Deep Thoughts.....About Hot dogs

The Hot dog. A simple sausage wrapped in a squishy,white bread bun. Condiments, many and varied.Yet, I would list the good ole hot dog as one of my favorite foods. Easy to make and easy to eat, they also can be a complete catastrophe !! A bad hot dog is worse than almost anything (maybe a tax audit or a prostate exam would rank a little higher). So today I am gonna lay out the rules from proper Hotdoggery (is that a word?) and how to make my world famous hot dog chilli, which I stole from a famous Atlanta Drive-in. So sit back, relax and listen to the rules

#1. Hot Dogs must be pure beef (Though, I have had beef/pork hybrid dogs that were good)
#2 They must have natural casings (this is were the "snap" comes from")
#3 The bun must be steamed.
#4. The dog must be under 1" in diameter (the giant hod dogs some places use are 90% chicken and they always burst from the buns, making the dog inedible.
#5 all condiments must be made fresh daily

There you have it. Very simple rules for Fine Hotdoggery (I like that word, more and more)

Senior Team Hot Dog Chilli (maybe somebody will get the joke)

1 pound 73/27 ground beef (Just cause,Miriam,just cause)
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
2 tablespoons good quality chilli powder
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup yellow mustard
1 shot glass full of cider vinegar
4 or 5 drops of Franks hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown the ground beef in a dutch oven or heavy pot
Drain beef if desired (i leave it in, as it adds to the mouth feel)
add all other ingredients and stir
turn chilli down to low and simmer without a lid until the chilli is reduced and thick

Makes great spaghetti suace (add a little parmesan cheese and tomato paste)
Sloppy Joes (add a little sugar) or plain Texas or Cinncinati style chilli (just add beans and hot peppers for Texas ,add a little cinnamon for Cinncinati.

Thats all for today. Fry up some love and go feed somebody!!