Recipe By Lynfred Brand Ambassador Laura Lorenz
Ingredients
(chili)
2 lbs ground beef 80/20 (I used a high-quality beef blended with wagyu)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
¼ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp cayenne (optional for more spice)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp kosher salt (plus more to taste)
6 oz can tomato paste
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 can beer (beef broth can be substituted)
1 tbsp butter+1 tbsp olive oil
(serving)
Hot dog buns or large French loaf for party-style hot dogs
Shredded cheddar cheese
Chives
Diced white onion
Directions
Brown the beef in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, over medium/high heat. Once the beef is browned remove from the pot (set aside) and drain off the fat. Place the pot over medium heat and add 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil, then add the onion and green pepper; cook for 5-7 minutes or until softened. Next, turn the heat down to low, add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Then add the tomato paste, chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and salt; cook for 1 minute. Next, deglaze with the beer and add in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire, brown sugar, bay, and the browned beef; stir well, cover, and cook for 30 minutes (stirring frequently). After 30 minutes, uncover and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until the chili has thickened. The entire time the chili is cooking you want it at a simmer, you may need to adjust the heat accordingly. Taste the chili and add any additional salt if needed and remove the bay leaf.
Serving-For traditional chili dogs – Warm the buns, add a warm hot dog, top with chili, then top with cheese and onions. You can place the chili dogs under the broiler to melt the cheese. Another trick is to place the buns in a baking pan, add the dogs to the buns, top each one with chili and cheese, and then bake at 350 until the cheese is melted (cover with foil if you don’t want toasted buns) and then top with onions/chives.
For party-style chili dogs- Take a thin French loaf (about the width of a hotdog bun), dig a “trench” through the entire loaf right down the middle lengthwise. Fill the trench with a light layer of shredded cheese, then lay the hotdogs in the trench (you may need to cut a dog to fit the entire length: I used 3.5 hotdogs for my loaf), then top the dogs with chili, and finally more cheese. Wrap the entire loaf in foil (be careful not to wrap the top too close to the cheese or it will stick), the finished product will look like a little foil purse. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Slice into mini chili dogs and top with chopped onion and chives.