Easy Coney Sauce
Submitted by Kevin Boschult
Easy Coney sauce: a smooth, no-bean meat sauce simmered with tomato, mustard, and a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. The classic Coney dog topping that turns a plain hot dog Detroit-style.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
40 minREADY
50 minA Coney dog lives or dies by its sauce, and this one nails the Detroit-style version. It’s not chili exactly, it’s a finer, smoother meat sauce built to hug a hot dog rather than sit in a bowl, with no beans and no big chunks.
The flavor secret is what surprises people: a quiet hit of cinnamon and nutmeg alongside the chili powder and mustard. Those warm spices give Coney sauce its distinctive, faintly sweet, can’t-quite-place-it character that sets it apart from regular ground beef chili.
It simmers down in about 15 minutes into a saucy, spoonable topping ready for dogs, fries, or a plate of nachos.
Kitchen Tips
- Break the meat up fine as it cooks; Coney sauce should be smooth and saucy, not chunky like chili.
- Don’t skip the cinnamon and nutmeg; that subtle warmth is the signature of real Coney sauce.
- Stir often as it simmers so the bottom doesn’t catch and scorch.
Variations
- Add a splash of beef broth if it tightens up too much.
- Bump the chili powder or add cayenne for more heat.
- Spoon it over fries with cheese and onion for Coney fries.
Ingredients
Directions
In a 4 qt sauce pot over med heat cook ground meat until done. Now add the onion and sweat til translucent. Add tomato sauce, mustard, chili powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes stirring constantly.
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