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I am looking for a "coney" style chili sauce, for use over fries (aka chili fires) and hot dogs (aka coney dog). What I am hunting is not a full on chili. It doesn't have the bite and power of a full chili. No beans, a somewhat thinner sauce, though not to the point of being watery. I have tried to recreate this previously, using recipes that doted on mustard and vinegar. The mustard component wasn't too bad, but the sauce shouldn't be vinegary, which most recipes calling for that ingredient seemed to feature as a very pronounced flavor note. The color should be a medium brown, not the darker red of chili.

This is frustrating because it seems it is so commercial, I see variations of it around, but never seem to find a recipe that approximates it. I made it through high school living on a local drive-in's coney dogs and have very fond memories of those. I'd like to recreate them as much as possible, along with occasionally dousing some Belgian-style french fries in the stuff.

Toosh,

I have the following recipe from Kevin, The BBQ Guru: It may fit your needs.


Original Greek Coney Dog Sauce from Kevin...AKA The BBQ Guru

1 pound Ground beef
1 cup Shortening
1 medium Onion(s), diced
1/3 cup Chili powder
2 teaspoons Paprika
1 teaspoon Black pepper, coarsely ground
1 teaspoon Garlic powder
1 teaspoon Cumin powder
1 teaspoon Allspice
1 teaspoon Basil, dried
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Oregano, driedTo get the right consistency, cover the meat with water and soak, in the fridge, for about 30 minutes. Then take a fork and break up any remaining chunks. Drain the water and go on to browning. You will have some water while browning but it will slowly steam off.

Brown beef, onion and shortening.

Add remaining ingredients.

Simmer for 2 hours. You may have to add some water.
This freezes well.

Tim,
I'm curious about the 1 cup of shortening. That seems like a lot for 1 lb of beef. Do the spices absorb some of this fat?

Talan,

That amount of fat doesn't really surprise me. Our best local chile starts with a pound of ground beef and a pound of suet.

Caveat: I'm not allowed to partake and have never made this lipitor lovely!

CC

Thanks! Much appreciate the recipe. We will give this a try in a bit. My culinary adventures are on hold for a bit due to my wife being in the hospital. She'll be home tomorrow, but for the next few weeks, she'll get first choice on the what we will be making, mostly Filipino dishes is my guess. And when anyone gets sick here, she puts everyone on a serious fruits and veggies regime.

Hope everything's okay Tatoosh.

Amy

Hope she's feeling better, soon.

It sounds like you are looking for Detroit style coney sauce. Try a search there are a few versions out there. It mostly about the meat being very fine. There is also a Greek coney sauce that is similar.

Myself I prefer the Flint style coney sauce. I make it and also can buy it. It is a much dryer style meat sauce. In Michigan there has been an ongoing battle of Detroit vs Flint style. Most prefer one or the other.


Laurie

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and concerns about my wife. She is doing much better and commanding the household from her rest bed we put in the main "sala" or living room. She should be pretty mobile in a week or so and pretty much back in form within a month.

MiGirl, I have read a bit about at least some of the different styles. I grew up in Iowa and there was a drive-in not far from my house. Since both of my parents were working professionals whose duties often ran late, I ended up sitting at the counter quite often. The drive-in's coney sauce was fairly liquid, had finely ground meat, and was a light brown, without any noticeable chili-powder "bite" or color. So comfort food during my transition from mid-teens to early adulthood was a hotdog usually dressed with mustard and onions, and sporting a bountiful ladle of their coney sauce. Once I moved away and went to college where coney dogs were not available, I transitioned to pizza. But the memories many have of home cooked meals and doting grandparents are, for me, of drive-ins and hot dog buns, along with the occasional bag of fries or, when feeling rich, onion rings.

Yes the sauce of fond memories sounds like Detroit style. The battle continues in Michigan for the best coney sauce. There is nothing better than a good dog with sauce, mustard and onions. My brother has a friend that owns a coney restaurant and makes the sauce you like. I will see if the recipe is available from him. I wouldn't mind having it myself. I only have the Flint style sauce which contains ground dogs as part of the mix. Locally made Kogel Vienna's (skin on) dogs are the favorite here, and the only kind I buy.

Laurie