Ospidillo Cafe Cincinnati Chili No. 2

"If you've ever eaten "Cincinnati Chili" at Gold Star Chili, Empress Chili, or Skyline Chili restaurants in Cincinnati, Ohio and liked it, then you'll love this recipe. It's really "Greek Chili" and most copycat recipes have chocolate in them -- this one does not. Use this chili over spaghetti (topped with shredded cheddar, diced onions, and Tabasco, a.k.a. "Thee-Way"), or, use it as a great hot dog (coney) chili sauce. Yes, it takes awhile to make it but you won't mind so much after having tasted it."
 
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photo by Bone Man photo by Bone Man
photo by Bone Man
photo by Susie D photo by Susie D
photo by Susie D photo by Susie D
photo by Susie D photo by Susie D
Ready In:
7hrs
Ingredients:
17
Serves:
25
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ingredients

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directions

  • In a large cooking pot, over medium-high heat, break up the burger into the chicken stock.
  • Add all the remaining ingredients except for the bell pepper and the kidney beans, bring to a boil, and then lower the heat to a simmer (slightly bubbling).
  • Cover, and allow the chili to simmer for three hours, stirring often.
  • At the end of three hours, remove the garlic clove and the bay leaves and drop in the red bell pepper (or, substitute a jalapena pepper if you prefer just a litle heat).
  • Simmer for two more hours, again stirring often.
  • At the end of the two hours, remove the whole pepper and add the drained/rinsed kidney beans. Simmer for one additional hour, covered, and continue frequent stirring.
  • Tips: If you see a need to add just a little additional chicken stock along the way, go ahead and do so, remembering that you will be topping spaghetti and/or hot dogs with this chili. Also, this is a very old recipe (1922) and any "tweaking" will probably not serve to improve it. Finally, make sure that your spices are fresh -- I prefer ancho chili powder but any variety will do.
  • Condiments for the spaghetti dish version include diced sweet onion, sharp cheddar cheese and Tabasco sauce. Servings are based on spaghetti, not hot dogs.

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Reviews

  1. I used to buy the frozen Skyline Chili, but no more. I've made this at least 3 times, and yes it is great on hot dogs. Thank You for such great recipe.
     
  2. I've made this so many times since I found the recipe. It's my standard go to. My partner and I love it. Agree with others to ignore the very unhelpful and rude comments by evelync1985
     
  3. I think I'm in love with Bone Man! Being a native born California girl and never been to Cincinnati, I have nothing to compare this with, but this chili is wonderful. It's so different from the other chili dished I've made over the years but so favorable. Because several people were going to be eating this, I didn't add any jalapeno peppers while it was cooking but had some on the table for those that wanted to add another layer of taste. This won't be the last time I make this. I wouldn't change a thing to this fantastic chili.
     
  4. Bravo! Thanks Bone Man for a most authentic Cincy chili experience. We had it three way and had enough left over to freeze for some Cincy chili dogs later. Well worth the work and highly recommended. Don't change a thing... Bone-Man's got it spot on!
     
  5. We really enjoyed this chili. But, I was a bit concered about all the fat/grease - I spent a lot of time skimming it off. Could have been my meat (I did use ground chuck). Next time I think I will pre-cook the ground chuck a bit and drain the fat before adding the broth. Thank you so much!
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

<p>I am a retired State Park Resort Manager/Ranger. <br /><br />Anyway, as to my years in the State Park System (retired now), I was responsible for 4 restaurants/dining rooms on my park and my boss at Central Headquarters said I should spend less time in my kitchens and more time tending to my park budget. I spent 25 years in those kitchens and worked with some really great chefs over those years, (and some really awful ones too!) <br /><br />I spent THOUSANDS of hours on every inch of that park and adjacent state forest (60,000 acres) and sometimes I miss it. But mostly I miss being in that big beautiful resort lodge kitchen. I miss my little marina restaurant down on the Ohio River too. I served the best Reuben Sandwich (my own recipe -- posted on 'Zaar as The Shawnee Marina Reuben Sandwich) in both the State of Ohio and the Commonwealth of Kentucky down there and sold it for $2.95. Best deal on the river! <br /><br />They (friends and neighbors) call my kitchen The Ospidillo Cafe. Don't ask me why because it takes about a case of beer, time-wise, to explain the name. Anyway, it's a small galley kitchen with a Mexican motif (until my wife catches me gone for a week or so), and it's a very BUSY kitchen as well. We cook at all hours of the day and night. You are as likely to see one of my neighbors munching down over here as you are my wife or daughter. I do a lot of recipe experimentation and development. It has become a really fun post-retirement hobby -- and, yes, I wash my own dishes. <br /><br />Also, I'm the Cincinnati Chili Emperor around here, or so they say. (Check out my Ospidillo Cafe Cincinnati Chili recipe). SKYLINE CHILI is one of my four favorite chilis, and the others include: Gold Star Chili, Empress Chili and, my VERY favorite, Dixie. All in and around Cincinnati. Great stuff for cheap and I make it at home too. <br /><br />I also collect menus and keep them in my kitchen -- I have about a hundred or so. People go through them and when they see something that they want, I make it the next day. That presents some real challenges! <br /><br />http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/parks/shawnee.htm</p>
 
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