Hot Dogs: New York
My post on Detroit Coneys drew a few comments. As I said in a comment about ketchup, those of you that indulge in such heresy have other qualities. I know, I’ve read you.
On to New York.
On the very night that I wrote of the wonders of Coneys, I was concocting ersatz Sabrett’s onion sauce: but, I get ahead of myself.
If you’ve been to the City (NYC) or Miami (and I assume a few other places) you haven’t lived unless you’ve had a dirty water street cart dog. Sounds appetizing doesn’t it? “Dirty water” refers to the hot water bath the cart vendor keeps the dogs in. Sabrett brand for the most part. Almost always with skins, or natural casings, rather than skinless.
(Did you know that skinless hot dogs start out with skins? They do. “’Skinless’ hot dogs also must use a casing in the cooking process when the product is manufactured, but here the casing is usually a long tube of thin cooking plastic that is completely removed after cooking and before packaging. Skinless hot dogs vary in the texture of the product surface but have a softer ‘bite’ than natural casing hot dogs. Skinless hot dogs are more uniform in shape and size than natural casing hot dogs and less expensive to produce.” Wikipedia, of course)
Other acceptable NYC dogs are kosher (Hebrew National and Empire National both made with beef and no natural casing) and kosher-style, beef but with a casing.
Back to dirty water dogs. Almost all, according to the link to the authoritive NYT are made by Marathon Enterprises (parent of Sabrett) in East Rutherford, NJ. Here Hakim makes the classic, the aforesaid onion sauce and a bit of mustard. Other acceptable condiments include saurkraut, chili sauce and chopped onion.
Oh, the onion sauce. You are now priviledged to read the very first Rather Than Working recipe, stolen from online of course. This is not fully realized Sabrett’s onion sauce; but, it’s pretty damn close:
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thin and chopped
Water to cover
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup vinegar
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
Sauté the onion in the oil for 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft, but not brown.
Add the water, tomato paste, corn syrup, cornstarch, salt, and red pepper flakes, and stir together.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.
Add the vinegar and continue simmering until most of the liquid is reduced and the sauce is thickened.
Makes about 1 cup.
Watch the Hakim video for serving style and enjoy. NO KETCHUP!!!
6 comments:
The sauce sounds really good - will have to pull that off and try it sometime.
However, you know you are cheating there in saying "no ketchup" since that sauce calls for tomato paste -which is ketchup in a thicker, non-flavored form isn't it? Just my theory on that deal.
I've been behind in the reading but I'll jump on the ketchup/no ketchup bandwagon. I'm from the West, the dog should have ketchup lovingly dripping from the sides. Watching it mix oh so sweetly with a thin line of mustard and everything gently resting on a bun which contains a shy, almost hesitant swipe of mayo.
There ain't nothing better. Believe me:-)
Debo Blue
OK, I love you both; but:
Jeni, Tomato paste is not ketchup, especially when the recipe calls for two tbs. If it were the equivalent of ketchup, you'd see spagetti sauce recipes with an ingredient such as "two sixteen ounce bottles of ketchup, the green variety is not recommended from an aesthetic point of view."
Debo, you make it sound sensuous; but, again but, it's just wrong. Maybe on a hamburger, indeed on a hamburger, add some onion, relish or pickle slices, you're there.
NO KETCHUP!!!!
Dave, you're wrong. Accept it.
And here's where you're wrong. Ketchup or no ketchup is a matter of personal taste, not values or morals. I like a dog without ketchup, but I prefer it with.
For some reason, you don't.
Best I can say is if you are ever at my house, I will not offer you ketchup with your dogs. But given your two part diatribe, I doub't you'd accept the dog. We're Oscar Meyer people here.
Jeff Kay has talked about onion sauce before, but I don't think I could buy it here in Detroit. It sounds intriguing. If I ever decide to cook, I'll have to make that.
First let me say that I have made homemade Sabrett's onion sauce and it is GREAT! Try it once. You will see.
Now....
Posol,
Oscar Meyer hot dogs (ie. baloney dogs) WITH Ketchup???? How old are you???? Congrats! I am sure that you just won won your Grade school prize for best kiddie lunch!
Personal taste???? Face it, if you eat baloney dogs WITH ketchup you have none!
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