West Virginia Hot Dog

The tastiest hot dog on the planet comes from West Virginia, my home state. Sounds weird to y'all, I know, but don't knock it till you tried it!

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   I'll be honest and say nothing in this recipe is exact measurements...everything is to taste! This is about how much I would put in it, but do it how you like.
   
   I prefer to either pop the dogs onto a grill (the BBQ) or to let them sizzle in a hot, dry skillet so they get crispy and the skin bubbles.
   
   To make the chili sauce, chop the beef finely and add a bit of water to the pot and squish it in (use your hands!) so there aren't any big lumps. The beef should be pretty smooth. Cook it and keep stirring it so it doesn't lump together. When it has browned well, drain the liquid off and stir in tomato paste and a bit of water. It needs to be thick enough to stay on top of the dog! Add plenty of Tex-Mex chili powder (which already contains all the typical spices needed for good chili) and salt and pepper to taste. The color should be a deep burgandy. Keep warm.
   
   For cole slaw, shred cabbage, about 1/2 of a large head, fairly finely. I use the food processor with the grating attachment.
   In a large bowl, make up the dressing. Mix the mayo, vinegar and sugar and have a taste. It should be tangy and somewhat sweet, but you don't want either flavor to be too strong, so if there is too much, add a bit more of whatever you think it needs! You don't want the creamy style slaw you get here...you need the tang to dig into the flavor of the chili! Add salt and pepper to taste if you like, and a dash of celery seed is the way mommy makes it.
   
   To assemble, put the hot dog into the bun and top with some chili and some slaw, or line the bun with chili and top with hot dog and slaw. To make it a full on WVHD, add some chopped onion on top of the slaw and a squirt of French's Mustard directly onto the hot dog!