Hot Dog Chili.

I don't think there are many people on this planet who have thought about the perfect hot dog chili more than I. I am not proud of this but that is the way I am wired. I enjoy small pleasures in life and try to figure out how to reproduce them, and then maybe (maybe) make them better.

I understand the dynamics of creating a great chili. It is the mixture of heat, flavorful ingredients and texture. Great chilis can be served in many ways. The best chili, in my opinion, should be served alone in a large bowl by itself. It has large chunks of meat and other great ingredients. The next best way to serve it is as a topping for spaghetti Cincinnati-style, with cheese, onions and whatever else piled on top. The least appreciated way, but a very common one, is as a topping for a chili dog. I think this is mostly in the Carolinas. There if you order a hot dog you need to decide if you want chili, slaw and mustard on it, or chili, onions and mustard. It is a binary decision. Pickles, ketchup or, G-d forgive, mayonnaise are maybe things you can squirt out of a packet, if you wish. But on a chili dog the only choice is between slaw or onions, though you can always embrace the power of "and."

The texture of the perfect hot dog chili is thin enough to spread but thick enough not to turn your bun into mush. It needs finely ground hamburger mixed with tomato paste, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper and whatever else seems to be needed as you taste it. You can start with a can of hot dog chili and then doctor it up as you wish.

Finding the best hot dog chili is a journey. Everything in life is a journey.