Cincinnati Chili with Hunter Hill Zinfandel

Cincinnati Chili with Hunter Hill Zinfandel

Rick Podowski and The Hefty Trio work with a woman who used to teach in a Cincinnati high school.  Every year around Super Bowl time her friend sends her a container of Cincinnati Chili.  Rick and the Trio love this dish and they have recreated this tasty dinner from a recipe found on the About Foods website.  Rick's addition to the feast is the Hunter Hill Zinfandel and cornbread with honey.  The fruitiness of the wine goes perfectly with the flavors of this spicy chili. 

6-8 Servings

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped
1 pound extra-lean ground beef (hamburger)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa or 1/2 ounce grated unsweetened chocolate
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 (16-ounce) package spaghetti
Toppings (see below)

Preparation:

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, sauté onion, ground beef, garlic, and chili powder until ground beef is slightly cooked.

Add allspice, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, unsweetened cocoa or chocolate, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, and water. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove from heat.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.  Make some cornbread and then add honey to some butter.

Put the spaghetti, the chili, the cheese, the onions, the kidney beans and the cornbread on a counter so that the guests can help themselves.

Cincinnati chili lovers order their chili by number. Two, Three, Four, or Five Way. Let your guest create their own final product.
Two-Way Chili:   Chili served on spaghetti

Three-Way Chili:   Additionally topped with shredded Cheddar cheese

Four-Way Chili:   Additionally topped with chopped onions

Five-Way Chili:   Additionally topped with kidney beans (used canned beans)
 

Hunter Hill Vineyard And  Winery                                                                     The Hunter Hill vineyard and winery is located in Soquel on the old Manildi farm that in the late 1800s raised apples, stone fruits, and grapes.  Wine was made for home consumption. Christine, a granddaughter of the Manildis married Vann Slatter and they returned to the farm to raise their own children. In 1992, Christine and Vann decided to replace the old apple trees with Merlot grapes and they started to experiment with making wine. By 1998 the winery moved from the basement of the house to a new facility and Hunter Hill was bonded. The six-acre property now produces ten to eighteen tons of Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Syrah grapes each year. They produce about 2400 cases of wine per year.      Hunter Hill was named after the Slatter’s Chesapeake Bay retriever, Hunter, who died over five years ago. Her muzzle still graces the Hunter Hill label and business cards.      The family also is in the construction business, having owned Santa Cruz-based Slatter Construction since 1985. They were responsible for rebuilding much of downtown Santa Cruz after the earthquake in 1989.