Ingredients
Method
- Prep. In a bowl, mix together the American chili powder, allspice, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper flakes, salt, ground black pepper, and the bay leaf. In another bowl, mix the tomato sauce, Worcestershire, mustard, vinegar, and water.
- Chop the onion and mince the garlic.
- Cook. Normally, at this stage we would brown the meat, but in The Queen City the meat is not browned, it is simmered. In a 2 quart (1.9 L) sauce pan melt the lard over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until limp, then add the garlic for 1 minute. Add the spices for 1 minute to release the oil soluble flavors and mix in. Be careful they do not burn.
- Add the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Bring to a boil and then knock it back to a simmer. Crumble the meat into the liquid leaving it wormy looking. Simmer on low for about an hour with the lid on. Remove the lid and discard the bay leaf. Cook it down until it is wet, but not runny, perhaps another 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the flavorings to your preference.
- Fire up. Prepare the grill for medium-high heat cooking.
- Cooking again. Cook the franks on the grill. Steam the bun.
- Serve. Place the grilled franks in the buns, top with mustard, chili sauce and onions. Pile the cheddar on high. Don't try to melt it. Serve it right from the shredder.
Notes
About the lard. You can substitute Crisco shortening or olive oil if you must.
Optional. Some Mexican chili recipes use unsweetened chocolate and it does a remarkable job of enriching the flavor without making it sweet. I'm sure it was not in the original Cincinnati recipe, but a lot of locals use it. If you want to try it, add 1/2 ounce grated unsweetened chocolate.
About the salt. Remember, kosher salt is half the concentration of table salt so if you use table salt, use half as much. Click here to read more about salt and how it works.