Opinion

New hedgehog, new chili dog

With the recent release of “Sonic the Hedgehog,” fans had been questioning whether or not the speedster’s iconic love of chili dogs would make an appearance in the movie.

The speed demon’s love for the food originated in 1993 on the “Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog” cartoon.

From there, all media involving the hedgehog has included the blue mammal’s love of the chili dog.

Not only is the blue blur’s appetite whetted in the movie, but fans were also able to satiate their hunger by replicating an official recipe posted on Buzzfeed as a sponsored post, cross promoting the movie.

Yet, the recipe strays a bit from the traditional chili dog as it demands the use of a baguette to create a bread boat party dish rather than individual servings in buns.

Ingredients:

(6 Servings)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

2½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

3 bun-length hot dogs

1 baguette

1¼ cups shredded cheddar cheese

Sliced scallions, for garnish

 

Noah:

The first reaction I had while making the chili was that it was too good to be from a sponsored recipe.

However, it didn’t necessarily taste like chili.

There was no real spice or kick despite the inclusion of jalapeño peppers in the recipe, resulting in the finished chili tasting more like homemade sloppy joe filling than chili.

The finished product was an entirely different beast though.

Threatened by the aura of a baguette filled with chili, cheese and hot dogs, my main concern was how I would even take a bite out of it, even if it was sliced into smaller servings.

Simply to spite the monster in front of me, I took as big of a bite as I could, only to be met with a mouthful of bread, a tiny bit of savory chili, sharp cheddar and the smallest amount of hot dog.

It was okay so far, if only too bread-forward.

I needed more meat, more substance to the meal than just the hard bread.

After the first bite, I caved and removed the excess bread to get to the literal meat of the dish.

Finally, I was able to thoroughly enjoy the “chili dog” the way it was mean to be enjoyed.

As a whole, the recipe wasn’t anything that stands out among the wide variety of chili and Coney dogs I’ve tried before.

The chili was complimented by the sharp cheddar, but didn’t really lend itself to being used in such a fashion with the bread and hot dogs.

While it may have been lackluster, it was a decent enough meal, outweighing its predecessor found in the “Sonic the Hedgehog” comics that called for outlandish ingredients like Worcestershire and barbecue sauce.

Todd:

When I was first asked about trying a chili dog recipe based on “Sonic the Hedgehog” I was skeptical.

I already have a slight disdain towards chili dogs besides A&W’s and Sal’s Place Family Restaurant.

Every other recipe I’ve had was unsatisfactory.

Yes this includes Monroe’s Original Hot Dog and Vince’s.

However, I couldn’t turn down free food and agreed. I went into the taste testing blind.

When presented the roughly foot long monstrosity, I immediately rethought my decision.

I took a knife and cut into the thick breading and took a chunk onto my plate.

After tasting it, I was left swishing my hand side-to-side and shrugged. The flavor was decent, but tasted and smelled more like freshly stuffed green peppers than a chili dog.

It was very acidic due to the heavy use of tomato and the meat was loose from a lack of chili sauce to gel it together.

Another downside of the recipe is the use of a bread boat instead traditional hot dog buns.

Too often I found myself having a mouth full bread and tomato taste.

At one point I chose a fork and knife as opposed to my hands.

Overall, if you enjoy stuffed peppers more than a chili dog, this recipe is for you.