Cincinnati-Style Chili

In 2000, Camp Washington won an “America’s Classics” award from the prestigious James Beard Foundation. The foundation lists the following recipe for Camp Washington Chili.

Yield
1 Batch
Cooking time
3 hours
Ingredients
1 tablespoon chili powder (hot)
1 teaspoon cumin (ground)
1 teaspoon oregano (dried)
1⁄2 teaspoon mustard (dry)
1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
1⁄4 teaspoon cloves (ground)
1⁄4 teaspoon ginger (ground)
1⁄8 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated )
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 yellow onion (finely chopped - about 3 cups)
6 cloves garlic (minced - about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon coarse salt (or more to taste)
2 pounds ground beef (lean)
2 crushed tomatoes (28-ounce cans)
2 beef bouillon cubes (or 1/4 cup beef demi-glace)
Instructions

In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, cumin, oregano, dry mustard, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot. Sauté the onions and garlic until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the spice mixture and salt and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the beef and stir thoroughly to combine. Continue stirring until the beef is lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Add the bouillon cubes and stir. Simmer, covered, for 2 to 3 hours, until the chili is very thick and fragrant. Season with additional salt and spices if desired.