Before ever trying Cincinnati style chili, I knew I'd love it. Tons of noodles, melt in your mouth ground beef, and copious amounts of bright orange extra sharp cheddar cheese. Oyster crackers are optional, yet essential in order to soak up that little pool of ethereal grease floating on top.
The first time I had it wasn't in Cincinnati, but in my hometown of Milwaukee at Real Chili. It was not a good experience. Although they don't boast their recipe as being 'Cincinnati' style, that is basically what it is. I went there with my husband while I was pregnant, and needless to say I was very excited about what I was about to experience. When I witnessed the server pull up a heaping ladle of the stuff, without mixing in the grease slick on top, I knew I was in for trouble. My bowl consisted of noodles literally drowning in grease, with a bit of chili on the side. Not so good, and the little person that I was sharing my meal with had quite the acrobatic show to let me know that she wasn't having it. If only she had stirred the pot before filling my bowl! It would've been such a more enjoyable experience. I knew that despite the extremely off ratio of chili to grease, the chili was really good. Yet I needed a good home experience before I'd venture out for this kind of chili again.
So began my mission to find an easy yet authentic and genuinely good version of this chili with so much potential. I found a great one by Dax Phillips that I've slightly adapted, and it's truly dynamite. I serve it up a bit differently than true Cincinnati style that offers up to '5 Ways' to adorn the chili. Noodles are a given - I used orzo tossed with a touch of butter and a bit of freshly ground nutmeg that pairs amazingly well with the chili. And since I adore beans, I put them in the chili instead of on the side... and I may be insulting some people here, but black beans made their way in with the kidney beans. Although there wasn't much grease left for the oyster crackers to soak up due to the brilliant method of cooking the beef before adding the spices and other ingredients, they were a welcome addition. I've got a couple ways to enjoy the large amount you'll probably have leftover that I usually did with my Turkey and Soy-Rizo chili, such as Cheesy Chili Mac, which is always a huge hit in our house.
INGREDIENTS
3 lbs ground beef, up to 90% lean
7 cups water
2 bay leaves
5 Tbsp chili powder
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp allspice
3 tsp adobo or 5 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
3 Tbsp cider vinegar
3 Tbsp Worcestershire
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz can + 14 oz can salt free diced tomatoes OR
8 large tomatoes, peeled and diced
cooked orzo pasta for serving, with lots of grated extra sharp cheddar and toppings of your choice
Set a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium heat and add the ground beef and water. Bring to a steady near boil and cook till nearly all the water is gone, about 45 minutes to an hour. While your beef is cooking, skim the fat and 'scum' off the top and discard. You may find it hard to believe at first, but your beef will end up looking like this at the end of the process-
Add the remaining ingredients all at once(!), except for the beans, noodles and toppings, of course. Give it a good stir and bring to a gentle simmer.
After the chili has cooked for a bit, it should look a bit like this-
Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 2.5 hours, stirring occasionally. Add the beans and cook for another 30 minutes, uncovered. Once the chili is done, the tomatoes will have completely disintegrated in the chili and it will be a deep, rich brown color. Yum. Remove the bay leaves and discard.
Boil up enough orzo pasta to yield ~4 cups (nearly a pound) and toss with 1 Tbsp unsalted butter and 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg. Serve chili atop the orzo with finely chopped red onion, lots of grated extra sharp cheddar (preferably the neon orange variety) and oyster crackers.
The original recipe states that one should let the chili cool to room temp and store in the fridge overnight to develop the flavors as well as skim off any additional fat that rises to the top. I've tried this way once, and I didn't feel it was a necessary step since there was nearly no grease sitting on top of the chili. The flavors do develop a touch after a night in the fridge, but after smelling this chili cooking for a few hours, I doubt you'll be able to wait that long.
Let me just start by saying that I adore this stew. It is very delicious, can be dressed up or down, and is a good way to clean out some produce from the fridge. I think that is how we came up with the name - I always seem to make this dish when we're getting low on groceries. There are only a few items that are necessary for the stew, and the rest can be improvised. And it is a one pot meal. Which, if you haven't figured out already, is my favorite kind to make.
I've only made this stew the same way maybe twice. It loves to be adjusted to suit your tastes for the day; chicken thighs or breasts, peas and/or carrots, green beans or Lima beans, whatever! And it all tastes good. You pretty much can't go over the top with this, and as long as the basics of the recipe are covered, nearly anything you put in it will marry wonderfully with each other.
I do highly recommend serving up some crusty baguette or sourdough bread with this in order to soak up the delectable broth - it really is that good, and not a drop should be wasted! I've suggested a few 'optional' or substitute ingredients that I've tried in the past and have worked really well. If you can't tolerate peas, or detest mushrooms, there are plenty of other goodies that can be swapped in their place.
INGREDIENTS
1.5-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 medium red potatoes in 1/2" dice
10 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 c frozen pearl onions, thawed
2 c frozen french style peas (petite pois)
1/2 c medium dry - dry sherry
6 c low sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp thyme
1 tbsp canola oil
1/4 c roughly chopped italian parsley (optional)
OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
1 15 oz can cannelini beans
2 c fresh green beans, ends removed and halved
2 c peeled and sliced carrot
2 c frozen baby Lima beans, thawed
1 c French le puy green lentils
2 c sliced and well rinsed leeks
Add the canola oil to a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot and heat over medium high. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of thyme, and 1 of pepper. Place in pot and cook till golden brown on each side (about 6-7 minutes on the first, 4-5 on the other side). Remove from pot and place on a dish to the side.
Add the potatoes, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp thyme to the pot. There should be plenty of oil left in the pot from the chicken, but if you find that the potatoes are sticking to the bottom, add up to 1 tbsp more. Cover and stir occasionally for 6 minutes. Remove potatoes from pot and place on top of the chicken set aside earlier.
Add mushrooms and sherry to the pot, scraping up all the brown bits from the bottom. Once most of the sherry has evaporated, add the onions. Stir occasionally for 6 - 8 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and add back the chicken and potatoes. Pop in the bay leaf and simmer the stew on medium low for 25 minutes.
This step is optional, but I recommend it if you will be sharing this stew with company since it makes it easier to eat. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and place it on a clean plate. Shred the chicken with 2 forks into large pieces, but small enough to be eaten in one bite. Add the chicken back to the pot.
Add the peas (still frozen) back to the pot and raise heat to medium. Bring to simmer uncovered and allow to perk away for 5 minutes. Add parsley and serve.
