Guilty Pleasures: Chili Dogs!

Chili dogs!

I love them.

Every greasy, salty unhealthy crumb.

They used to be my hangover cure. Now they're just my dirty little culinary secret.

I was at Meijer searching for the ingredients of a braised chicken dish when it hit – A craving from deep in my belly. It felt like a need greater than that of oxygen in my very lungs.

I had to have a chili dog - or four.

Not some fancy frank with a special homemade blend of sauce and fresh-made bun. I wanted a regular hot dog smothered in canned chili and delivered on wonder-bread. The kind of chili dog that will increase the chance of a heart attack by 37,000 times if eaten to often.

This dog isn't what you want to make if trying to impress a date or ingest for energy to run a 5K. A vegetarian would have an instant nervous breakdown at the sight of one of these dogs being devoured.

Yes indeed. A cheap package of hot dogs and a 10.5 oz can of no-bean, Hormel chili are essential to this sensational feast. I prefer diced red onion and shredded cheese as a garnish, and I always toast the buns.

Together these sinful treasures culminate in pure culinary bliss.

I probably eat chili dogs like this once every three or four months, I don't know if it's some pychological disorder or what, but I really do have a craving for these things, and I think they taste amazing!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
1 10.5 oz can of Hormel chili
8 hot dogs
8 hot dog buns
1/4 C diced onion
1/2 C shredded cheese (cheddar or jack)

Heat chili in a sauce pan on the stove or microwave in a micrwoave safe bowl. Cook dogs on a grill or on the stove. Toast buns. Place dog on bun, slather with chili, sprinkle with onion and cheese. Devour! 

Homemade Chili Dogs

Printable version

When it comes to hot dogs there is one item that stands alone as the best topping – chili. Chili dogs are my favorite guilty pleasure, I don’t indulge in them very often, but when I do – I go crazy.

Years ago, I used to eat chili dogs after a late night out on the town. There was something comforting and hangover-curing about a hot dog smothered in Hormel chili that seemed to get the day going for me. Not sure if the dogs contained a little magic or it was just what a 20-something guy living in New York City needed to get his ass off the coach after a late night of beer swilling.

For this recipe, I make my own chili sauce for the dogs. I started by browning the ground beef. While it cooked I made sure to completely break it up into fine little bits. When it was finished I draining most of the fat away. The aromatics were next and when ready I mixed in a little tomato paste to help thicken the final product. I returned the meat, stirred in the spices and beef broth then brought it to a simmer. I cooked the mixture until most of the liquid had evaporated and was thickened into a nice sauce to coat the meat.

The end result is a meaty chili, loaded with flavor and perfect on top of a frank. I finish the dog with a little cheese and raw red onion. Then it was time to devour a couple or 6!

BEHIND THIS BITE
This is the second dog inspired by a hot dog bar I created recently for a gathering that I attended. No hot dog bar could be complete without chili for chili dogs, it wouldn’t be a hot dog bar without it. The last time I made chili for chili dogs I went with a Cincinnati-style chili which included cinnamon and clove. This time I stuck with a more traditional chili flavor and made a meatier sauce than usual. The chili reminded my of a Mexican bolognese. It had that fine textured meaty quality to it. I thought it held the flavor well and made a nice topping for the dog.

If I were to do this same sauce again I may add a half cup of crushed tomato or tomato puree just to make it more saucy. That’s all I would change though because this really packed a great chili flavor and was perfect for dogs. It wasn’t bad eating alone either - I ate about a third of it just snacking on the chili while I took pictures of the dogs for the blog.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 16 hot dogs; 45 minutes
2 lbs Ground beef
1/2 C Onion, diced
1/4 C Jalapeño seeded, diced
2 Tbs Tomato paste
1 Tbs Garlic, minced
1 C Beef broth
2 Tbs Chili powder
1 Tbs Cumin
2 tsp Mexican oregano
16 Hot dogs
16 Hot dog bun

FOR GARNISH
1 C Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 C Onion diced

Brown beef
In a pot over medium heat brown ground beef, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate and drain all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings.

Create chili base
Add onion and jalapeño to pot and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in garlic and tomato paste, cook 2 minutes more.

Make chili
Return ground beef to pot, add chili powder, cumin, oregano and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook 35 minutes or until thickened slightly. Adjust seasoning if necessary and remove from heat.

Cook and assemble dogs
While chili simmers, cook hot dogs on a grill over medium heat until cooked through, turning often, 6 to 8 minutes. On a bun layer hot dog, chili, cheddar cheese and diced onion. Then serve.

Cincinnati Chili Dogs

Printable version

Chili makes me think of Texas but there is a version that was made famous in Cincinnati. Typically it is served over spaghetti with beans, cheddar cheese and diced onion and could almost be thought of as a sauce rather than chili. It was developed by Athanas “Tom” Kiradjieff, a Macedonian immigrant, and his brother John in the 1920s at their small Cincinnati restaurant which became known as Empress Chili, a name inspired be the business next door – the Empress burlesque house.

Unlike Texas chili that contains heat from peppers, Cincinnati chili features spices such as allspice, cinnamon and cocoa and is sweeter in taste.

Now that football is back and fall is just around the corner, I felt it was time to come up with a new chili. For this recipe, I make one inspired by the Cincinnati version and serve it on a hot dog. It’s the perfect dish to make for a tailgate party before a game or a gathering of friends around a campfire. I made it for lunch because I love chili dogs!

