Brews and Blues Beer and Smokin’ Blues

Man Cave Hot Dog Chili

Sorry... I didn't make a specific photo to go with this post, so I'll just re-use the photo of the beer I used in the recipe!

I was tasked with making some home-made hot dog chili on Saturday to be served at Tonya's mom's birthday lunch on Sunday. Don't ask me why, but Tonya's mom specifically requested hot dogs as her birthday meal. I love to make chili but I have never made a chili that was really suitable for hot dogs. Of course, I wanted to make something with beer as an ingredient, so I browsed around the internet for a while and found nothing worthwhile. I ended up combining several ideas I came across into a single recipe. All I can say is that the results were outstanding and I intend to make another batch of this large enough to freeze. While I was cooking this chili, I was tasting it as I went and loved the taste of it but I was afraid it wasn't going to go well on a hot dog. However, as the cooking process went and along with overnight aging in the fridge, this stuff turned out to be one of the most awesome hot dog toppings I have ever had, so here goes...

Man Cave Hot Dog Chili

Prepare this a day in advance!

12 oz of a beer of your choice (choices here will change the flavor of the chili)
1 lb ground beef (I used 93/7 but 90/10 would work well too)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup yellow mustard
3 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder

Place the ground beef in a dutch oven and mash it up completely.  Try to chop it up as finely as possible so no large clumps remain.  Just as the ground beef is almost brown, dump in 12 ounces of beer (I used Sierra Nevada Glissade) and bring to a slow boil.  Let the ground beef boil slowly in the beer for about 15-20 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients to the dutch oven and return to a slow boil, stirring regularly.  Allow the chili to reduce to a consistency that you like and then simmer covered for 30-45 minutes.  Allow the chili to cool and then place it in a container in the refrigerator overnight before serving (not required but a good idea.)  Otherwise serve immediately or freeze for future use. 

Thoughts:

This stuff will freeze and keep for a long time.  If you make this and like it, you might consider doubling or tripling the recipe and freezing the leftovers for future use.  I think this chili may also be good with a little cheese in it.  It could also become a meal on its own by adding some kidney beans or even black beans.  If you intend to make it into a meal of its own, you might want to chop a green pepper to add to the mix or even spice it up a little with some hot peppers. 

If you try this, let me know how you like it!