Detroit Chili Dogs

Chef #1552666's Note:

Here's our take on the best of the (3) biggest Detroit Chili Dogs: Lafayette, Onassis, and National. We used every ingredient common to all three recipes, and then carefully picked the rest of the ingredients based on (3) months of research and from what we remember as being the best of all three. Purists will NOT include the beans. That's fine. And they may not agree with all the ingredients we used. That's fine too. That what this is all about. People have been trying for years to recreate the best of the Detroit-style Coney chili(s), and we think we came VERY close. Feel free to tweak the recipe as you see fit, and if you think yours comes out better, then by all means let me know!!

• Total Time: 4 hrs
• Prep Time: 2 hrs
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 100

• 1 1/2 cups beef suet, rendered
• 2 1/2 lbs beef heart, finely ground
• 2 1/2 lbs ground round, 86% lean, finely ground
• 48 ounces beef stock or 48 ounces broth
• 1 onion, large Vidalia, minced
• 6 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 1/3 cup yellow mustard, perpared
• 4 tablespoons paprika
• 4 tablespoons chili powder, Sauer's
• 2 tablespoons curry powder, Sauer's
• 12 ounces beer, Labatt's
• 3 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon louisiana hot sauce
• 1 1/4 cups water, divided
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• cracker meal, saltine
• hot dog, Kogel's Viennas, natural casing
• hot dog bun, Aunt Millie's
• onion, vidalia, finely chopped
• yellow mustard, prepared
• 2 lbs dried pinto beans (optional)

Directions:

1. Some of the prep can be done the day before, to reduce the prep time on the day of cooking.
2. 1. Render 1 ½ cup of beef suet.
3. 2. Prepare and finely grind beef heart in food processor.
4. 3. Finely regrind ground round in food processor.
5. Cool and refrigerate rendered suet and reground beef (heart and round).
6. On preparation day:.
7. Please note, there is a LOT of simmering and stirring going on during the cooking phase. It only enhances the taste of the sauce! BE PATIENT!
8. In very large stock pot, melt 1 ½ cups of rendered suet. Add finely ground beef heart and ground round. Brown beef until done.
9. We found it beneficial to brown the beef in two parts. Remove the browned beef into separate bowl, and RE-MINCE browned beef, still warm, with retained fat and liquids, in a food processor. RE-MINCE in equal parts, until a rough paste is formed. Return minced beef to pot, with remaining fats and liquids. Consistency should be of a “rough paste”. Rice sized bits and smaller, with retained liquids and fats is perfect. Reserve remaining melted fats for use in making the roux.
10. Add beef stock/broth. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring often. Add minced/pureed onion and minced garlic. Simmer another 20 minutes, stirring often.
11. Add tomato paste and prepared mustard. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring often. Purists will contend that there should be NO tomato component to the sauce. I strongly disagree, and could not imagine what the sauce would taste like without it. It is a subtle component, and one that I feel is necessary. Use your own judgment here.
12. Now it's time to add the spices.
13. NOTE: We did NOT use a boat motor blender. We used a hand-cranked hand mixer instead. It allows for a more even disbursement of spices, without further reducing the consistency of the beef.
14. Add the paprika, chili powder and curry powder, and the bottle of beer. Use the hand blender to incorporate the spices. Simmer another 15 minutes, stirring often.
15. Add the cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, and REDHOT sauce. Use the hand blender to incorporate the spices. Simmer another 10 minutes, stirring often.
16. Throughout this process, we added the water in varying amounts, totaling 1 ¼ cup. Add the additional water when the sauce seems to get a bit too thick, perhaps ¼ cup at a time. Continue to simmer, stirring often.
17. Make the roux. Use the retained fats and flour in equal proportions. Use medium heat, stirring constantly, until a rich caramel color is obtained. Add roux to sauce, and mix thoroughly. Continue to simmer, stirring often.
18. At this point, PURISTS can STOP. Continue to simmer to your heart's content, stirring often. It could be from 1 hour to 8 hours. Put sauce in a slow-cooker if desired, and continue cooking on low for hours. Here is where time only improves the taste of the sauce. The longer you let it simmer, the better. If you choose to stop and refrigerate the sauce overnight, and begin re-simmering the next day, so much the better.
19. Add cracker meal as necessary, stirring often, until desired sauce consistency is obtained.
20. Serve sauce over prepared Kogel dogs and Aunt Millie's buns, topping with onions and mustard to taste.
21. ENJOY!
22. *****************************.
23. As for my family, we PREFER beans in our chili sauce. Like it or not, we added them, and we really enjoyed the end result.
24. As before, some prep can be done the evening before.
25. Directions:.
26. Cover dried beans with enough water to cover by 2”, and allow to soak overnight.
27. Drain the soaking liquids. Rinse beans twice with fresh water.
28. Recover beans with enough water to cover by 2”, and heat to a low boil. Reduce to a simmer, and simmer 1 ½ – 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
29. Turn off beans, and allow to cool.
30. Once sauce is finished as outlined above, add the cooked beans along with 2 cups +/- of the “bean stock”. Continue to simmer, stirring often.
31. Add cracker meal as necessary, stirring often, until desired sauce consistency is obtained.
32. Serve sauce over prepared Kogel dogs and Aunt Millie's buns, topping with onions and mustard to taste.
33. ENJOY!