Best Chili in Cincinnati (Perry, Alexandria: university, restaurant, price)

[Synergy1]

"Cincinnati Chili" is rather unusual from what we are use to chowing down on but I will try it.

I did forget to include onions and I apologize because it is a key ingredient. We stopped using cumin a few years ago because some didn't like the taste.

Thanks

[progmac]

Originally Posted by Synergy1

My wife believes I make her the best chili until I tasted some other chili in South Carolina. Holy cow was that ever so great.
My chili is as follows:

Ingredients:
Use a large crock pot
2 lbs of 80% - 95% hamburger then cook till brown and drain.
One large can of crushed tomatoes,
One large can of peeled tomatoes,
2 envelopes of McCormicks powdered chili seasoning,
One small can of tomato paste (some use a large can to taste)
One large can of red beans (kidney) drained of all liquid,
3 - 6 cloves of garlic,
I also use McCormicks or any other brand of chili seasoning to taste.

Put all ingredients in a crock pot and turn on high for 3 hours then low for 4 hours. Drop in some hot chili powder or "hot oil for chili" for more heat....

....

I love this kind of chili too. All day in the crock pot and a great dinner plus enough for lunch the next day. Of course, my wife and I can never agree on the level of spiciness.

"Cincinnati Chili" is, like wilson said, a different thing altogether. It is thinner and sweeter and served over spaghetti with cheese on top.

[Wilson513]

I like packaged chili spices too. Carroll Shelby's is good.

Brown chopped or ground meat of your choice.

Blacken a few sweet peppers on the gas burner.

Saute the chopped green peppers with a few onions in the meat pan with additional olive oil until the onions are translucent.

Add the spice packet, garlic coves, kidney beans, chopped green chiles (canned), crushed tomato, cumin, cayenne pepper, and a couple of cans of water. Bring to boil. Then cook two hours on low.

[progmac]

i usually put taco seasoning packets in my non-cincinnati (texas er whatever) style chili. seems to work fine.

[Ohiogirl81]

When I make "real" chili , I use ground beef, kidney beans, diced tomatoes (home grown and canned), onion, garlic, and chopped fresh, and frozen or dried (also home grown) chile peppers. The heat and flavor depends on the type/quantity of chile I use. No two batches are ever the same. Sometimes I'll toss in some ground cumin or oregano.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by Synergy1

"Cincinnati Chili" is rather unusual from what we are use to chowing down on but I will try it.

I did forget to include onions and I apologize because it is a key ingredient. We stopped using cumin a few years ago because some didn't like the taste.

Thanks

Yes, from your recipe, Cincinnati Chili is quite different. For you to give it a fair shake you may have to forget it is called chili. Think of it as a spicey Greek spaghetti sauce. From the other posts on this forum, I believe you should go straight to the 5-way, since you like beans and onions. Remember the onions are not cooked with the chili, but finely diced and served raw on top. Also, the beans are heated separately and the spaghetti cooked separately. To assemble, ladle some drained beans into a shallow rimmed dish, add a good helping of drained spaghetti on top. Now ladle on a generous portion of the Cincinnati Chili sufficient to coat everything without running over the sides of the rim. Sprinkle on the diced onion to your taste, personally I like a lot. Then comes the cou de gras the shredded cheese, mounded on top until it literally covers everything. A finely shredded mild or semi-sharp cheddar is the best. It needs to be fine shredded to properly mix in as eaten.

Other common accompanyments here in Cincinnati are oyster crackers sprinkled around the edges of the plate to help absorb the chili liquid. Also, hot sauce such as tobasco or Frank's Red Hot drizzled on to add some heat. An alternative is to added a little diced jalapeno to the onion.

Also, proper eating technique must be observed. You start at one edge of the plate and use a fork to slice down through the multiple layers and sever just enough spaghetti to fill it. None of this twisting motion to wind the spaghetti on the fork, as you lose the effect of the multiple ingredients.

I would recommend if you know someone in Cincinnati have them mail you a few packets of Cincinnati Recipe dry spice mix. Much easier than trying to concoct your own.

While obviously a Cincinnati Chili fan, I also like the more traditional chili con carne style - variety is the spice of life. The only significant difference between my approach and yours is I like it chunky so I start with round steak and cube it into about 1/4 inch cubes. I will have the round steak partially frozen so it slices and cubes neatly. After lightly browning, it is into the crock pot with the rest of the ingredients.

[deg1114]

I am ashamed at the fact that the only Cincinnati chili joints I have been to are the two big chains - Skyline and Gold Star. Skyline is definitely my favorite of the two. When I go, it's the same - a 3-way and two cheese coneys with a little tobasco sauce on each. A the oyster crackers are the best! I once bought a box of the Skyline Oyster Crackers at the store and ate the entire box in one sitting!

As far as some of the others, which places should I definitely try? What is the best among Price Hill Chili, Camp Washington, Dixie, Empress and Blue Ash Chili?

[kjbrill]

deg1114... If you would have paid attention, Empress was the original, started in 1921. They were located next to the Empress burlesque theatre, about where the downtown library is now, and hence the name. To the best of my research, there are 3 suburban Empress locations surviving. Since I haven't had them since the early 1960s when they had a parlor downtown near fountain square, I can't comment on their current product. But if they have survived this long, it should be worth trying.

[deg1114]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

deg1114... If you would have paid attention, Empress was the original, started in 1921. They were located next to the Empress burlesque theatre, about where the downtown library is now, and hence the name. To the best of my research, there are 3 suburban Empress locations surviving. Since I haven't had them since the early 1960s when they had a parlor downtown near fountain square, I can't comment on their current product. But if they have survived this long, it should be worth trying.

Hmm, paying attention but I have not heard anyone in this thread mention anything about whether or not they have tried any one of the 3 Empress locations. So, my question was - has anyone tried it and would you recommend it?

[Sarah Perry]

The Empress in Hartwell closed a while ago, although the building is now repainted, still says Empress, and looks like it might reopen. I thought their chili was a bit tastier than Skyline and Gold Star. Where are the other two locations?