New Castle Hot Dog Chili

Today I’m sharing an authentic, New Castle Hot Dog Chili recipe. Hot dog chili is a classic condiment/topping served on hot dogs in New Castle, Pennsylvania where my husband was born and raised. You will love this rich, spicy, beefy chili on top of your hot dogs, burgers, and even French fries all year long.
Hot Dog Chili
(original recipe from Judy Frank-thank you for sharing!)
1 ½ lbs. ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
¾ Tbsp. cayenne pepper (CAUTION! add cayenne pepper to taste! I used less than half of this amount and it was plenty spicy for me)
3 Tbsp. chili powder
3-4 c. water (plus more for cooking process)
3 Tbsp. yellow mustard
3 Tbsp. cornmeal
salt & pepper to taste
In a large skillet, add the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onions and garlic until softened. Add the ground beef breaking it down into fine pieces as it browns (you don’t want there to be large chunks of ground beef). Once the beef is cooked through, add cayenne pepper to taste (I would start with about ¼ tsp. and add more until it reaches your desired heat level). Add the chili powder. Stir to combine. Cover the meat with about 3-4 c. of water and bring to a simmer. Simmer over low heat for about 2 hours, stirring periodically and adding water about ½ c. at a time whenever all the liquid has evaporated (I ended up adding about 3 extra cups of water during the cooking process). After at least 2 hours of simmering, add the yellow mustard and stir to combine. Add the cornmeal 1 Tbsp. at a time to help thicken the chili (it’s nice to still have a little moisture in the chili, so only use the full 3 Tbsp. of cornmeal if necessary. You can always add a little more water to the chili to make it saucier.)
Serve on top of hot dogs, hamburgers, or French fries. ENJOY!
TIP: This chili freezes really well! After you thaw it out, it will have a slightly gelatinous texture, but don’t worry! When you heat it up with a little bit of water, it will be the perfect consistency again.
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