Five-Way Chili

(WTNH) - Five-Way Chili
Recipe from: 500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late: and the Very Best Places To Eat Them by Jane & Michael Stern

1 pound ground beef
2 medium onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves,minced
1 cup thick BBQ sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate, grated
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon tumeric
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground corriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
tomato juice, as needed
9 ounces cooked spaghetti, cooked and lightly buttered
1 sixteen ounce can kidney beans, drained and heated
1 pound cheddar cheese, finely shredded
oyster crackers

Brown the meat in a Dutch oven with half the chopped onion and the garlic, stirring well to break up the meat. (set the remaining onion aside to top the chili when it's done) Drain any fat from the pan. Add BBQ sauce and water and bring to a boil. Add chocolate, spices, and salt. Cover pan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The chili will thicken as it cooks. Add tomato juice as necessary to create a brew that ladles up easily. Allow chili to rest for at least 30 minutes in a covered pan at room temperature. Reheat over medium heat until warmed through. To make each plate, put down a layer of spaghetti, top it with hot chili, then a few beans, then the reserved onions to taste. Pat on cheese so the chili's heat begins to melt it. Serve with oyster crackers.

Join Stephen Fries at a kitchen tour fundraiser for Gateway Community College Foundation with an evening event with Jane Stern on  April 3, 2011 (203-285-2617 for info and reservations). Stephen will also be at the 4th Annual Iron Chef Competition on April 17, 2011.