Cincinnati Chili

Because skyline is a franchise it differs from store to store.  Try the original price hill location, you won't be disappointed.  In particular, their coneys are the best in the city.

wanderingjew

PapaJoe8


How about Old Bay seasoning? I have heard the mention around here somewhere. Could some places use it. ???
Joe

 
Seriously, are you just saying this to be annoying? 
 
Old bay season is probably more absurd than celery salt...
 
Cardamon on the other hand would not surprise me.

I know several parlors that do include a bay leaf or two, maybe that's what you're thinking of.

PapaJoe8


Wanderer, I am not sure where but someone here did mention Old Bay as possibly one of the "secret" ingredients in Cinci chili. I had no idea that me saying that would annoy anyone. I kinda thought someone might say " I don't think so" or "Hmm, maybe so?" or "I'm the one that said that" or...???

The search for, and speculation about, the "secret" Cinci Chili seasonings is sposed to be fun yall. :~)

Hey, we can never no for sure. These recipes ARE closely guarded secrets. Not even the folks who work there know what's in, or is not in, what they serve.
Joe

 
I don't know Joe, I think you are the only one that said that.
 
I guess I'm not used to "talking" but "doing". There are many ingredients that are speculative of being included in Cincinnati Chili including Cinammon, Cloves, Chocolate etc. Even cardamon sounds reasonable. Celery salt and old bay just don't make any sense.


 

BD

ALL Skyline chili comes from the Skyline commisary, even if the place is franchised.  The chili is delivered to the store in frozen block form.

Franchisees are not allowed to "doctor" the chili in anyway

There is a difference in the spaghetti from store to store.  They are supposed to mix a part chili with the water they cook the spaghetti in so the flavor soaks into the spaghetti, some places do this others do not.

PapaJoe8
but someone here did mention Old Bay as possibly one of the "secret" ingredients in Cinci chili

Yeah, it was you -- and it is not lost on me that a primary ingredient in Old Bay is celery.  Keep beating that horse.  Beat it some more.  Make sure it's good and beaten, 'kay?

Just for the record, I hereby mention old discarded radial tires, passenger pigeon beaks, comet dust,  and marshmellow fluff as additional "possible ingredients" so that you can later bring up that 'someone' mentioned these as possible ingredients. 

PapaJoe8
Not even the folks who work there know what's in, or is not in, what they serve.

I trust that you understand that the folks who cook it (or barring that, the ones who put together the seasoning premix packs) HAVE to know what is being put in the cooking pots, because, well....they're putting the ingredients in the pots (or the packs).  I don't just mean this as it applies to chili, but to any "secret recipe".

If this isn't crystal clear, let me know, and I will strive to clarify it further for you.

CajunKing explained somewhere here at Roadfood about the process of keeping the "secret" recipe secret. I love what you can learn here! I remember something about things being done in three different places. That way no one knows who has done what. I wish I could find that post and quote it. And I wish I could find where someone, besides me, mentioned Old bay.

There is a cute KFC commercial where the guy asks "do you have the secret recipe" or something like that. The anser was "YES". The first guy said "how much will it cost". The answer was 99c... Then the first guy pulled up to the drive through window and got his "secret recipe" chicken sandwich. :~)
Joe

There is no secret. There have been several recipes posted here on Roadfood.com and the internet and many of them hit the taste right on the head. My wife made a Cincinnati chili recently that tasted like a dead ringer to me. No two restaurants are identical serving Cincinnati chili so obviously there are different recipes. The balance of ingredients and source of ingredients are probably what makes the most difference between them.

TJ... you are right! Someone must know the secret recipe for each Cincinnati Chili location. If no one knew... then it would be a mystery. :~)

By "no one" CK and I meant... know one but the ones who know. :~))

Davy, neat! What your wife did is kinda the same thing I did with Benny Binion's great chili recipe. I did as much research as possible and then just kept making it until someone, besides myself, who knows what it is supposed to taste like... thought it was right. And yes... there are maybe thousands of recipes on the net. Most of them are way wrong and have all kinds of weird stuff in them. There are even hundreds of recipes (I stopped counting at 200) that even have... chopped onions. Every one knows that those are served on the side and not cooked in the chili.

Porker, please hang around here at Roadfood!!!

Does anyone serve Cincinnati Chili in Texas? No, don't say Steak n Shake. It's over pasta but it's not Cinci Chili.
Joe

I also stopped counting at 200 for recipes on the net that use.... other things.

CajunKing


BD

ALL Skyline chili comes from the Skyline commisary, even if the place is franchised.  The chili is delivered to the store in frozen block form.

