Recipe: Loaded Chili Dog

TRY IT YOURSELF

Loaded Chili Dog

Locos chef Victor Lewin says the Texas Chili recipe he shares here is simmered for 24 hours. But if you don't want to take on that challenge, feel free to pop open your favorite can of chili and top with the beautiful Hibiscus Pickled Onions.

Or, Lewin says, "If they want it simmered for 24 hours, they're gladly welcome to come in here and try it."

Hibiscus Pickled Onions

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 cups rice wine vinegar
1 cup dried hibiscus flower
2 tsp. salt
2 red onions

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine water, sugar and vinegar in a pot and bring to a boil. Steep Hibiscus flowers in hot brine for 20 minutes.

Shave red onions thin. Sprinkle with salt.

Strain the brine.

Put onions in a container and pour the strained brine over. Let sit 24 hours.

Texas Chili
Serves 4-6 people

INGREDIENTS:

For red aromatics puree:
8 oz. dried guajillo chili
8 oz. dried ancho chili
8 oz. dried chili New Mexico
4 oz. dried chili negro
1 large onion
1-3 garlic cloves
1 large bunch cilantro
2 Tbsp. dried marjoram
2 oz. fresh oregano
1 Tbsp. allspice berries
1 Tbsp. cumin seeds
2 to 4 cloves

For chili powder, combine:
1/2 cup ground dried Chili New Mexico
1/2 cup ground dried Ancho chili
1/8 cup ground cumin
This makes more than you'll need, so save the remainder for another time.

REMAINING INGREDIENTS:
3 lbs. ground beef — coarsely ground, not too lean
Salt
2 white onions
1-3 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp. cinnamon, plus dried oregano, allspice, and clove as desired
3 Tbsp. masa, approximately
Apple cider vinegar, to taste

PART 1:

1. Make "red aromatics," a blend of chilies, herbs, spices, garlic and onion.
2. Soak dried guajillo chilies, dried ancho chilies, chili New Mexico and chili Negro in water until plump.
3. Pull the stems and take some or all of the seeds out, depending on desired spice level.
4. Add rehydrated chilis to a big pot of water with onions, garlic, cilantro (with the stems), marjoram, fresh oregano, cumin seeds, allspice berries, and cloves. Simmer until tender, up to six hours.
5. After simmering, puree in a blender.
6. Strain out the seeds and the pulp through a fine colander. Set aside.

PART 2:

1. Brown ground beef in a large pot and season with salt and chili powder. Sweat down until a lot of the fat is rendered out, continually seasoning it with chili powder. From Victor: You wanna do this over low heat, not super blasting high. You really want those flavors to develop. You don't want to burn your chili powder because it'll taste bitter and not very pleasant.
2. While the beef is browning, small dice the onions and chop the garlic fine.
3. Add onions to beef to sweat the onions in the fat that comes out of the beef. After the onions are sweating, add the garlic, being careful not to burn it.
4. Once the beef is seasoned, the onions are soft and the garlic is aromatic, put a little bit of water in the pan to deglaze the bottom.
5. Add a little more chili powder, then add the red aromatics puree.
6. Simmer. While it's simmering, add cinnamon, dried oregano, allspice, and clove to taste. From Victor: At this point, use these spices somewhat sparingly. Add just enough to make the chili a little more aromatic.
7. The base should be thin, but not as thin as water. To thicken, add small spoonfuls of masa one at a time. Whisk constantly to activate it and thicken. Continue to add masa until desired consistency is achieved.
8. Simmer for up to 24 hours.
9. Before serving, adjust salt and chili powder to taste. If a brighter flavor is desired, add a little bit of apple cider vinegar.

ASSEMBLING YOUR CHILI DOG

1. Lewin prefers Texas Hot Links and grills them to give them an appetizing char mark.
2. Toast hot dog bun heavily. Lewin especially likes Pioneer Rolls by Franz because "they hold up and they've got a nice bite to them."
3. Put hot dog in bun and load up with your favorite toppings!

In addition to Texas Chili and Hibiscus Pickled Onions, Lewin also enjoys topping a hot dog with sour cream, pickled jalapeños, "and then, as you know, I'm a good Texas boy — I gotta have Fritos on everything. I put Fritos on the damn thing, too."

— RECIPES COURTESY OF VICTOR LEWIN