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1
Salt a large cast-iron skillet.
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2
Turn heat to medium and add meat, onions, and garlic.
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3
Cook until all meat is browned.
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4
Add tomato sauce, ketchup, water, and vinegar.
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5
As mixture begins to boil, add everything else.
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6
Adjust spices to taste, adding more salt if it needs perking up, turmeric and cumin for a sweatier chili flavor, cinnamon, cloves, and mace for more bang, unsweetened chocolate for body.
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7
Cover and simmer at very low heat for about 1 hour, stirring and tasting occasionally, adding tomato juice if it is getting too dry to ladle up easily.
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8
Cincinnati Chili Construction: The bottom layer is always spaghetti.
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9
Break into 4-inch pieces.
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10
and boil in salted water to which 2 tablespoons of olive oil were added.
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11
For a touch of swank, melt a stick of sweet butter into the just-cooked noodles before you dish them out.
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12
You will need about 2 to 3 ounces per serving.
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13
You want them soft enough to cut easily with a fork, but not so soft they lose their oomph.
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14
Remember, they are the support layer for four other ingredients.
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15
Spread them out to cover the bottom of a small plate (preferably oval).
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16
Next comes the chili.
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17
Ladle on enough to cover the noodles.
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18
Wash kidney beans and heat with 2 cups water, then drain.
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19
Don't season or do anything fancy.
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20
They're here more for texture than taste.
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21
Spoon a sparse layer atop the chili.
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22
Spread out some onions, to taste, over the beans.
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23
Quickly, so it melts a bit, spread the grated cheese to cover everything.
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24
Don't skimp.
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25
Cheese should completely blanket the plate, enough so that you can pat it into a neat mound with your hands, just the way they do in Cincinnati.
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26
Serve with small oyster crackers (if you can find them) or the Ritz bits on the side.
