My Favorite Chili Dogs

Fourth of July approaches. A real one this year — not the solo porch grill of 2020, but a real gathering. I told the family: Thunderbolt house. Saturday afternoon. Bring nothing but yourselves and an appetite. I am grilling hamburgers and hot dogs and corn and I am making potato salad and I am setting up tables in the yard and there will be children and noise and sparklers and the particular chaos that a Henderson Fourth of July requires.

Kayla and Devon will bring watermelon. Denise will bring her potato salad (which she insists on bringing despite mine being superior, because sisterly rivalry extends to side dishes in this family). Monique and James are coming. Earl Jr. can't make it — they're visiting Carolyn's family in Virginia — but he'll call at sunset, same as always.

I bought fireworks at the stand on Highway 80. Not the big ones — the sparklers and the fountains and the small things that make noise and light and delight children. Amara has never seen fireworks up close. She was born into a pandemic. This will be her first real Fourth of July, and I want it to be loud and bright and everything a childhood memory should be.

The book edits are happening — Caroline sends me pages by email and Kayla reads them to me because my eyes are not what they were and screens are the enemy of anyone over sixty. The edits are small: a comma here, a clarification there, a question about whether the "splash of apple cider vinegar" in the Lowcountry boil is a tablespoon or a quarter cup. It is a splash. A splash is not a measurement. A splash is a feeling. I told Caroline this. She put it in the book.

Made potato salad — the real one, mine, with egg and mustard and relish. Enough for twenty people because I still cook for crowds even when the crowd is twelve. The leftovers will go to Mrs. Crawford, who has become the grateful recipient of all my excess, which is considerable.

Now go on and feed somebody.

If I’m already grilling hot dogs for twenty, it only makes sense to dress them right — and nothing says a real Henderson Fourth of July like a proper chili dog alongside that potato salad. Amara’s first real Fourth deserves a table that’s full and messy and loud, and these chili dogs are exactly that kind of food: the kind you eat standing up in the yard with a napkin tucked in your collar, the kind that makes children’s eyes go wide. This is the recipe I reach for when the crowd is real and the occasion calls for something that feels like celebration.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

8 all-beef hot dogs
8 hot dog buns, split
1 lb ground beef
1 small yellow onion, finely diced (plus extra for topping)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and black pepper to taste
Shredded cheddar cheese, for topping
Yellow mustard, for topping

Instructions

Brown the beef. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the ground beef, breaking it up as it browns, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat.
Build the chili base. Add the diced onion and garlic to the pan with the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 3 minutes.
Season and simmer. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne (if using), and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili thickens.
Grill the hot dogs. While the chili simmers, grill the hot dogs over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and heated through, about 5–6 minutes.
Toast the buns. Place the buns cut-side down on the grill for 1–2 minutes until lightly toasted.
Assemble and serve. Nestle a grilled hot dog into each bun, spoon a generous amount of chili over the top, and finish with shredded cheddar, diced onion, and a line of yellow mustard. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

My Favorite Chili Dogs — The Fourth of July Table Dorothy Henderson Has Been Waiting For