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A while back I got a craving for Cincinnati chili. I found lots of recipes on the net, chose one that looked promising, and substituted ground pork for beef. I did that because I am mildly allergic to beef, but I think that might be the secret that's left out of the recipes.

Not only do regions have their specialty foods, but people have their specialties...my husbands grandmother was from Sicily...she made a wonderful bread that was rolled up with a special filling of spices and italian sausage...Now I made great homemade bread and Italian sausage, but I could never duplicate her recipe, not as good as she made it...and of course, she would never part with her recipe...

And my husbands aunt made the best spaghetti and meat balls and sausage ever...and fried chicken that would put the best southern cook to shame...and then again, she would never pass on her recipe...

What was it with these old Sicilian ladies?....it was as if, their best eats had to be kept a special secrete, and they would never pass on their best recipes, and when the old ladies died, so did their recipes...

I found lots of recipes on the net, chose one that looked promising, and substituted ground pork for beef. I did that because I am mildly allergic to beef, but I think that might be the secret that's left out of the recipes.

Good call! I made chili for the first time using ground pork recently (2 to 1 ratio pork to beef) and noticed how much better the flavor was. I will never make a solely beef chili again.