Cook Date: November 26, 2024
Friend: [Looking at the kitchen prep]. Do NOT tell me you are doing what I think you are doing.
Me: [Sheepish look]
Friend: YOU PROMISED YOU QUIT.
Me: You know what they say: If at first you don’t succeed…. Change the name and declare victory.
For the last ten years (starting in July 2014) I’ve been trying to find the perfect Coney Dog sauce. The first attempts were truly awful, but I got better over time. The last ones have been okay – good enough to serve to adventurous friends. But they just do not resemble the gold standard of Roake’s Coney Dogs. In the name of research I drove across the river to the Roakes in Milwaukie, Oregon to remind myself what a Roake’s Coney Dog looks like:
My sauces looks nothing like this; mine have way more meat. Roake’s is really more of a gravy. I think what I’ve been making is really a chili dog. And this recipe from the NY Times hits the spot.
I’ve used dried ancho chilis in my sauce before, but this time we soften them in near-boiling water for a bit. The recipe calls for beef stock. I dithered between using homemade chicken stock or using beef Better than Bouillon base. I went with the latter.
Chop, tear, measure and we have the mis en place (things in place).
As I sweated the pancetta, I lined up all the other ingredients in the order I would use them. This saves me from running back and forth from one side of the kitchen to the other. When rendering the pancetta cook over a medium heat and keep a close eye on it; it can go from perfect to burnt in the blink of an eye.
You can use a Dutch oven for this; but since the amounts are relatively small I used my handy high-sided sauté pan. After removing the pancetta (but leaving the fat) I sautéd the onion, bell pepper, and torn bits of ancho chili. The recipe wanted the garlic in at this point but I waited until the other bits were softened. Next time I’ll probably remove all but 2 or 3 Tablespoons of the fat. More on that later.
Now let’s build our chili. Add the hamburger, stir and break it down into small bits. Add back the pancetta and spices/aromatics (chili powder, cumin, paprika, allspice, and oregano).
Next we add the liquids: tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, and beer. The recipe calls for a couple of fresh Roma tomatoes, but the ones in the store didn’t look great so I tried some small whole canned tomatoes. Next time I’ll make a different choice. More on that later.
After about 45 minutes the liquids have cooked down and the chili is looking nice; it’s darker than I expected.
I’m making chili dogs which means I need hot dogs. If you live in the Portland area get your hands on Olympia Provisions uncured pork franks. Otherwise, use a good quality dog. I’m a heretic: I warmed the buns in the microwave instead of steaming.
I cut one foot long in half and sautéd it in a bit of oil.
It’s time to build the chili dogs. Spread a little CYM (Classic Yellow Mustard) on the bun; nestle the hot dog in the bun, scoop some chili on top and garnish with a bit more CYM, chopped onions and grated cheddar cheese.
Dinner is served.
Carla is not a fan of hot dogs so she turned hers into a hamburger chili served on top of Fritos,
I suppose we ought to have something green and fresh. A bag o’ salad is quick and easy and tasty.
This was really good. Once I realized I wasn’t making true Coney dogs I found my go-to recipe. But it wasn’t perfect, I’ll make a couple of changes next time.
- Double the recipe (except for the pancetta) to use a whole can of tomatoes (see third note).
- The fat from 4 ounces of pancetta was too much; pour it out and re-add maybe 3 tablespoons.
- The canned tomatoes were tough and acidic. Next time use a full small can of diced (or crushed) tomatoes. I favor Muir Glen fire-roasted.
- This doesn’t work very well as hamburger chili. If that’s what you are looking for, make this instead.
When I make this again, I’ll fill you in on the changes.
If you want to continue your search for a Roake’s Coney Google Roake’s coney sauce recipe. I discovered Pinterest has an interesting one that has way more cornmeal and less meat; this would be much more similar to the dog at the top of the post. But it is from 2013 and calls for Garibaldi brand frozen tamales – which I think are extinct. I’m not going to try that, am I?
