Five Way Vegetarian Cincinnati Chili, because that’s the way I Iike it

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Image from the regional favorite Skyline Chili, which is one of the only chains I’ll patronize.

This recipe is from my mother’s file, via her next-door-neighbors (the Mulloys), and revised extensively. Kidney beans take the place of the ground beef, so if you take your Cincinnati-style chili without beans, this recipe may not be for you. Immigrant Macedonians invented this form of chili. Stop your bitching and accept it, or make chili any way you like.

Five Way Vegetarian Cincinnati Chili

4 – 6 “medium” servings

Chili fixings

Olive oil (or other cooking oil)

2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

12 ounces of beer. Malty beers work best: Red Ale, Brown Ale, Doppelbock or Dark Lager are examples.

14 ounces of veggie stock or broth (26 ounces of liquid overall)

1 & ½ teaspoons apple vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 & ½ teaspoons allspice
1 & ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 can Rotel (habanero; 10-oz)
1 can Rotel (green chili; 10-oz)

3 cans (16 oz) of dark kidney beans, rinsed

Preparation

Saute chopped garlic and onions in oil until tender.

Add the remainder of the ingredients except kidney beans. Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature and simmer for two hours.

After two hours, add beans, again bringing chili to a boil before reducing temperature to simmer. Cook for another 45 minutes.

To serve

Boil and drain a box of spaghetti
Grate some cheddar cheese
Chop a couple of onions
Have on hand some hot sauce on the Skyline or Tabasco model and a box of oyster crackers

Serve the chili atop the spaghetti and dress it out.