Kens Famous Coney Sauce Recipes

One of the nice things about having been on this earth for a extended period of time is that you get to experience many things. Some good, some bad. Some things that you remember and many things that you forget. Once in a while some thing, experience or event comes along that stays with you and provides many nice memories. One such thing for me was a coney dog. Not just any coney dog, mind you. But one that stands out - nonpareil. The ultimate coney dog. A poor man's gastronomical delight. One that shall never come this way again. For it just wasn't the taste of that coney dog among coney dogs: it was the aura of a bygone era. Not only did the sauce-covered wiener satisfy your appetite, but the smells, sounds and sights of the surroundings made the consumption of this king of coney dogs an event to the looked forward to, cherished and remembered for years to come. In the old days in Canton, Ohio, there was an indoor version of a farmer's market called the Arcade Market in downtown Canton where one could get the freshest produce, meat cut to order on the spot, actually homemade items for your home and, of course, breakfast and lunch. Homer E. Dickes (Dick), a spry wisp of a man who seemed old even when I first met him as a 5-year-old kid, owned two eating venues within the old arcade. One was a sit-down counter that served lunch and breakfast. You could get that day's version of fast food there, eggs made to order, various sandwiches, sodas and shakes, but there was one thing you couldn't get there: that was a coney dog. For that you had to amble over toward the other side of the market, elbow your way up to a counter where Mr. Dickes himself served up coney dogs par excellence at Dick's Coney Stand. During the rush at lunchtime you sometimes had to stand five deep and hope you got served in time to get back to work. Lunch, at least in my working years, consisted of two coney dogs washed down by an ice cold root beer. Mr. Dickes would take your order, grab his tongs and deftly fish the required number of wieners from a pot where they had been simmering since early morning. He would then take a bun or buns from a steam warmer and with a quick flick of the wrist using a long soda spoon put the perfect amount of sauce on your dog. An assistant would bring your root beer and take your money while Mr. Dickes methodically waited on the next customer. In the 30 or 40 years that I frequented Dick's Coney Stand I don't think I ever heard Mr. Dickes saying anything more that "What can I get you?". He was much too busy for chit-chat and I was much too eager to consume my prize dogs to want to converse with him anyhow. Those days are long gone now, but the memories linger on. The Arcade Market was slowly pushed aside by the newly arrived aseptic and extremely mundane super markets. Dickes Coney Stand held its own against the fast food restaurants that started to populate downtown Canton, but even the popularity of his coneys couldn't sustain the Arcade Market and keep it open. The Arcade Market finally lost its battle to serve the citizens of Canton and with its closing Dick's Coney Stand served its last coney dog some time during the '80s. After its closing, I, along with others, would search in vain for a coney that was comparable to Mr. Dickes'. At times I would come across one that was reasonably good but the ambiance - the sights, sounds and smells of the old Arcade Market - could not be replicated from that earlier time. For years I had heard rumors that someone had the actual recipe for Mr. Dickes' coney sauce. I was eventually given a copy of said recipe by a friend and eagerly set about making it in my home. What I was given was a pretty standard recipe for coney sauce that didn't seem to be anything special and indeed my first few attempts at making the coney sauce didn't produce the hoped for results. It took quite a few tries before I discovered that the secret to a good coney sauce wasn't in the ingredients but it was in the preparation. Like all things of import, the effort put into creating something - whether it be a food item, a material object, or even a work of art - directly impacts the final result. You can use the finest ingredients, building materials or artist paints, but if individual effort is lacking, the finished item will leave something to be desired. A quick search of the Internet revealed a couple recipes that were attributed to Mr. Dickes. The one that I offer here is one that has been circulated for years by word of mouth and is popularly thought to be the original recipe from Dick's Coney Sauce. For many years now I have served this sauce to friends and family and it is now known in my somewhat limited circle as Ken's Famous Coney Sauce. I have freely given out the recipe but invariably I get feedback from others that they just can't make it the same way as I do. That is probably because of the required amount of effort that it takes to make a truly great coney sauce. It takes a couple hours of intense motivated effort to make the sauce come out right. An effort that most won't put forth for a lowly wiener.

Provided by OhioKen

Categories     Lunch/Snacks

Time 40m

Yield 24 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 4

Nutrition Facts : Calories 114.6, Fat 4, SaturatedFat 1.6, Cholesterol 24.6, Sodium 51, Carbohydrate 11.9, Fiber 1, Sugar 10, Protein 8.3

• Ingredients

My Grandfather owned a drive-in restaurant back in the 1950's. This is his exact recipe for Coney Dogs from back in the day. I make this on special occasions and it is always hit with friends and family. Enjoy.

Provided by Sean S.

Categories     Side Dish     Sauces and Condiments Recipes     Sauce Recipes

Time 2h10m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 10

Nutrition Facts : Calories 186.4 calories, Carbohydrate 12.8 g, Cholesterol 45.9 mg, Fat 9.2 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 13.5 g, SaturatedFat 3.5 g, Sodium 586.1 mg, Sugar 11.4 g

• Ingredients

Provided by Food Network

Categories     main-dish

Time 6h35m

Yield 12 coney dogs

Number Of Ingredients 13

• Ingredients

I've never had it but I was told that the coneys at this now-gone Ohio hotspot were just tops. My mother-in-law had some sort of connection there and here's the recipe. Obviously, you may wish to halve the recipe (for 3 pounds of hot dogs). I hope it brings back pleasant memories if you ever went there.

Provided by Bone Man

Categories     Sauces

Time 1h

Yield 1 1/2 gallons of sauce

Number Of Ingredients 4

• Ingredients

This is a fantastic coney sauce recipe! This recipe is from the kitchen of Kevin Taylor, the BBQ GURU. This freezes well.

Provided by JoiD7337

Categories     Sauces

Time 2h15m

Yield 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 12

• Ingredients

This is from Dick's Coney stand in the Arcade Market in Canton, Ohio and was loved by all of Canton for many decades.

Provided by retiree09

Categories     Sauces

Time 45m

Yield 1 quart, 32 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

• Ingredients

A good, tasty coney sauce if you're in a hurry and don't want to deal with a list of obscure ingredients. Enjoy!

Provided by Bone Man

Categories     Sauces

Time 2h10m

Yield 2 quarts

Number Of Ingredients 7

Nutrition Facts : Calories 1222.4, Fat 43, SaturatedFat 15.1, Cholesterol 294.8, Sodium 4621.3, Carbohydrate 107.1, Fiber 11, Sugar 72.3, Protein 99.2

• Ingredients