Cincinnati Chili

Mom and Dad (in their BBQ t-shirt phase) checking out their first grandchild! Austin, TX 2005

I broke the news of my pregnancy (and the first Reed grandbaby) to my parents at The Rendezvous in Memphis. Mom was suspicious when I turned down a beer (is that weird?!) and I had to fess up. Unfortunately, I was too nauseous to gobble down some of those delicious dry-rub ribs, but everyone else celebrated for me. When Mom heard about the baby, she immediately signed herself up for a smocking class so she could make beautiful handmade clothes for her grandchild. As you may already know, Mom was super crafty: she sewed, she quilted (more on that later), she crocheted, she tatted, and now … she smocked. She was like a quintuple grandma threat!

Lucinda Bennett Bean arrived in June of 2005 and Mom and Dad were eager to meet her. They had been cruising around Texas for weeks, just waiting to get the call that it was time. At that point, we lived on a ranch about an hour from Austin. When we got home with the new baby we were horrified to find our air conditioning broken. Just what you need when you are adjusting to motherhood in the summer in Texas! We lived in the boonies and it was a weekend, so finding a repairman was complicated. We eventually found some kind soul, pleaded the new baby case, and got it back up and running. My dad was sent on a list of errands. Poor guy, I didn’t realize I set him up for MASSIVE SCORN when I asked him to see if the breast pump rental place also carried baby formula! Don’t Mess With Texas Lactation Consultants! (That should be a bumper sticker. I did just see a great one of the other day that said “Midwives Help People Out”. Think about it…)

Dad came home with the breast pump and formula (take that!) and also a new freezer. He and Mom got to cooking. They cooked for days and we had enough frozen food to last us for months. What a luxury during such a challenging time! One of the dishes they made was Cincinnati Chili. It’s traditionally served on a bed of spaghetti and is a childhood favorite of mine. The spicy yet sweet aroma takes me back to cold winter evenings in that cozy kitchen on Mallette Street, the windows fogged up with steam. That kitchen was the heart of our house and was definitely Mom’s domain. She insisted on open shelving, both to see things (spices & supplies) and to show off things. She loved ceramics and had a cool collection of Russel Wright, Majolica, Face Jugs, DANSK, you name it…. Her “More is More” aesthetic has definitely trickled down to me. I tell my husband I can’t help it - it’s in my genes, along with the need to make Cincinnati Chili in trying times. So, here you go!

(On a side note, I never really paid attention to how she cooked this. The boiled ground beef was a surprise! But, it tastes great so don’t mess with tradition. Except I did. We’ve got vegetarians in our house so I made it this week with Beyond Meat instead of beef. I didn’t think it would work that well to boil the Beyond Meat so I just sauteed it and then added a bunch of veggie stock so it could simmer. I didn’t give it the same cook time as recommended, so I added a bit more spice to compensate. It turned out pretty well, but nothing beats the original in my opinion.)

CINCINNATI CHILI

1 quart water
2 pounds ground beef
2 medium onions -- finely grated
2  8-oz cans tomato juice or sauce
5  whole allspice
1/2  teaspoon red pepper
1  teaspoon ground  cumin seed
4  cloves garlic -- minced
4  Tablespoons chili powder
2  Tablespoons vinegar
1 bay leaf
5 whole cloves
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1/2  ounce bitter chocolate
1 1/2  teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 15oz can pinto or kidney beans
1 package spaghetti

Add ground beef to water in a four-quart pot. Stir until beef separates to a fine texture.  Boil slowly for thirty minutes. Add remaining ingredients except beans.  Stir to blend and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered two to three hours or until desired consistency is reached.  Beans may be added at this point.  Refrigerate the chili overnight so that fat can be removed before reheating - this also improves the flavor. 
SERVE ATOP SPAGHETTI!

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