On Jan 31, 10:30*am, Andy > wrote:
> Your favorite hot dog joint?
>
> Watching "Food Paradise: Hot Dogs" and am so very tempted!
>
> The Varsity in Atlanta George looks like a winner!
>
> No dedicated hot dog place in PA that I know of.
>
> You?
>

When I grew up in Pittsburgh in the 70's we would drive up to Butler
to the Hot Dog Shop for their hot dogs. An internet search shows that
the Hot Dog Shoppe went out of business in 2004, but somebody gave me
a recipe about 25 years ago that is supposed to be their legendary hot
dog sauce. I've made it a few times and it tastes the same as I
remember it. Here it is:

Hot Dog Sauce

2 pounds hamburger browned and chopped and drained
2 onions diced
1/8 cup salt
1 small box chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 small box paprika
1 1/2 pounds sugar
1 14 ounce bottle ketchup
7 cups water
1 cup flour mixed with 1 additional cup water

Add all ingredients to hamburger. Simmer 2 hours, do not cover. Stir
about every five minutes to keep it from sticking. Makes 5 quarts.

You could cut this recipe in half as this recipe makes a lot of hot
dog sauce; I make the full recipe and freeze the leftovers. The only
major modification I make to the sauce is I cut the sugar to 1/2 cup
because using 1 1/2 cups makes it much sweeter than I remember it
being. I also put a tablespoon or so of Tabasco sauce in it just to
give it a little kick. The sauce is actually very similar in taste to
a southern dish known as Brunswick Stew; if you took this hot dog
sauce and added some corn and shredded chicken and diced potato, you
would have a pretty decent Brunswick Stew.

I ate at the Varsity in Atlanta once and it was quite good. I live 30
miles from the Beacon Drive In in Spartanburg SC but have never eaten
the hot dogs there but have always heard rave reviews about them; I
always wind up eating the Double Chili Cheeseburger platter with half
and half, which is half onion rings and half fries, which a lot of
restaurants in the south do.