By The corporate-luncheon August 22 went smoothly. The summer-cookout-style buffet was a hit with the brokerage staff. Sandra Whitcomb has scheduled the November 7 lunch as the next one (the regular four-per-year schedule has shifted by one week). Brayden is ninety-nine weeks old. The Friday-regional-special at Mama’s cafe this week was a Rhode Island hot wiener.
The Rhode Island hot wiener is a regional-American hot dog — a small-natural-casing-frankfurter (not a standard supermarket hot dog), nestled in a soft New-England-style hot dog bun, topped with a meat sauce (the “wiener sauce”), yellow mustard, chopped raw onion, and a sprinkle of celery salt. The dish is the small Rhode Island contribution to American hot dog culture and was the Friday-regional-special at Mama’s cafe this week.
The wiener sauce is the technical-question. The sauce is ground beef simmered with a spice blend (chili powder, cumin, paprika, allspice, cinnamon, salt, pepper, a small amount of brown sugar), broken down into small fine crumbles, finished with tomato paste and water. The sauce is the distinctive element of the dish. The hot dog itself is secondary.
Sunday I made the dish at the apartment as the home-version after Mama and Cody had run it at the cafe Friday. Dustin had two wieners. Brayden had a small piece of plain hot dog (no sauce, no bun, in age-appropriate cuts).
Rhode Island Hot Wieners
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 8 natural casing frankfurters (beef and pork blend)
- 8 hot dog buns, steamed
- 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely minced (plus extra for topping)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Yellow mustard, for serving
- Finely diced raw onion, for serving
- Celery salt, for finishing
Instructions
- Make the meat sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef and 1 cup of water. Use a wooden spoon or potato masher to break the beef into very fine crumbles — the texture should be almost paste-like, not chunky. Cook until the beef is no longer pink, about 8 minutes.
- Season the sauce. Add the minced onion, garlic, tomato paste, mustard, chili powder, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, cayenne, and celery salt to the beef. Stir well to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the liquid is mostly absorbed. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Cook the wieners. While the sauce simmers, bring a pot of water to a gentle boil. Add the frankfurters and cook for 4–5 minutes until heated through and the casings just begin to snap. Do not boil vigorously or the casings will split.
- Steam the buns. Wrap the hot dog buns in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20–30 seconds, or steam them briefly over the wiener pot. The buns should be soft and slightly warm, not toasted.
- Assemble the wieners. Place each frankfurter in a steamed bun. Top in order: a line of yellow mustard along the length of the dog, a spoonful of the meat sauce, and a generous pinch of finely diced raw onion. Finish with a light dusting of celery salt over the top.
- Serve immediately. Rhode Island Hot Wieners are best eaten right away, while the bun is still soft and the sauce is warm. Serve with extra onion and mustard on the side for those who want more.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 390 | Protein: 18g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 29g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 820mg