Looking for a recipe for Coney Island Sauce for hot dogs

AnneMary · ‎04-12-2010

I love Coney Island Dogs, but I haven't had a really great one in years and years. What I'm looking for is a sauce that's got crumbled fine browned hamburger bits in it and the sauce is really kind of watery like. If it is thickened a tad, it's really just a tad.

There used to be a Coney Island Dog place on upper Main St. in Beacon, NY. This was way back in the mid 50's, but it's been gone a long time now. They had the most incredible dogs and I could have eaten them all my 3 meals a day instead of just for lunch! I was just a youngster then (ha!) but every so often in my travels I'd see them advertised and try one. It's just not the same. Some have too much chili powder or onions in it and others have thickened the sauce to a thick chili consistency. And others have so many other unknown spices in it that I'm not sure what I'm tasting. (But it's not good!!) Hope you can help. TIA

elruth · ‎03-13-2010

My husband lived in Detroit until he was in his late 30's. Lafayette ( name of street ) Coney Island hot dogs were fabulous! I happened to post this recipe recently on Facebook. He just made if and said it tasted like the real thing! He's 84 now.

For Lafayette Coney Island fans!

CopyCat Lafayette Coney Island Sauce Recipe

Serves: 20 or so hotdogs
Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 15 Min

Ingredients
...
1 lb lean ground beef
3 Tbsp canola oil
14 oz chicken stock
4 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp each, chili powder and paprika
1 tsp each cumin and tumeric
3 cubes chicken bouillon
6 oz v-8 juice

Directions
1
Heat the oil in a large saute pan and brown the meat in it until no longer pink. Use a potato masher to break it up into very small bits.
2
In a blender, add all the rest and whirr up for a couple of seconds. Pour into the cooked meat, and heat until it comes to a soft boil and it thickens up.
3
When done, remove 2 c from the pan and return to blender and puree. Pour back in the pan. You are done. Serve at the table with a ladle.
4
Proper coney eating etiquette: place two buns on a plate, add a hot dog to each. Ladle about 2-3 tbsp of sauce on each. Throw on a handful of raw diced onions and squiggle some ballpark mustard atop. Grab a fork!

Zhills · ‎11-15-2011

This is from my files..Sounds like the one I enjoyed.

Coney Dog Chili

Ground beef is simmered in a tangy sauce with onion. My Grandfather owned a drive-in restaurant back in the 1950's. This is his exact recipe for Coney Dogs from back in the day. I make this on special occasions and it is always hit with friends and family. Enjoy."

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound ground beef

1/4 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Place the ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring to crumble, until beef is browned. Drain. Transfer the beef and onion to a slow cooker and stir in the ketchup, sugar, vinegar and mustard. Season with celery seed, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and salt. Cover and simmer on Low setting for a few hours before serving.

MALC · ‎04-21-2011

I grew up in Ohio and always had chili dogs. This is the recipe from there which I always use.

Very Easy Chili Dogs

1 Tbsp. oil

1/2 - 3/4 lb. ground beef

1 minced garlic clove

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup catsup

8 oz. can tomato sauce

3/4 teaspoon tsp. chili powder

Saute onion and garlic in hot oil. Add meat, brown and drain. Blend in catsup,

tomato sauce and chili powder. Simmer gently for 10 - 15 minutes. Place cooked

hot dogs in rolls and pour on sauce. You can top them with shredded cheddar

cheese if desired. This makes enough for eight hot dogs.

Sabatini2 · ‎11-13-2010

Hi AnneMary! I think it's gonna be quite a task to find that taste memory! There are A TON of recipes out there for that type of sauce. Here's what the lost recipe site Uncle Phaedrus has to say:

Hot Dogs, Chili Dogs, Coneys, Texas Hots

"This is one of the hottest topics on my site, particularly the chili sauces. Once people find a Coney or Texas hot or chili dog sauce that they like, they are fiercely loyal to it and pine for it if they can't get it anymore.

Many chili sauces for hot dogs started out as what is called a "Greek" style sauce. A lot of the original purveyors of hot dogs with chili were of Greek origin, and they developed the original special chili sauces. The problem for you and me is that the sauces are usually "secret recipes". You just can't find the recipes. The owners of such places jealously guard their recipes. The recipe is often handed down within families or is sometimes sold. The owners quite often make the sauce themselves in big batches, and they won't even tell their employees the recipe. Sometimes the recipe dies with the owner."

-----------------------------------------

That being said, this is just one of the many recipes from that site, and I only chose it because it has minimal onions, and the addition of an odd ingredient - root beer! Here ya go:

Original Coney Sauce for hot dog lovers.

1/2 lb ground chuck, fried

1 cup "Del Monte" Ketchup

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup "Vlasic" dill pickle relish

1 tablespoon instant minced onion

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

1 tablespoon chili powder

3 tablespoon Root Beer Cola but do not add more then that. (Secret Taste)

1/2 teaspoon Salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions:

Fry ground meat in 2 tablespoon cooking oil and 1/3 cup water, crumbling with a fork, until no longer pink. Add the ketchup, water, relish, onion, mustard, chili powder, Root Beer, salt and cayenne pepper, stir well to blend then stir occasionally while simmering for about 20-25 minutes. Thin with more water as needed.

Serves 12-14

* It was suggested to simmer the hot dogs in a combo of beer & water w/ 1/4 tsp caraway seeds & a few smashed garlic cloves.

Sabatini2 · ‎11-13-2010

p.s. Here are the recipes from the Uncle Phaedrus site. A daunting task to go through them all!