Franchisees are not allowed to "doctor" the chili in anyway

There is a difference in the spaghetti from store to store.  They are supposed to mix a part chili with the water they cook the spaghetti in so the flavor soaks into the spaghetti, some places do this others do not.

I did get in with a GM of a particular branch who once said that individual restaurants do "tweak" but I always took it for a grain of salt.  It's hard to know what to believe.

But there are things I do know for certain, like how the chili is prepared in-store makes a big difference.  The water content in the chili makes a big difference as well, so how much they allow it to cook down will effect it greatly.  For instance, if you get the sauce in a can deal and pour it out in a sauce pan, it's almost as thin as water.  you have to let it cook down for nearly an hour to get the right consistency.

But more than that, fresh noodles, quick service, all of these tings make a huge impact on the overall chili experience.  THat's all I was saying.

Article in the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/04/14/ST2009041401212.html?sid=ST2009041401212

Nice article, but it compares Cincy chili to a number of Greek dishes, including pastisto, without correctly comparing it to stifado.

Soozy, thanks for that link! I learned that one chef has a vault where he combines his secret blends.
Joe

Went up to Cincinnati today for lunch with my Mom at Camp Washington Chili. She had a three way and I went full tilt with a five way. The food was excellent, portion size was above average and the price was darn right reasonable, service was excellent. Years ago while attending UC I worked near the original location of Camp Washington me and the guys at the job ate coneys darn near everyday. I was worried that I would suffer from "not as good as I rememberitis"...I am very pleased to announce that today's lunch was even better than I remember.
 
Camp Washington Chili, great stuff! The double decker sandwiches many patrons were ordering looked humongous and very appealing, maybe next time, then again maybe not, that five way was good!
 

I'm kinda late for this thread, but here goes:

The following recipe is the one that I worked out in the early 80's, when Skyline wasn't cutting corners by diluting their recipe. I can't stand to eat there anymore. All my friends have ever told me was that it was "Dead On" (I went for a few months comparing Skyline and mine). I kept it secret but now other's should know the wonders of this flavor combination.

Skyline (Cincinnati or Greek) Chili

Add 2 lb. Ground Beef to 1/2 qt. water and cook, at medium temp, till fine. (2-3 hrs. or more)
Drain well.


Mix well in blender:

2 onions (chopped)
4 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
5 whole allspice
5 whole cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 1/2 - 3 tbs. chili power
2 Tbs. tarragon vinegar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 oz. chocolate melted in 2 tbs. water
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 beef bouillon cubes
3 drops tobasco sauce
2 cans tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Add to beef and cook a long time (4-5 hrs.)
You can serve at anytime, but BEST to refrigerate over night and reheat.


Serve with :
oysterettes crackers
graded sharp cheddar cheese
kidney beans
chopped onions
Speghetti


Put on episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati and enjoy.

Dunno if I saw it here or somewhere else, but Worthmore Cincinnati Style canned chili is supposed to be very good. Was able to source some here in Lexington, KY also found Dixie Chili in cans too,  along with  Skyline and Goldstar...A canned Cincity chili comparison should be comin' up soon.  Stay tuned.

  Regarding the topic at hand, I have had some wonderful Cincy style chili in.... (drum roll please,) Wickenburg, AZ. The Gold Nugget Restaurant is owned by a Greek who got his recipe from his Dad and Grandad. It is great on a dog, spaghetti, or even in a bowl by itself. Located right on the strip, Wickenburg Way ( if you can call a two stop light road a strip,) the Nugget serves other good food besides. I can't vouch for the food since I quit cooking there a few years ago but it used to be very good.

David O.

jimcor


Dunno if I saw it here or somewhere else, but Worthmore Cincinnati Style canned chili is supposed to be very good. Was able to source some here in Lexington, KY also found Dixie Chili in cans too,  along with  Skyline and Goldstar...A canned Cincity chili comparison should be comin' up soon.  Stay tuned.

I   mentioned it somewhere here recently - also of note is that its price is considerably less than the big 2 - generally between 50 cents to a dollar less - and its ingredients are healthier also - no MSG.  Their mock turtle soup is also superb. I have not tried Dixie chili in cans.

Here is some info on Worthmore:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mock_turtle_soup
http://home.fuse.net/worthmore/

I had a large Skyline four-way with onions, and three coneys (sans cheese) for dinner last night. I love that stuff, but I still can't figure out why TJ calls it that Greek meat sauce chili.

You have a fine appetite.

I was most uncomfortable after eating last night. Sometimes, when my eyes get bigger than my stomach, my stomach wins and I suffer as a result.

Michael Hoffman

I still can't figure out why TJ calls it that Greek meat sauce chili.

