Mom's Homemade Hot Dog Sauce

I don't know about you, but I am tired of the weather around here.  It is forecast to get worse next week with a low Tuesday around -15 F and three solid days in single digits or below zero.  Did I mention the snow?  This weather is seriously cutting into BBQ practice time.  With our season starting early this year, every week lost brings us that much closer to our first competition.

So, I have resigned myself to cooking indoors and making hearty meals to keep the cold away.  I wanted a taste of summer last night.  So, I made a batch of my mothers homemade Hot Dog Sauce.

Warning, this hot dog chili sauce is not like a Coney or Cincinnati style sauce.  It is what my mother made and passed down.  I kinda like it better than a traditional sauce.  It is quick and easy to make and light years better than anything you can get in a can.  The recipe changes every time I make it as this is one of those recipes that reside in my head.  But, here is how I made it this time.

Mom's Hot Dog Sauce

1 lb lean ground beef.  I used 97:3.
1/2 a small sweet onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
About 1/2 cup of Velveeta, cubed
2 x 8 oz cans of tomato sauce
S&P to taste
Olive oil for sautéing

First, in a small pan, heat just enough olive oil to sauté your onion and garlic.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté over low heat until translucent.  I added a grind of salt and pepper as well

Then, I added my burger meat and browned until all crumbled.

Then, I incorporated my spice mixture and let sauté along with the meat for about five minutes.

Next, add both 8 ounce cans of tomato sauce + one can of water and your cheese.

Bring pot to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer to reduce.

This is what it looks like after about 30 minutes of reduction.

I make a bigger batch than I need as I will freeze the leftovers for use at a later date.  The cheese adds  a nice creamy component and also helps to thicken the final product.  The spices add a little kick and a great flavor.  You can add more chili powder to suit your taste.  I would add more, but I have to keep it on the tame side as Hope is not into the overly spicy.  Usually I grill my dogs, but with the temperature at 11 F with a howling wind, I resigned myself to pan frying (gasp!).

So, I placed my hot dog in a bun, loaded up with sauce, and sprinkled diced red onion on top.  Serve with a beer and pretend it is 75 F and sunny outside.

Alternatively, my mom used to put cole slaw on top as well.  It is a nice addition to a chili dog.  We call it West Virginia style.  If you don't believe me, there is a great blog dedicated to the West Virginia Hot Dog.  Have a peak.  They are running a tournament right now pitting different styles of hot dogs against each other.

Thanks for stopping by,

Bill