Topping Chili

Growing up in the south has definitely made me grow up loving hot dogs. One of the things that makes a true southern hot dog great is chili. I like a little more of a tang in mine but one thing is constant...I want it to kick me in the taste buds. This recipe is something that I make with or without beans and I can pretty much make it in any size vessel. For hot dogs or burgers I like to make it in small amounts. I'll make it easy and use a pound of meat in this one so that I don't confuse anyone. Here are the things you'll need. I don't measure a thing in this so this won't be exact. Just eyeball it and experiment.

1 lb Ground Chuck (fat=flavor)
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
8oz canned diced tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
ketchup
yellow mustard
hot sauce
soy sauce
chili pepper
ground cumin
black pepper
onion powder
garlic powder

Start by dropping the meat into the saucepan and mash it down with a potato masher to really break up the meat. You don't want any clumps. About halfway through the browning process, your going to drop in the finely diced onion, and garlic and mix it into the meat. Add the diced tomato. Go ahead and add about 1/4 cup of ketchup and 1/4 cup mustard 2-3 dashes of hot sauce. You want to taste the pepper out of the hot sauce and not make it overly spicy. Add a couple of dashes of soy for some saltiness and add the chili powder and cumin. Be copious with the chili powder and use about a tsp and a half of cumin. Mix in the black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Don't use too much because you already added the onion and garlic to the chili earlier. Let simmer for about 20 minutes on medium heat. When you come back to it, add in the tomato paste to thicken it a little and crank the heat up to medium high for 10 minutes or so to allow the liquid to steam off a little. Your going to have to stay with this because you don't want this to burn, so stir it around every minute or so. Reduce the heat to low on the stove to keep warm. For a dryer chili, your just going to strain it through a wire strainer and not a colander. The meat should have been broken down so much that it will go through a colander. Just top off your favorite dog or burger and you'll have something that will surely smack your mouth somethin' good.