Chilli dog

A chilli dog.

A chili dog is a hot dog served in a bun and topped with a meat sauce, such as chili con carne. Additional toppings may include cheese, onions, and mustard. The style has multiple regional variations in the United States, many calling for specific and unique sauce ingredients, types of hot dogs, or types of buns and referred to regionally under region-specific names.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 4 chopped garlic cloves
• 16 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 tablespoons molasses or honey
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne, optional
• Salt
• As many hot dogs as you have people to serve
• Buns for the hot dogs
• Chopped red onion, for garnish
• Shredded cheddar (or jack) cheese, for garnish

Method

1. Cook bacon, onions, ground beef, garlic: Fry the bacon over medium heat until it begins to get crispy, then add the chopped onions and fry over high heat, stirring often, until they begin to brown. Stir in the ground beef. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned, a few minutes. When the beef is about halfway browned, stir in the chopped garlic.
2. Add tomato sauce, molasses, broth, spices: Once the beef is well browned, stir in the tomato sauce, molasses and beef broth. Add all the spices except the cayenne and stir well. Bring to a simmer and taste. Add salt or the cayenne if it needs it. You can add more cayenne or chili powder if you like things really spicy, but taste first before adding more.
3. Simmer for 30 min or more: Cook the chili on a gentle simmer for at least 30 minutes before you start grilling the hot dogs. You can cook it several hours if you want to, adding a little more beef broth here and there if the chili gets to dry.
4. Grill the hot dogs: Grill the hot dogs over medium heat until they get a light char. Grill the hot dog buns briefly if you want – no more than a minute, as they will burn fast. You can also paint the buns with olive oil or butter before grilling if you’d like. Dog goes in bun, chili goes on top, sprinkle on chopped red onion and shredded cheese, and have at it!