Chili from a certain city in Southern Ohio whose football team is named after a tiger...

Riddle me this. What's the best hot dog chili in the world? If you're from Pittsburgh, you'll probably say "NEWCASTLE HOT DOG SAUCE!" You'd say that, and you'd be wrong. I'm not originally a Pittsburgher. I grew up in Cleveland (rooting for the Steelers due to my contrarian nature). My best friend is from Cincinnati. From his home town comes the wonder that is Skyline chili.

I remember clearly the first time I went to Skyline when one opened in Cleveland. I was flabbergasted at the idea of putting chili on spaghetti. It seemed like food heresy of the highest order. Then I took a bite. Then the taste hit my tongue. Then I fell in love. Romantic, huh?

Skyline chili is amazing regardless of whether it is on spaghetti or on a cheese coney (which must have raw onion, mustard, chili, and mounds of mild cheddar on top of the hot dog to count). It has a unique taste that many people have long tried to decode. This stuff is so popular that it is sold in cans and frozen and is available all over. However, I prefer to make it from scratch.

The Saturday before Memorial Day, we had a birthday party for Joanna's friend Sarah. Sarah requested that it be a cookout so I decided to supply chili for the hot dogs.

The first step was softening the onions in a bit of olive oil. I love sauteed onions. There aren't many things in this world that aren't better with the addition of them. Eggs, burgers, chili, ice cream...wait, not ice cream. I prefer anchovies on that.















Skyline traditionally has a very smooth texture, almost like a meat slurry. Appetizing, no? So, when I was searching for copycat recipes, I was mystified at people telling you to brown the beef first then, at the end, dump the whole mess in the food processor. I thought that there must be a better way, and there is. I dump the raw meat right in the beef stock and whisk the hell out of it until it is cooked and smooth.














Then, time to add the ridiculous amount of ingredients to get the taste just right. Chili powder, bay leaves, red pepper, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic, cumin, worchester sauce, allspice, cocoa, tomato sauce, cinnamon, and an old boot (not pictured). Some people also add cloves, which I left out due to certain people's preferences. You don't miss em.














Once it's all mixed up, you just simmer it and stir it for about an hour. It's not much to look at but the smell is INCREDIBLE.














Here's the finished product, sitting on top of a pile of spaghetti and loaded with mild cheddar. This is heartburn on a plate but SOOOOOO good. I wish I had some right now...















It's not fancy, but it is good.

L'Chaim!