BEHIND THIS BITE
Memorial Day weekend this year I was out camping, but on Sunday I left for a while to watch the beginning of the Indianapolis 500 with my Dad, the race is his Super Bowl Sunday. He had made chili for some dogs as a snack for the race. Like me, he gets cravings for chili dogs every so often and the 500 was the perfect excuse. The chili had great flavor and after I complimented him, he showed me a spice packet used to flavor it. He had followed the recipe on the back to the tee.

It was Cincinnati chili. I was hooked.

I knew as soon as fall weather rolled around I would be making a batch from scratch for the column. The spices really make it stand out, the cinnamon and cocoa just make me want to grab a bucket and drink it down like a glutton on a beer binge. It is good by itself but I believe it’s best on a hot dog. The flavors mix well together and it really does resemble a meaty sauce like a bolognese, which is why I think it works best on other things like dogs or a plate of spaghetti. However it is eaten, it’s a great chili to try - especially if your a chili dog fan.

Eat well, cook often ...

Makes 20 chili dogs; 40 minutes
2 lbs Ground beef
1 Onion diced
1 Tbs Garlic minced
2 Tbs Chili powder
1 Tbs Cocoa powder
1 Tbs Cumin
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Allspice
1/2 tsp Clove
1 C Beef broth
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
20 Hot dogs
20 Hot dog buns
1 C Cheddar cheese
shredded

Directions
Brown beef, sweat onion In a large pot over medium heat, cook ground beef until browned 5 to 7 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove from pot and drain all but 1 tablespoon of drippings. Sauté onions until soft, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add seasonings, broth, cook dogs Return ground beef to pot, add chili powder, cocoa, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, clove, tomato and beef broth. Mix well and bring to a simmer, let cook 15 to 20 minutes. While chili cooks, place hot dogs in a pot with cool water, bring to a simmer over medium heat, then remove.

Assemble dogs Place hot dog in a bun and top with chili, garnish with cheddar cheese.

Chili Dog Pizza

Printable version

Every so often I will absolutely crave a chili dog. I have no idea why, but many of those cravings in the past have come while nursing a hangover. I think it is derived from the attitude of “Well it’s not as bad for me as what I did last night.”

Whatever the reasons, I love chili dogs and I wish they were as healthy for me as broccoli. I still love to indulge from time to time but that is why I have set out to transform my beloved chili dogs into different forms. They are still a health hazard but more of a snack item for a party, rather than three dogs at lunch.

For this recipe, I have turned the chili dog into a pizza, replacing the bun with crust. A slice is all you need to get that heavenly chili dog rush and then you can move onto the tofu kabbob for the main course. This is the second item I have turned chili dog. I made chili dog dip a while back and highly recommend giving it a try as well.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I used Hormel chili with no beans in this recipe, which I find adequate for something out of a can. This is just a quick snack that I didn’t feel it was necessary to make a pot of chili for. If I had wanted to be a hardcore foodie, I could have made the dough, chili and even the dogs from scratch for something truly gourmet. That may happen one day, but I was hungry and didn’t feel like spending all day in the kitchen to prepare this.

Hormel has has been around for more than 100 years. George A. Hormel founded the Hormel Foods Company in 1891 and in the beginning the company flourished as a processor of fresh pork.

In 1926 Hormel introduced the world’s first canned ham. Nine years later Dinty Moore beef stew and Hormel chili hit the market. In 1937, Hormel’s most famous product, SPAM, took the world by storm and would go onto to sell 1 billion cans by 1959. Today, Hormel sells a number of products from pepperoni to Tailgating trays and earned nearly $500 million in 2011.

When I learned that Hormel produced the first canned hams it reminded me of a story I heard about David Letterman. He started out as a news weather man and once described hail from a storm as “the size of canned hams.”

Eat well, cook often ...

Cheesy Chili Dog Dip

Printable version

Looking at this dip will add calories. It's the Medusa of all party dips. Weight Watchers wants me arrested for creating this culinary monster that registers a colossal 13 points per serving. I would recommend eating this guilty pleasure no more than twice a year – unless your immune to all the bad stuff contained in unhealthy food or you just flat out don’t watch what you eat.

Why would I create such a culinary beast? It’s ridiculously tasty. Consider it a special dish for a special time. Make it for the most cherished occasions – weddings, child births or an NFL football game.

For this recipe, I take everything that is wonderful about chili dogs and transform it into a dip. It can be served on a bun, but here it’s delivered on a tortilla chip. This dish will satisfy even the strongest cravings for chili dogs - which I am prone to for some mystical reason. After eating a large helping of this creation, I suggest spending the next three days on a raw vegetable diet or training for a triathlon just to compensate.

BEHIND THIS BITE

I love chili dogs. I wish they weren't so bad for you. In the past I have craved them after a late night of drinking. It's almost as if my body says "well after what you did to me last night, you might as well fill me up with the most unhealthy thing you can find." I like to top my chili dogs with shredded cheddar cheese and raw onion, which I incorporate here. The cheese and chili bring this dip together, much more is needed of the two in this dip than what is needed when eating a traditional chili dog. Usually the chili, cheese and onion are a compliment to the dog. For this dip, it is the opposite. The chili and cheese are what binds everything together to form a dip that will be easy to grab with a chip.

I made this dip to take to my cousin's birthday party. I decided to share it with my Mom and Dad before I went to the party. Mom got a taste and so did I. I then left a huge portion out in the kitchen that I thought I would put back into the pot I had made for the party. When I went to retrieve it before I left Mom and Dad's for the party, I noticed Dad had destroyed the entire bowl. Next time I decide to let Dad test out a guilty pleasure like this, I will be sure to leave just a small portion so there isn't as much to tempt him to over-indulge.

Eat well, cook often ...