chili - Recipe #1

Chili isn't really my thing, but my husband loves is obsessed with it.  He grew up in Cincinnati, home of Gold Star Chili and Skyline Chili.  Those who are familiar with it know its cult like followings.  There are a few Skyline restaurants in Florida and I've been able to visit those.  It's not like any chili I've ever had.  It's more complex and spicey, but not hot spicey.  More like cinnamon and clove spicey.  It also has some chocolate undertones.  There are quite a few ways to properly eat your Skyline Chili.  My husband prefers a 3-Way.  Now don't get excited - a 3-Way is a mound of spaghetti, chili and a monstrous portion of shredded cheddar cheese.  You can also make a 4-Way, which adds either diced onions or red beans.  And even a 5-Way, which includes everything!

I decided I'd like to try and make this chili at home.  There are tons of recipes for Cincinnati chili.  I figure I'll have to try a few to see which comes close. 

So what was the verdict?  Well, he literally licked his plate clean!  So I guess he liked it!  He said it didn't taste 100% like Skyline, but he said it was awesome!  And a bonus - it's SUPER easy to make.  I even used low-fat cheese and it was still delicious. 

Skyline Style Cincinnati Chili

adapted from Allrecipes

2 pounds lean ground beef

2 onions, finely chopped

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 half of a square of unsweeted baker's chocolate

1/4 cup chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

5 whole allspice berries

5 whole cloves  (I didn't have these, so I just added some ground cloves~1/8 teaspoon)

1 bay leaf

additional water, as needed

Put the ground beef into a large pot and cover with water, about 2 inches above meat.  Bring to a boil.  Stir the meat and break it up to as fine a texture as you'd like.  (Cincinnati chili has a very fine texture.)  Simmer the meat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until meat is no longer pink.  Cover the pot and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, skim the fat off the top of the pan.  You can throw it out.  Empty the water and add fresh water to the pot to cover the meat about 1 inch.  Add all the ingredients to the pot.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to heat to a simmer.  Cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.  Keep an eye on the chili.  You'll want to add extra water throughout the cooking process so it doesn't burn.  You could end up adding as much as 3 cups of water. (Cincinnati Chili tends to be more on the watery side.) You do not need to cover the chili, but you may want a splatter screen so it doesn't make a huge mess. 

FYI - don't attempt to taste this before it's done cooking.  You will choke on the amount of chili powder that's in it!  Seriously, I was afraid I wasn't going to eat it at all.  But cooking it for 3 hours really mellows out the flavors.

Crockpot Beef Stew

There's nothing better than beef stew on a snowy evening in New England.  I love coming home to the smell of stew from the crockpot.  It's also one of the easiest recipes you can make.  My husband and I prepped all the veggies over the weekend so he could just throw it together in the crockpot during the week.

This is another one of those recipes where you don't have to be precise.  It's my kind of recipe.  You can make it to suit your tastes.

Here's what we did this time:

Jenny's Slow Cooker Beef Stew

2 approx. pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
5 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup pearl onions
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup red wine (you can omit and add an extra 1/2 cup broth)
1 lb. Teeny Tiny Potatoes (these are Trader Joe's)
1/2 small bag of baby carrots
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 14.5 oz can chopped tomatoes
 
Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.
Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours.
 
I also mixed up some rosemary and garlic biscuits to serve on the side.  These are adapted from Paula Deen's recipe. 

Rosemary Garlic Biscuits
Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter, cubed
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons dried rosemary - or more to suit your tastes

In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Cut butter into mixture until it begins to look like cornmeal.

Make a well with flour mixture and slowly add milk into the middle. Knead dough with your fingers and add milk when necessary. Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to desired thickness. Cut with small biscuit cutter - which I don't have, so I just used a glass.

Butter bottom of baking sheet (I used Pam spray) and place biscuits in pan. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Sundried Tomato and Steak Stir-Fry

I love a good stir-fry and they are so easy to make.  You don't need any fancy tools and you can throw in any veggies and proteins you like.

This week I made a stir-fry using sirloin steak, sundried tomatoes and broccoli, since that's what I had on hand.

The rule of thumb in cooking a good stir-fry is to use a hot pan and cook your veggies in order from which needs the longest time to cook to the shortest.  Also, don't forget your mise en place, which means "putting in place."  Stir-fry cooks very quickly, so it's best to get all your ingredients ready before you begin cooking.

Here's what I used:

1-1/2 pounds beef sirloin sliced about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick - just make sure they'll all about even
3 TBLS of soy sauce, divided in half
broccoli - enough as you want, or any veggie you'd like.  If starting with fresh, you should blanch them first.  I used frozen, so I thawed them first.
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, halved, plus 3 tablespoons of their oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bunches of green onions/scallions, chopped about 1 inch
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes, as desired
1 CUP beef broth
1 TBLS arrowroot or cornstarch

In a bowl, combine 1 1/2 TBLS of soy sauce with the sirloin and set aside. 

Heat a pan or wok on high heat and add 2 TBLS of the oil from the sundried tomatoes.  Add the meat and stir fry until no longer red, about 2-3 minutes.  Remove the meat and set aside.  Add another TBLS of the oil to the pan/wok and add the scallions/green onions and sundried tomatoes.  Cook for about 1 minute.

Add the beef broth, red pepper flakes, 1 1/2 TBLS of soy sauce and arrowroot and stir until thickened.  Add back the meat and broccoli and heat through.  Serve over rice or couscous.