Chili Dog the North Carolina Way

If you are used to the all-meat Texas style chili or the TexMex chili with beans, then this chili is an acquired taste. I am still acquiring the taste for this; but here in NC when they say chili with your dog, this is the chili that they are talking about. It is ground beef in a sweet ketchup sauce. You food snobs out there can stop groaning and rolling your eyes now. It is actually pretty good, like most food is, if you keep an open mind and an open mouth. My little Southern Belle just happens to love this with her hot dog so I have learned to make it just the way her Grandma Dot made it. I have tried embelishing it with additional seasonings, but she likes this original recipe, so now I make it this way all the time. It's easier on me, actually. I usually make a very small pot as I know it is only the Clone and her dad who will be eating it.

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups of ketchup
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
freshly ground black pepper

Brown the ground beef and let it render it's own oil. The brand I buy is so lean that I sometimes add a tablespoon of oil just to get it nicely browned and have enough oil to sautee the onion. If you happen to use a fatty cut, drain the excess fat before adding the rest of the ingredients. Add the onion and let it cook until translucent then add the rest of the ingredients. Some cooks like to have a sweeter sauce but with the sweetness of the ketchup, all I could muster is another teaspoon of brown sugar just to give it that extra flavor. Molasses would work well too.

Southern Cooking