Chili Dog

Oh, baby, this isn’t your ordinary chili dog. The chili recipe is inspired by the immensely popular chili served at my restaurant in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Burgers and More. The surprise ingredient is roux, and boy, does it make for an awesome-flavored chili.

Ingredients

One 8-ounce jar roasted red bell peppers
One 12-ounce jar sweet cherry peppers
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or packaged low-sodium chicken broth
8 extra-long hot dogs
8 long hot dog buns, sliced open
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion, for garnish

Instructions

1. Strain the roasted bell peppers and discard all but 2 tablespoons of the liquid. Add the peppers and liquid to a blender, along with 8 of the cherry peppers and 1/4 cup of
the liquid from the cherry pepper jar. Process until thoroughly pureed. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

2. Heat the vegetable oil in an 8-quart stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the flour and begin whisking immediately. Switch to a wooden spoon and cook, stirring
continuously, until the roux has reached a deep brown color and smells nutty, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the beef, chili powder, onion powder, paprika, coriander, cumin, garlic powder, and salt and cook, stirring, until the beef is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add the pureed peppers and the chicken stock, and stir well to combine. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors come together and the chili has thickened, about 30 minutes.

3. Position an oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 350°F.

4. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat (if you don’t have one, a nonstick sauté pan will suffice). Using a knife, make two diagonal slits on each side of the hot dogs.
In batches, cook the hot dogs in the grill pan until they are blistered and hatch marks appear, about 3 minutes per side. Nestle a hot dog in each of the buns and place them
on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Ladle enough chili over the hot dogs to cover them, and then sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cheese over each.

5. Warm the hot dogs in the oven until the cheese has melted and the bread is lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, garnish with the chopped red onion,
and serve immediately.

Note: Any leftover chili will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week.

Yield: About 1 1/2 quarts chili, 8 chili dogs