Good luck!

chips · ‎03-13-2010

I quickly copied the Lafayette's recipe. This is a tradition in Detroit. I am going to make it when my son comes to town. He eats there on occasion. I thought they used Dearborn franks tho...

AnneMary · ‎04-12-2010

Thanks to all of you for your replies. I like the looks and sounds of all of them.......just printed them out and plan to make a couple this week and will cut the recipes in half. What I remember could end up being similar to one of them, and I'm excited! And Sabatini2, that is some list that you posted, and I thank you for it very much! I'll browse thru it a few at a time and see what is offered. Thanks everyone!! AnneMary

RespectLife · ‎02-27-2012

Copy Cat Wienerschnitzel Chili Sauce

Cooking time 45-minutes. Makes about 6 to 8 cups

3/4 lb ground beef
1/4 lb ground pork (or all beef and 1 Tbs bacon grease)
6 cups cold water
1-1/2 Tbs white vinegar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup all purpose flour
6-ounce can tomato paste
4 Tbs mild chili powder
2 Tbs granulated sugar
1 Tbs paprika
1 Tablespoon dried minced onion
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp granulated garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1-1/2 tsp table salt
1 cup Frito's corn chips, crushed

1. Brown the meat (with bacon grease if used) in a skillet. Break up ground meat into small pieces. When browned, pour off excess grease. Cover pan, reduce heat to low and let meat simmer in own juices for
about 10 minutes.

2. In a 4-qt heavy bottom pot, add cold water. Stir in vinegar. Whisk in cornstarch until fully blended. Whisk in flour until fully blended. Whisk in tomato paste until fully blended.

3. Stir in the chili powder, sugar, paprika, dried onion, cumin, garlic powder, pepper and salt. Mix well.

4. Stir in the cooked meat and pan juices into the water in stockpot. Mix well.

5. Stir in the crushed Frito's corn chips.

6. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.

7. Simmer covered 45-minutes. Stir well and scrape bottom of pot every 5-minutes to prevent burning.

8. Serve as is or blend slightly with hand blender for a smoother chili.

9. Serve over hot dogs, hamburgers, polenta, grits, etc.

here is a link with various hot dog sauces you and everyone will love....

http://www.hungrybrowser.com/phaedrus/mphotdogs.htm

In Erie, Pa. it's called "Greek Sauce" and there are several places in town that feature it. Each one also has it's "own" recipe for the sauce but won't give it out. Here's one from one of the better known eateries there. (smuggled out by previous employee)

1/2lb ground beef

1 small chopped onion

4 oz tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

Place beef in large skillet on med. heat until completely brown. Drain. Stir in all other ingredients and bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you don't like it quite as hot you can leave out the pepper flakes.

If you order one of these with "everything", all you get is the sauce, mustard, and chopped onion. It's enough. Your tongue will beat your brains out trying to get at it. Also good on burgers and fries. Enjoy.

I was reading that one of the secret ingredients in some hot dog chili is HOT DOGS! The hot dog stands take the hot dogs that have been kept warm too long and grind them up and add them to the chili. That adds a unique subtle taste.

Coney Island Hot Dog Chili

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 Tbs cooking oil
1 tsp minced garlic
4 hot dogs (ground up, added to chili)
12 oz (1 1/2 cups) water
6 oz tomato paste
1 Tbs beef base or 1 beef beef bouillon cube
1 Tbs prepared yellow mustard
3 Tbs mild chili powder
1 1/2 tsp medium hot chili powder (or 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, instead - or to taste)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1 Tbs butter
seasoning salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Saute the ground beef with cooking oil in a skillet until it's no longer pinkand slightly browned. Add minced garlic and saute for a couple of minutes.Drain off excess fat.

To a food processor bowl, add hot dogs, 12 oz (1 1/2 cups) water, tomato paste,beef base or bouillon cube, mustard, mild chili powder, medium hot chili powder,ground cumin, and onion powder. Process until hot dogs in mixtureare ground into a paste.

Add ground hot dog mixture to browned beef in skillet.Simmer covered on low heat for 20-minutes. Add a little more wateras needed if mixture gets too thick.

Season to taste with seasoning salt and ground black pepper.Stir in butter.

Serve over hot dogs in buns topped with a some chopped onion.

Makes 2 1/2 cups of chili.

Greek Sweet Hot Dog Chili Sauce

The secret ingredient is unsweetened cocoa powder. You can't really taste it, but it adds a flavor dimension to this sweet hot dog chili sauce.

1 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 lb ground lamb
3/4 lb ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup beef broth
1 cup water
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf

Heat oil in skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add ground meat, onion, salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up
clumps of meat, cook until meat is no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
Add chili powder, cocoa powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, allspice and
cayenne. Cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add tomato sauce, broth and 1 cup
of water and heat to a simmer. Stir in honey and vinegar and add cinnamon
stick and bay leaf.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, about 45 minutes to blend
flavors. Uncover and simmer for another 15 minutes, until mixture is
reduced to a light sauce consistency. Add a little more water to prevent
sauce from sticking if necessary.

Adjust seasoning, if necessary. Discard cinnamon stick and bay leaf.
May be stored in fridge for up to 3 days or frozen.

I copied the above from somewhere but I can't remember! I have tried them all except this last Greek Sweet....all delish!

nomar · ‎03-12-2010

Hot dogs sauces and chili sauces will be tried soon around here. Some of these might be what I remember smelling as a child. Our downtown had a very long narrow building with an older man running the coney dog eatery. I do not know if he was greek or not, but I bet he cooked like some of these recipes. I could smell spices and the whole block smelled so good. I was a child so I did not get to purchase any of his food, but I have thought of those good smells coming from there all these years now.