Cincinnati chili first was served by Greek immigrants who came to town in 1922, after having sold chili dogs for a while in New York. It is now the specialty of dozens of Queen City eateries, including the Gold Star and Skyline chains. The foundation for every serving is a bed of well-cooked spaghetti noodles arranged on a thick oval plate, and, on top of that, ground meat sauce—a little hot and a little sweet with a distinctive formation of Greek spices. Recipes for the sauce are guarded like Fort Knox gold; unique ingredients include nutmeg, allspice, mace, and ground chocolate. Usually, the sauce is topped with kidney beans, raw onions, and shredded Wisconsin cheddar cheese—a total of five layers, leading to the moniker five-way chili. It is possible to order four-way (hold the onions) or to ask for a haywagon (hold the beans, too, and pile on the shredded cheddar). Oyster crackers are a customary garnish. Cincinnati chili parlors supplement their menus with double-decker sandwiches and Coney Island hot dogs piled up like five-way.
Cincinnati Five-Way Chili
Bearing no resemblance to any Southwestern “bowl of red,” Cincinnati chili has a cult and culture all its own. Part of the culture is secrecy. No Cincinnati chili chef gives out the recipe, but many years ago we did manage to secure one by sending a dollar to a lady over the border in Kentucky who advertised in the back of a Midwestern housewife’s magazine that she knew how to make the real thing. With minor adjustments, it worked for us, and it closely approximates some of the city’s best brews. Feel free to fiddle and fuss to your own taste, and if you are missing cardamom or coriander, substitute something else. Five-way practically demands that you reinvent the recipe and make it your own.
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup thick barbecue sauce
½ cup water
½ ounce unsweetened chocolate, grated
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon salt
Tomato juice, as needed
9 ounces spaghetti, cooked and lightly buttered
1 16-ounce can red kidney beans, heated and drained
1 pound Cheddar cheese, finely shredded
Oyster crackers, for garnish
1. Brown the meat in the oil with half the chopped onion and all the garlic, stirring to keep it loose. (Set the remaining onion aside to top the chili when it’s done.) Drain any fat from the pan. Add barbecue sauce and water and bring the pan to a boil. Add the chocolate, spices, and salt. Cover the pan and lower the heat. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The chili will thicken as it cooks. Add tomato juice as necessary to create a brew that ladles up easily. Allow the chili to rest at least 30 minutes in a covered pan at room temperature. (Chili can be refrigerated and reheated to serve.)
2. To make each plate, put a layer of spaghetti down, top it with hot chili, then a few beans, then the reserved chopped onions to taste. Pat on the cheese so the chili’s heat can begin to melt it. Serve immediately with oyster crackers.
4 SERVINGS