Sabrett's Onions in Sauce

New York Street Cart DogHere's a clone, from Todd Wilbur (Top Secret Recipes), for the slightly sweet, tangy orange/red onion sauce slathered over hot dogs ordered from Sabrett push carts. You find hundreds of 'em in New York City, especially around Central Park. While most of the Sabrett toppings are standard hot dog fare - ketchup, mustard, sauerkraut - the onion sauce is a real top secret recipe.

List of ingredients on the jar: Onions, Water, Tomato Paste, Modified Corn Starch, Salt, Sugar, Olive Oil, Fumaric Acid [adds sourness, vinegar flavor], Spices.

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thin and chopped
4 cups water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup vinegar

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Sauté sliced onion in the oil for 5 minutes, until onions are soft but not brown.
  3. Add water, tomato paste, corn syrup, cornstarch, salt, and red pepper flakes, and stir.
  4. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Add vinegar. Continue to simmer for an additiona1 30 to 45 minutes or until most of the liquid has reduced and the sauce is thick.

Makes about 1 cup.

Comment on recipe:

I came from New York and was thrilled to see this recipe. Having been a cook for what feels like hundreds of years, I thought that this recipe had some flaws before I made it, but decided to try it anyway. These are my complaints and I don't know what other people have said, but I think you ought to rethink this one.

  1. One onion? Why bother. I used six huge ones in the second batch and it worked much better.
  2. Four cups of water? My goodness, they were swimming. I used one small can of V-8 and it was perfect.
  3. Cook first for 45 minutes? By the first cooking they were almost indistinguishable as onions, and by the second 30 minutes they were they were pure thick gravy. I sautéed, then added all the other ingredients (12 ounces of V-8 instead of water) and only cooked until the sauce was thick. The time depends on the water content of the onions, but it was only about 30 minutes total.

Bobby Flay's New York Street Cart Dog

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, halved and cut 1/4-inch thick
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon [cut amount in half, reviewers said this was too strong]
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cayenne sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft. Stir in the cinnamon and chili powder and cook for 1 minute. Add the ketchup, water, hot sauce and salt and black pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook mixture for 10 to15 minutes or until thickened. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature before serving.

Assembly: Put boiled hot dogs onto the buns. Spread the bottom half of each bun with some mustard and top each hot dog with the onion sauce or sauerkraut or both.

Another Recipe: New York City Street Onions for Hot Dogs

The New York Hot Dog: The pushcarts on the streets of Manhattan usually offer you boiled beef franks, for which you have your choice of two warm toppings. One classic way to go is with mustard and warm sauerkraut on the dog. The other way--one that has grown enormously in popularity--is a warm tomato-ey onion mixture over the dog with a little mustard.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 firmly packed cups of thinly sliced onions (about 2 large or 4 medium onions)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 medium cloves)
1 tablespoon flour
8 ounces canned, smooth tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2 teaspoons white vinegar
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch ground cloves

1. Place the vegetable oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and the garlic. Cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 20 minutes the onions should be softened but not browned.

2. Add the flour, and stir well to distribute evenly among the onion slices. Cook for 1 minute, stirring to make sure the flour doesn't burn. Add the tomato sauce, water, corn syrup, vinegar, bay leaves, mustard, cayenne and cloves. Stir well to blend. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cover, and cook very slowly for 45 minutes. If the mixture has become too thick, add a little water. Serve on New York-style hot dogs.

Makes 2 cups, enough for 12-16 hot dogs