Manhattan's Sabrett's Hot Dogs With Their Famous Onion Sauce Recipe

"In Manhattan, Sabrett's is well known for their garlicky all-beef franks. Sabrett's make their dogs custom-made and in Manhattan they are well known all over the city by their yellow and blue umbrellas. They are served with mustard and warm sauerkraut, like the Coney Island Hot Dog, but Sabrett's have a rich orange colored sweet-tart onion sauce. By itself, the onion sauce is nothing special. But with the mustard and kraut, it is the perfect balancer. The recipe given here is a clone that was tested and deconstructed to resemble the original (the original is a secret recipe). Source: amzingribsdotcom"

Step by Step Method

Step 1

Combine the water and cornstarch in a bowl and whisk it until there are no more lumps. whisk in the tomato paste, balsamic, mustard, brown sugar, hot sauce, and cinnamon.

Step 2

Warm the oil in a large skillet, not a non-stick, over medium high heat. Add the onions and sprinkle with the salt. (This helps pull the moisture out).

Step 3

Move them around occasionally with a wooden spoon so they don't burn. Cook until the edges start to brown. (Whatever you do, do not let them burn). Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Step 4

Add the liquid, stir, and rub the pan with the wooden spoon to scrape up all the flavorful fond, (the brown bits on the bottom). Turn the stove to low and simmer with the lid on for 1 hour.

Step 5

Check frequently to make sure it is not burning and the water has not evaporated. Add water if needed. The final result should be thick, not runny, but not pasty. After an hour, taste and adjust salt and other flavors as you wish.

Step 6

While the onions are simmering, warm the kraut in a pan or for 15 seconds in the microwave, cook the franks (I'd steam them), and prepare the buns (I'd toast them in a skillet lightly with butter).

Step 7

Lovingly place the franks on the bun, squirt on the mustard, add the onions, and then the kraut. Hum quietly, I'll take Manhattan...

Step 8

*NOTE: About the onions. Red onions often have an extra layer of tough paper under the outer layer. Make sure you remove it.

Step 9

About the tomato paste. If you want, you can substitute a 2 tablespoons of ketchup or a sweet tomato based Kansas City style barbecue sauce for the tomato paste.*