Thursday, March 12, 2009

Fantasy Travel Thursdays - Chili Dogs Galore!

Today is Fantasy Travel Thursday, that magic time when we can take a little tour of somewhere that in reality we're not likely to visit anytime soon. The Ides of March are coming and along with it the reopening of hot dog and ice cream stands for the spring and summer season. I am a huge fan of chili dogs and am very specific about my toppings. I do not approve of cheese or mustard on the weenie. You can have yours however you like but leave that crap off of mine. I'll just take onions and chili. Without further ado, a gastronomical fantasy tour of the nation's finer weenie joints:
Nathan's of Coney Island. Weenies that are big and beefy even though he appears to be carrying a purse on the sign. Other than the occasional splurge at the grocery, I haven't had one of these since Spring Break 1983. Next up:
Mustard's Last Stand, Melbourne, Florida. This is a couple of miles from our house in Florida and I love any place that lets me bring the dogs and gives me a discount for doing it! Third on the list:

The Varsity in Atlanta, Georgia. This place is huge, crowded, the employees are snarly and the food's mediocre. I love it! You have to stand in different lines for each item which is a huge pain and is best done with a tag team of friends. No matter how truly bad the experience, you'll want to go back anyway. And last but not least: Polly's Freeze in Georgetown, Indiana, across the Ohio River and just a few miles from home. Polly's sits on the very edge of the road in the middle of nowhere and serves up ice cream and chili dogs and fantastic fried mushrooms. They will be embarking on their 57th year and the business is still in the family.

If you are in the mood to cook up some coney sauce, here's the recipe I use. The key, I have learned after years of making inferior sauce, is to boil the ground beef. If you have a recipe you swear by, please share it! Hope your fantasy tour was fun!

Detroit Coney Sauce

2 pounds extra lean ground beef

1 quart water (boiling)

4 small onions, minced

4 teaspoons chili powder

2 small whole red peppers (or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

4 teaspoons cumin

5 bay leaves

1 1/2 teaspoon vinegar

1 8 ounce can tomato paste

Add raw beef to boiling water and stir until beef separates to a fine texture. Add remaining ingredients. Stir and simmer uncovered for at least 3 hours. Last hour, pan may be covered after desired consistency is reached. Take out bay leaves and red peppers. Chili can be made in advance and refrigerated in order to lift fat from top before reheating.

10 comments:

Robynn's Ravings said...

How'd I miss yesterday's post?? Grrrrr. Blogger.

I can't TELL YOU SO I'LL YELL! about how glad I am to have this recipe! I guess I could have researched it but THAT NEVER DAWNED ON ME. I am starting this in a bit for dinner tonight. (Guess those enchiladas will have to wait.) I am a nut about my hotdogs and only buy organic, from grass fed beef. They're six bucks a pack but that's still only .75 each. When you think about the price at the ball park - MAN you feel GOOD! And I slather mine in crap!! Bring on the cheese and the mustard. Yay!!!

Robynn's Ravings said...

Oh duh. I didn't miss it. I had just already forgotten the picture and didn't scroll down. The gift of old age. Everything is new every day!! LOL

Anonymous said...

The next time you need a cleaning assistant at your Florida digs, give me a shout. I'd love to go down with you sometime and would not mind to do some washing, mopping, sweeping, laying by the pool . . . etc.
-Susan

p.s. Love Polly's Freeze and haven't been there since I was married to Mark.

Treehouse Chef said...

You may think I am silly, but I like DQ's hotdogs with nothing on them. They are superior hotdogs! They just taste goood! I do like a good coney but until now didn't know where to go.

Frugal Maven said...

Thanks Robynn! Hope you like your sauce! I've been really happy with this recipe.

Susan, It's time to go to Polly's Freeze! If you haven't been since the last husband (god love his cheap, dumb ass) you're definitely due! And yes, time to go to Florida, too.

Treehouse Chef,
I cannot believe you will eat a plain hot dog. You are the most vegetarian carnivore I've ever known. Who'd a thunk it?

Tatersmama said...

I'll have onions, chili and extra cheese on mine please. ;-)
Now I'm going to look like a total idiot (nothing new there) but what in the heck is Coney Sauce?

Frugal Maven said...

Coneys are chili dogs! You have been in Australia too long! Some people call them coneys because of Coney Island in New York. I grew up calling them coneys in central Kentucky but here in Louisville (the big city of Kentucky, such as it is) everyone calls them chili dogs. My dad calls them coney dogs. You may call them chili dingos if you like! I think that's what I'll start calling them.

Robynn's Ravings said...

I'm hunting today post about the Frugal Maven knowing cars and it hasn't come up all day......inquiring minds want to KNOW!

Frugal Maven said...

Robynn, sorry about that! I have been pondering car posts, scheduled one to go and then changed my mind too late. My flighty brain has been trying to figure out how to make this a regular feature and get some of this out of my head. It's up now in abbreviated form. Thanks for noticing!

Anonymous said...

Chili Dingos it is!!
Joyful Susan

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