Recipe: Cincinnati Chili

Cincinnati Chili
Source: Food Editors' Hometown Favorites Cookbook
From: The Cincinnati Post; Joyce Rosecrans; Cincinnati, Ohio
Makes: 6 servings (1 1/2 quarts)

In a Cincinnati chili parlor, you have to know the lingo:

3-way chili (basic) - chili ladled over spaghetti, with shredded cheese on top and oyster crackers on the side.

4-way chili - add chopped onion to 3-way chili

5-way chili - add kidney beans to 4-way chili

2 pounds ground beef
2 medium onions, chopped
1 quart water
1 (16-ounce) can tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin (cominos)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 bay leaves
6 servings hot, cooked spaghetti
1/1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (11 or 12 ounce) carton oyster crackers
1 cup chopped onion (opotional)
1 (16-ounce) can kidney beans, heated (optional)

Combine ground beef, onions, and water in a saucepan. Simmer until beef turns brown. (Yes, that's right, you *boil the beef*. Do NOT brown first!) Add tomatoes with liquid, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, allspice, salt, cayenne, cinnamon, garlic powder, and bay leaves. Cover; simmer 3 hours.

The fat will float. If there is time, chill chili and lift off fat layer, or just spoon off the fat.

Serve it 3-way, 4-way, or 5-way.