Coney Detroit

Homemade Coney Recipe

The Preacher's Wife loves to cook -- and to write about it on her blog.

Lucky us.

She has posted a yummy recipe for homemade Coneys that sound about as good as the real deal. She says they live in Michigan, but about two hours from any Coney places -- hard to imagine in Michigan -- so this is her homemade solution.

You'll see that she uses the right ingredients, including Koegel's hot dogs.

Her secret is the ground-up cheaper hot dogs that go into making the sauce.

Thanks, Preacher's Wife!

 

Michigan Sauce

The Rutland (Vermont) Herald takes a smack at Michigan in an article extolling its local Village Snack Bar -- and said bistro's hot dogs.

The newspaper says, "Michigan sauce, for those who don't know — like people from Michigan, for instance, where the sauce is more likely known as Coney Island, if at all — is a hamburger-and-onion sauce, sometimes with a tomato base, sometimes with a mild chili-sauce base."

Far from being hurt, though, Michiganders are proud to be memorialized in every bite of such a dog -- and for a few hours afterward.

But, really, onions IN the sauce? We would not call that a Coney Island.

In upstate New York, by the way, a "Michigan" is the Empire State's version of what Detroiters might call a Coney Dog.

A Coney Cousin

The Big Apple describes a “mother-in-law sandwich” is a tamale with chili, usually served in a hot dog bun.

It is not a Texas item, as you might expect, but something from the south side of Chicago.

The Big Apple says that Johnny O’s in Bridgeport, Ill., has been serving “mother-in-law sandwiches” since at least 1970 -- but didn’t invent them.

The Reuben Dog

We're curious about this one ...

Tiny's a hot dog joint in Northfield, Minn., that has been extending its hot dog line -- yes, it includes Coney Dogs and Chicago Dogs -- has added the Reuben Dog.

According ro Northfield.org, "The treat consists of a butterflied filet of hot dog on a pumpernickel bun ... topped with sauerkraut and American-Swiss cheese (which this author assumes melts a little easier than real Swiss). And it’s all topped off with as much “special sauce,” or horseradish mustard, as you can handle."

Um, OK.

Worth a try.

Coney Island Hot Dog Sauce Recipes

Believe it or not, www.cooks.com has 45 recipes for Coney Island hot dogs.

We need some independent research!

You can check out the recipes here.

Wisconsin's Coney Island Recipes

Coney Detroit is not the only place that digs its dogs.

On a smaller scale, Oshkosh, Wisc., has a Coney-loving culture.

Aldrich Tan writes in the Oshkosh Northwestern that patrons of local bars The Magnet, Bob's Trails End, and LeRoy's Bar and more are loyal to a variety of tried and true Coney Island hot dog recipes.

Tan wrote, "Different bars have different toppings. 'The works' at Bob's Trails End is mustard, chili sauce and onions. The Magnet serves its 'Mag Dogs' with Sloppy Joe mix and horseradish. LeRoy's dogs come with a spicier Sloppy Joe mix and large onion pieces on large rolls."

Sloppy Joe mix and horseradish? I think I'll stay in Coney Detrot.

Recipe for Spicy Coney Dog Chili Sauce

Zaitgha Seremban of Malaysia adapts a hot and spicy Coney Dog recipe to feed her hungry boys.

She used these ingredients:

250 grams minced meat -- she used chicken as the store ran out of beef
2 big onions finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 tablespoon of blended dried chili
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup water
black pepper
salt
2 tablespoon of cooking oil - she used olive oil

My main objection was that she boiled the dogs and did not grill them.

You can find out more on her blog.

Coney Island Sauce Makes Memories

Last week, the Olympian in Washington State asked readers for favorite summer recipes to celebrate the Fourth of July.

This Coney Island hot dog recipe came in from one of the readers. It was copied down years ago from a recipe in the Detroit Free Press.

Coney Island Sauce

I grew up during the 1950s and '60s in Dearborn, Mich., right next to Detroit, when Detroit was still a thriving city. Downtown Detroit was well known for great Coney Island hot dog places. When my husband-to-be and I went downtown to buy our marriage license at the City-County building, we had to stop by for one last Coney Dog before we moved out to Washington state. Once we were settled in our Olympia home after our honeymoon, we were delighted to receive from the Detroit Free Press newspaper a little booklet of favorite regional recipes - and it included this recipe for Detroit-style Coney Island sauce!

Apparently, all new brides who posted their marriages in the paper received these booklets.

1/2 lb. lean ground beef

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup chopped onion (chopped VERY fine)

1 clove garlic, minced

8-ounce can tomato sauce

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon chili powder (we use New Mexico Chili Powder from Buck's)

1/2 teaspoon salt

fresh ground pepper

Brown ground beef slowly but thoroughly, breaking with fork or spatula until very fine, so you can see each little separate, crumbly bit of burger. Pour off any fat (though Detroit originals were very greasy). Add onion, garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper, and tomato sauce; pour the water into the can and swish around, then pour into meat mixture. Simmer over low heat about 10 minutes or until mixture is well blended.

Heat hot dog buns by steaming over moist heat, or wrap in paper towels and steam in microwave for a few seconds.

Ladle Coney Island Sauce over hot dogs in steamed buns. Makes about 6 servings; can be doubled easily.

- Bev Jackson, Tumwater