Welcome to the chili dog of my dreams!
As for the grilled hot dog?
Skip the cheap footy franks.
There’s a sausage under there, somewhere under all that cheese and chili sauce!!
Smoked sausages are the way to go.
Think kranksy, bratwurst, half-smokes!
A cracking recipe for summer BBQs, game-day, and just when you need something seriously moreish.
There’s a sausage under there, somewhere under all that cheese and chili sauce!!
THE chili sauce for hot dogs….
The chili sauce used for the hot dogs is different to the chili served in bowls.
Its noticeably thicker and smoother, and doesnt have beans in it.
A smoother chili sauce with fine “grains” of ground beef / beef mince, rather than chunks likebologneseorchili con carne, works best for chili dogs. It’s the Ben’s Chili Bowl way!
Ive always wanted to replicate the Bens chili sauce.
This changed my chili-dog-game forever.
Will it change yours too??
Look how thick the chili sauce is! Perfect for staying IN your hot dog.
And there are no beans in this chili sauce so its smoother and sits in/on the hot dog better.
Because most of the good beefy flavour we love is in the fat!
Beef bouillon cube(stock cube) Better than salt!
Onion & garlic Essential flavour bases.
Tomato paste and crushed tomato For thickening and flavour of the sauce.
Capsicum/bell pepper A traditional inclusion in chili.
There is a mystery 3rd spice in the bottom dish that shouldn’t be there! 😂 Not sure what happened here, I will replace the photo when I get a chance.
Homemade chili powder for sauce
Theres no store-bought chili powdermix in my chili sauce.
I prefer to make my own from scratch because the flavour of chili powder varies from brand to brand.
Making your own ensures consistency of flavour for everyone!
Bockwurst smoked German sausages from a local German small-goods shop,Brot & Wurst(Narrabeen, Sydney). Great smokey flavour, well seasoned sausage, a dream to eat with chili sauce.
Plus, chili powder spice mix, while common in the US, is not easily found in Australia.
No unusual players here.
All pantry essentials (heres myessential spices list, in case you missed it!
), the same spices I use in mychilli con carne.
Am I making sense??
Not sure Im explaining that well!
Feel free to dial it back.
Smoked sausages better than hot dogs!Chili dogs are typically made with economical thin hot dogs.
Think uniform pink colour that are 30 40% fillers.
Tasty enough, when smothered in a homemade chili sauce.
They are smoked so they are technically cooked but most are usually grilled or pan fried before serving.
Also, other European delis.
The Polish and Austrians do wickedly good smoked sausages too.
Where I go Brot & Wurstin Narrabeen, Sydney, which is near my home.
My favourite for chili dogs are Bockwurst (pictured above).
Serve with plain crinkle cut potato crisps for an authentic experience!
But all the smoked sausages of theirs Ive tried (probably most) are great!
Hot dog buns Look for soft, pillowy buns for the hot dogs to nestle in.
Yellow mustard Optional, I guess!
Prevent screen from sleeping
For me, a chili dog isnt a chili dog without a squirt of mustard.
I use American mustard 100% artificial yellow colour, 100% hot dog authentic.
This is a direct copycat of the way the chili dogs are served at Bens Chili Bowl.
I like to use white onion because its not as sharp as brown onion.
Red onion will also work from a flavour perspective.
Cheese A sprinkle of shredded cheese on a chili dog is fairly common practice but melting is not.
But, like good olecrispy shell beef tacos, melted cheese wins over un-melted cheese any day.
So if you have the option to melt, why would you not??
The trick to achieve this?A little blitz.Releases flavour and thickens the sauce.
The chili sauce
Cook chili sauce The chili sauce starts off like your everydaychili con carne.
Saute onion, garlic and capsicum.
Slow cook 3 hours Simmer on a really low heat with the lid partially on.
A cracked lid allows the sauce to reduce and thicken.
Remember were making a sauce that is thicker than typicalchili con carne.
After 3 hours of slow cooking, the beef should be very tender.
Yep, youll need to have a spoonful to check!
Then blitz until smooth it should only take around 15 seconds on high.
This will release flavour and also thicken the sauce.
Stir in Return the pureed chili sauce into the pot and stir well.
If your beef doesnt do this, it will just need a bit of help from a potato masher.
Just mash the beef straight in the pot until it becomes a fairly fine texture, like pictured.
Thick sauce This is what your sauce should look like!
Dollop-able but it mounds.
Now you get to heap it on your hot dog!
Assembling chili dogs
Grill, stuff, smother, bake!
Pan fry or grillyour hot dogs / smoked sausages until browned and warmed through.
Dont worry if the skin splits!
Visually it doesnt matter because it will be completely hidden by sauce.
Mustard & onion Add a squiggle of mustard then sprinkle with onion.
Chili sauce Smother with a good amount of chili sauce.
Appreciate how its thick and stays on/in the hot dog instead of running everywhere!
Bake for 10 minutes Top with cheese then bake for 10 minutes just to melt the cheese.
Pull out of oven and start getting excited about sinking your teeth into these chili dogs!!!
When to make chili dogs
A backyard grill out, a gathering with friends.
That would be ME!!
In all seriousness though.
A good smoked sausage, pan fried or grilled then tucked into a soft bun is delicious as is.
I really hope you try these chili dogs one day.
I promise this wont disappoint!
Nagi x
PS As long as you give the cheap footy franks a miss!
Then I realised I do the same thing.
Sometimes a girl just doesnt want to ruin her hair, ya know?
