Although it was previously an island, Coney Island is a peninsula located in southern Brooklyn, New York. Famous for its beach on the Atlantic, Coney Island was once home to a major tourist center. It was also well known for its amusement parks, with the area reaching its zenith of popularity in the early 1900s.

In 1916, Nathan’s original famous hot dog stand opened on Coney Island. The annual hot dog eating contest associated with Nathan’s has been held there since its opening, but it has only become widely known in recent years.

A “Coney Island hot dog” is generally understood as a hot dog with “Coney sauce”, usually a kind of chili without beans. Coney sauce did not actually originate on Coney Island, but it is believed to have been invented in Michigan. Here’s a recipe that I developed by taking what seemed like the best of the ingredients from various Coney sauce recipes.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp. butter

1 pound. ground beef

2 tbsp. yellow mustard

2 tbsp. cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

1 cup tomato sauce

2 teaspoons paprika (Hungarian paprika preferred)

2 teaspoons chili powder

Instructions:

Sauté the onion and garlic, add the ground beef, cook until golden brown, drain the excess fat. Combine all other ingredients and mix well. Add the mixture to the ground beef mixture. Stir well and hot. Let simmer for at least an hour. Spoon mixture over your favorite hot dog on a bun. This tastes great with added yellow mustard and a kosher spear on the side.

Copyright © 2007 Lee Griffith. All rights reserved.