Coney Island Hot Dog Chili Sauce Recipe

We had a rare treat for dinner tonight in that we had hot dogs topped with the original Coney Island Hot Dog Chili Sauce. A very special person gave us a cooler with a precious container of the sauce.

If you ever lived in Johnstown, you probably visited the Coney Island Restaurant at least once. It opened in 1898 in downtown Johnstown and was close to the Cambria Iron works. Before the steel mills closed, steel workers would stop by for a hot dog or a sundowner sandwich. The sundowner was a fried hamburger and egg sandwich.

Their Coney Island hot dog chili sauce was a carefully guarded secret only known to a few.

After 100 years, the original Coney Island Restaurant in Johnstown closed its doors. I believe it then opened again under different management.

I’ve made hot dog sauce recipes that try to mimic this original sauce but they never taste quite the same. When I taste the original sauce, to me it seems like ground hot dogs not ground meat is used in making the sauce.

The photograph below shows my hot dogs covered in the original Coney Island Chili Sauce, chopped onions and tomatoes.

The recipe below is for NY Style hot dog sauce. I made it for a previous 4th of July party. It is easy to make and quite good on hot dogs.

Ingredients for NY Style Hot Dog Sauce

• 1 Pound of Lean Ground Chuck
• 1/2 Cup of Finely Chopped Onion
• 1/2 Cup of Beef Broth
• 1 Minced Garlic Clove
• 1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil
• 2 Teaspoons of Chili Power
• 1 Teaspoon of Allspice
• 1 Teaspoon of Ground Cumin
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Nutmeg
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Celery Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger

Directions

1. In large skillet cook onion and garlic in oil over moderate heat until onion is softened.
2. Add beef to skillet, stirring until browned. Spoon off any excessive oil from the skillet and add the rest of the ingredients.
3. Simmer approximately 10 minutes until all the liquid is evaporated.
4. Transfer mixture to a food processor and pulse about five times until meat is finely ground. Makes about 2 cups of sauce.

With 4th of July picnics and BBQ’s nearing, this sauce will make those grilled hot dogs a special treat.