Time for another ‘Save This Classic!’ post… This time, it’s a plea to resurrect All-American Coney Sauce – just in time for Hot Dog Season, and America’s number one Hot Dog celebration – the 4th of July!
One-up on them?
Dare I suggest that Canada has a leg-up on the US – because our national day comes three days before theirs, on July 1? Okay. I won’t go there…
The Coney Sauce story
Coney Sauce is as unique to the US as the first ‘modern’ hot dog. And both have recently arrived immigrants to thank for their creation.
The Dog, as we know it, was invented by newcomer Nathan Handwerker in New York City, in 1916. But Coney Sauce has a hazier birthdate and paterntiy…
One thing is certain… In spite of the name. ‘Coney Sauce’ was first formulated not in NYC, but in Michigan. And legend and lore hold that as many as three different cooks tried to take credit.
According to Google AI, Constantine Gust Keros, a Greek immigrant, started selling hot dogs topped with a spicy sauce from a cart in Detroit in 1910. He named them ‘Coney Dogs’ because the famous New York amusement park left a massive impact on him when he arrived at Ellis Island.
George Todorov [from Macedonia] is believed by some historians to have conceived the first Coney dog. He created a meat sauce topping for hot dogs and opened his stand near the Jackson, MI, train station around 1914.
Still others believe that the ‘real’ Coney was first cooked up by yet another Macedonian immigrant, George N. Brown. He introduced ‘Flint-style’ Coney Island sauce, which typically features a finer grind of meat, in 1924.
What it ISN’T…
Coney Sauce is definitely NOT a copy of anything else. It is NOT a prototype of Sloppy Joe filling. It is definitely not related in any meaningful way to hamburger Helper. Nor is it anything at all like any Chili you’ve tasted.
What it IS…
Aficionados insist that, although Coney Sauce is based on ground beef, it’s ground significantly finer than regular GB, which produces a smoother, creamier, just barely pourable sauce.
It also relies on a unique blend of spices and flavourings for its distinctive character. The trouble is, the forumla changes depending on which founding inventor’s recipe you choose to follow… Some ingredients common to all Coney Sauce recipes include, tomato (sauce, paste or ketchup), onion, sugar, white vinegar, yellow mustard, cumin and chili powder. Variations may include Worcestershire Sauce, paprika, celery seed, allspice, or black pepper.
Today’s recipe…
… Is a family heirloom shared by AllRecipes contributor Sean S. His grandfather owned a drive-in restaurant in the 1950s: “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.”
That’s about as authentic as you can get!
My take
I plan to experiment with all the ingredients mentioned in all the sources I consulted for this post. In the end I’ll come up with a unique blend that’s all my own. You can, and should, do likewise over the coming summer. Just be sure to always start with those basic ingredients that are agreed by the ex-perts to be common to ALL Coney Sauces…
~ Maggie J.