Sweet Chili Dog Sauce

Sweet Chili Dog Sauce

Sometimes there's nothing like a good hot dog and potato salad to hit the spot.  They remind me of the best days of summer outings and family get-togethers and of course country fairs.

It wasn't until much later in life that I discovered chili dogs, never knew such a thing existed. I was in my late teens when my to-be husband introduced me to chili, and that was in a can.  Up until then hot dogs were served up dripping with mustard or ketchup and relish only and for the brave the occasional pile of diced onion.

Here's a interesting tidbit.  In New England hot dog rolls are primarily split on the top; just about everywhere else they are split along the side.  Ever notice that?  It's quite disconcerting to me to see them split on the side.  I think making my own top-side split hot dog rolls may be on the agenda.

Anyway, enough of all that.

This hot dog chili has a unique flavor.  Aromatic from all the gorgeous spices, sweet, not savory like Tex-Mex chili, so if you're looking for a savory chili this won't be it.  My boyfriend liked the chili so much he ate it without the hot dog, grins.

The list of ingredients looks long, but it's mostly all spices.  This goes together easily.  There is a long slow cooking time but it's worth it.

SWEET CHILI DOG SAUCE
(Adapted from this site)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1.5 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt (if necessary)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon ground chili powder
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 cup tomato sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth

2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
half a cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf

In a large pot, like a Dutch oven or small stew pot, heat the oil over medium heat.  A the the hamburg, onion, garlic, salt and pepper and cook until the hamburger is no longer pink, giving it a couple of good stirs to break it up into a mince.  Drain the fat from the meat, reserving everything else.

Add the chili powder, cocoa powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, allspice and cayenne.  Give it a good stir and allow to cook for 3 minutes.

Add the tomato sauce and beef broth and bring to a simmer.  Add remaining ingredients.

Slowly simmer uncovered for about an hour, stirring quite frequently to ensure it's not burning at the bottom of the pan.  If this is thickening too fast, you can add a bit of water and cover the pot.

Discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaf before using.

Spoon the chili sauce over grilled hot dogs and celebrate summer!

COOK'S NOTE:  This keeps very well for several days if put in a covered container and seems to get better with being allowed to mellow out.  A perfect make ahead.

It's Chili in Here, Folks!

Chili!

Hahaha! Sorry, I just can't stop myself with the bad chili jokes. And no matter how old and tired they are, Sweetie Pie and I just have to regale each other when them. But no joke, this was darned good chili. First thing Sweetie Pie said, hey, if it makes your nose run and your eyes water, it's gonna be good. Well, that's one measure I guess, grins. This chili is can be as spicy or as mild as you like, just adjust the hot stuff up and down to your liking. We're still newbies at spicy, but are slowly appreciating it more and more, to the point that some of our New England favorites are tasting kind of bland.

Chili!

1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained of fat
1 large onion, chopped
1 14-oz can diced tomato, undrained 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
2 cups beef broth
1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or fresh, minced)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Optional: pinto, kidney, black beans (or other beans) drained, added 10 minutes before end of cooking,

Add all ingredients into a large pot. Simmer 30 minutes or until thickened. Adjust seasoning to your taste.

A good dollop of sour cream and some grated cheddar or jack cheese is nice.  Smooths out the spiciness and adds a nice mouth feel.

Chili is pretty versatile and you can customize it according to your taste.  Some add jalapenos, corn, celery (really?!), green peppers. We tend to be more straightforward, though beans are often considered chili sacrilege.

COOK'S NOTE: A regional ingredient that wasn't called for in the original recipe but makes a nice addition is an ingredient called masa harina. It's limed, ground corn and is not the same as the ground corn that is used to make hoe cakes, johnny cakes, cornbread, and so on. I use it to make corn tortillas and someday tamales. Anyway, it's addition to chili is used to thicken the chili and adds a touch of sweetness. For some chili lovers it's the missing ingredient in really good chili and we seem to fall into that category.  I started with a tablespoon, let it cook four or five minutes to see the thickness, and added more until I received a thickness that was pleasing to me.  This chili was even better the second day and freezes well.  Believe it or not, it's good in place of regular spaghetti sauce and is delicious mixed with rice.  Mmm!