New York City-style hot dogs feature all-beef wieners topped with a tomatoey onion sauce and sauerkraut, and finished with a squiggle of brown mustard. Sold by a company called Sabrett, the sauce can be found at sidewalk carts throughout the city, but you can also make a simple version of it at home.
Storage: Refrigerate the onion sauce for up to 5 days.
Ingredients
Servings: 4 (makes 4 hot dogs)
Directions
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Step 1
Make the onion sauce: In a medium (3-quart) saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and salt and cook, separating the onions and stirring occasionally, until the onions start to soften and brown, about 5 minutes.
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Step 2
In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, stir together the water, ketchup, mustard, garlic powder, smoked paprika and cinnamon until combined. Add the ketchup mixture to the onions, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are crisp-tender and the sauce has thickened slightly, 8 to 10 minutes.
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Step 3
Remove from the heat, uncover and let the onions cool slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Taste, and season with additional salt and pepper, as desired. You should have about 1 cup.
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Step 4
Make the hot dogs: Bring a medium (3-quart) saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the hot dogs and cook until plump, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
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Step 5
To assemble, place each hot dog in a bun, divide the onion sauce among them, and top with sauerkraut and mustard. Serve immediately.
Substitutions
Instead of making your own onion sauce >> look for store-bought onion sauce, from brands such as Sabrett, which can be found in well-stocked supermarkets or online.
Brown mustard >> Dijon or yellow mustard.
Garlic powder >> onion powder.
Smoked paprika >> sweet paprika.
Cinnamon >> allspice or cloves.
Vegan? >> Use vegan hot dogs and ground meat.
Gluten-free? >> Look for gluten-free hot dog buns.