I call Chili........chili

I call curmudgeons......curmudgeons

I call Columbus.......City of the second best college football team in Ohio

Michael Hoffman


I was most uncomfortable after eating last night. Sometimes, when my eyes get bigger than my stomach, my stomach wins and I suffer as a result.

I know the feeling only too well.  As I grow older I do that less and less, but sometimes you  just cannot help yourself.  It happens most with good pizza (Troni's or Dewey's) and bbq pork ribs (mine mainly).

TJ Jackson

Michael Hoffman

I still can't figure out why TJ calls it that Greek meat sauce chili.

I call Chili........chili

I call curmudgeons......curmudgeons

I call Columbus.......City of the second best college football team in Ohio

Well, one out of three is about par for the course for someone from Cincinnati. I am a curmudgeon.
 
By the way, there are two guys from Gahanna on that Bearcat football team, and one of them had a few tackles and a solo sack.

I have had them all. Camp Washington stands up to the test as I order my chili in a bowl with cheese on the side. NO OTHER Cincinnati Chili can be eaten this way..all the the others need something under it (spaghetti) to make it a meal. Once you've tried it plain then you KNOW its worth its weight as a three-way or more. Tell John Johnson or his daughter Maria that Joel Miller sent you!

zumguteetz


I have had them all. Camp Washington stands up to the test as I order my chili in a bowl with cheese on the side. NO OTHER Cincinnati Chili can be eaten this way..all the the others need something under it (spaghetti) to make it a meal. Once you've tried it plain then you KNOW its worth its weight as a three-way or more. Tell John Johnson or his daughter Maria that Joel Miller sent you!

It is too bad they do not can it and offer it in the supermarkets.

I tried  Price Hill Chili for the first time in my life last week. Big deal, you say. Well, the restaurant at Prout's Corner was only about a mile or two from my parent's house. But if you walk past the original location of Skyline Chili every  high school day for four years and many of your friends work there, there is no need to go anywhere else. Alas, that location of Skyline is gone and so is the spirit of the product.
 
But back to Price Hill Chili. Thumbs down. The chili is good they just don't put any of it on their 3 ways or Coneys. The spaghetti is too thick and only gets a meager dollop of chili sauce, the Coneys receive a smear. Very disappointing. Prices are relatively high also. Shame.
 
 

NYPIzzaNut

zumguteetz


I have had them all. Camp Washington stands up to the test as I order my chili in a bowl with cheese on the side. NO OTHER Cincinnati Chili can be eaten this way..all the the others need something under it (spaghetti) to make it a meal. Once you've tried it plain then you KNOW its worth its weight as a three-way or more. Tell John Johnson or his daughter Maria that Joel Miller sent you!

It is too bad they do not can it and offer it in the supermarkets.

Dixie Chili in a can is excellent...Russ

Russ Jackson

NYPIzzaNut

zumguteetz


I have had them all. Camp Washington stands up to the test as I order my chili in a bowl with cheese on the side. NO OTHER Cincinnati Chili can be eaten this way..all the the others need something under it (spaghetti) to make it a meal. Once you've tried it plain then you KNOW its worth its weight as a three-way or more. Tell John Johnson or his daughter Maria that Joel Miller sent you!

It is too bad they do not can it and offer it in the supermarkets.

Dixie Chili in a can is excellent...Russ

Where is it sold?

You can get it right at the restaurant, Juncle Jims, or online @ http://www.dixiechili.com/. I am not sure but I think Kroger carries it also. If you called Dixie they will know...Russ

I agree about Price Hill Chili. It was one of the stops on the Cincinnati Chili RF tour back in May, and I found their chili to be rather uninspired. IMO, only Delhi Chili ranked lower than Price Hill out of the six places that we visited.

I am a newbie here, but I love this thread.  It is about as entertaining as any.

Unfortunately, it should be called Cincinnati "chili" because whatever you wanna call it, that stuff they serve is not what most people think of as chili.  Now, I am not really a chili snob, in fact, I am sure that there is some of that stuff that may not be that bad, but my experience has told me otherwise.  I must say I recall a program on the Food Network where they showed someone from a famous Cincinnati establishment making that stuff.  Once they BOILED THE MEAT I couldn't watch it anymore. 

I have eaten the "chili" in Cincinnati and it reminded me of what the Henry Hill character says near the end of Goodfellas (I'll paraphrase so interpret the quotes loosely) "I ordered spaghetti with marinara and I got egg noodles and ketchup."  I think that sums it up

Finally, for anyone who thinks that stuff is "chili" I cannot picture you objecting to someone adding celery or anything else to it.  That's rather like the guy who painted a mustache on the Mona Lisa complaining when someone added a beard!

Cheers,
Wally