Recipe: Real Coney Dogs

Posted on Wednesday 18 April 2007 at 9:04 AM in In The Kitchen - Post Comment

Growing up in the Metro Detroit area I grew fond of coney dogs.  There is nothing like walking into Lafayette's and ordering a couple coney's to go.  When we moved here to Indiana...coneys were non existant.  If we had them, it was because I made them at home.  We were so excited when a coney place opened up nearby and for about a year or so we enjoyed stopping in once in a while and loading up on coneys.  Not the best I've had, but the best around here.  We just found out this week they went out of business.  It's really sad.  We are going up to Michigan this weekend (hopefully) so I'm looking foward to loading up on the local yummies like real authentic coney's I can't get here. 

So in rememberance of our dearly departed coney shop....here is the coney recipe I use:

Detroit Coney Style Sauce

1 pound Ground beef
1 cup lard
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, dried

PREPARATION:
Brown beef, onion and lard/shortning.  Add remaining ingredients.  Simmer for 2 hours. You may have to add some water.  This freezes well.   To serve an real authentic coney, top your Koegel dog with coney sauce, copped onions and mustard...plain, simple and yummy. 

This recipe is pretty close.  I have to go across the boarder into Michigan in order to get Koegel viennas...but if you aren't that close you can order them online.  http://www.koegelmeats.com/  If you want authentic sauce...the kind with the beef hearts!...you can order that directly too along with your dogs and keep it in the freezer.   If you don't want to make your own coney's, you can order a coney kit from Detroit's American Coney Island http://www.americanconeyisland.com/home.htm and have them delivered right to your door! 

Enjoy!!