Yield: 4 to 8 servings.

Chili:
1 pound ground beef
2 cups water (or 1 cup water and 1 cup cheap beer)
1½ cups finely chopped onion
¼ cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Slaw:
½ small green cabbage (about 1 pound), halved and cored
2 tablespoons sugar
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
¼ cup finely grated onion
2½ teaspoons cider vinegar
⅓ to ½ cup Duke’s mayonnaise
Ground black pepper, to taste

Hot Dogs and Buns:
8 hot dogs
8 hot dog buns, warmed
Yellow mustard
Finely chopped onion

For the chili: Stir together the beef and water in a large saucepan, crumbling the meat with a spoon. Bring to a boil, stirring to finish breaking up the meat.

Reduce the heat and stir in the onion, tomato paste, chili powder, Worcestershire, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Simmer until the chili is thick, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the chili thickens, stir more often.

Remove the pan from the heat and let cool. The texture of the chili should be very fine, so mash the beef with a hand-held potato masher, or purée the chili in a blender or food processor, if needed. Reheat gently before serving.

For the slaw: Finely grate the cabbage on the large holes of a box grater to yield about 2½ cups shredded cabbage. Transfer to a colander and toss with the sugar and salt. Set the colander over a large bowl to collect drips, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Press firmly to squeeze out any remaining liquid. Transfer the cabbage to a large bowl.

Stir in the onion and vinegar. Add ⅓ cup of the mayonnaise and stir well. The slaw should be lightly and evenly coated. If the slaw is too dry, add a little more mayonnaise, a spoonful at a time. Season with pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Stir well before serving.

For the hot dogs: Place the hot dogs in a single layer in a large skillet and cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer until the hot dogs lightly plump, about 1 minute. Pour off the water and return skillet to the heat. Cook the hot dogs, turning as needed, until sizzling and browned on each side, about 8 minutes total.

To assemble, place the hot dogs in the buns. Spoon a generous amount of warm chili over the hot dogs. Run a bead of mustard over the chili. Top with slaw. Sprinkle with onions. Eat ’em up.