Looking for delicious, quick, easy recipes? Look no further. Click here.

Food Quest: Nick's Famous Coney Island Chili recipe

spices, garlic and onion for chiliIt was September 2003, the eve of my little sister's birthday. She was living with us at the time, and my husband and I were definitely on the poor end of the spectrum. It was my husband who came up with the concept of doing a hot dog bar to celebrate on-the-cheap. And it was I who thought, well, then, we'll need some Coney Island chili to go with the dogs! But I'd never made it. I'd never so much as tasted it.

So, naturally, I Googled. And I didn't find much. (Since then, however, Sandra Lee has cooked up her Semi-Homemade version - let's just say this isn't a recommended option.) What to do? My husband said he had the answer. He took me to Nick's Famous Coney Island, the hot dog joint legendary for its authentic New York-style chili here in Portland.

They wouldn't sell their chili a la carte, nor would they give me the recipe. So we ordered two hot dogs, and I tasted it slowly, savoring the spices and dissecting the dish in my mind. Soon, I knew what I needed to do.

the finished chiliAnd I went home, and cooked this chili. It quickly became the most-requested recipe in my family's repertoire (with the possible exception of a few no-bake cookie recipes, but that's a story for another day). It's good either on the stove or in a slow cooker; either way, though, I suggest you cook it for 2-4 hours total.

Nick's Famous Coney Island Chili, the Sarah Gilbert bootleg version

spice mixtureFirst, prepare the spice mixture: 1/4 cup cumin, 1/4 cup paprika, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cloves, 1 tsp oregano1 tsp cayenne, and 1 bay leaf.  Chop three medium yellow onions in a medium dice for three-four cups' worth of onions, and mince six cloves of garlic.

In a very large skillet (I use a 12" cast-iron skillet), heat three tablespoons of vegetable oil and, once hot, add a spoonful of the spice mixture. After about 30 seconds, add in the onions and garlic and cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until onions are soft.

adding the tomatoesAdd three pounds of ground beef chuck (20% fat) and brown. While your beef is browning, put one 16-ounce can of tomato sauce or diced tomatoes (about one cup), three tablespoons cider vinegar, and three tablespoons brown sugar into your slow cooker. Add the browned beef mixture and the remaining spice mixture and cook over low heat for 2-3 hours.

If you want to make this really easy, you could throw all the raw ingredients in the slow cooker and cook over medium heat for 3-4 hours. It's better, though, if the onions and meat have a chance to caramelize before cooking together.

I serve my Coney Island Chili with good hot dogs, diced onions and shredded cheddar cheese. I've eaten it without the hotdogs, too, and sometimes added kidney beans. You can make Cincinnati Chili (five way, of course) by serving the chili over spaghetti with onions, cheese and kidney beans.

Related Headlines

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Add your comments

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.

To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New Users

Current Users

Tip of the Day

We can change the way we make eggs -- scrambled, poached, fried -- but what about changing the eggs themselves? Mix up your scrambling routine with quail eggs.

RSS NEWSFEEDS

Slashfood Features


Seasons
Spring (71)
Summer (254)
Fall (150)
Winter (68)
What is it?
Beef (613)
Bread (77)
Candy (512)
Cheese (545)
Chocolate (824)
Comfort Food (776)
Condiments (256)
Dairy (558)
Eggs (311)
Fish (370)
Fruit (1029)
Grains (621)
Herbs (7)
Meat (342)
Nuts/seeds (305)
Organic (5)
Pork (386)
Poultry (446)
Rice (51)
Sandwiches (25)
Shellfish (177)
Soups/Salads (108)
Spices (320)
Sugar (426)
Tea (4)
Vegetables (1362)
Holidays
Christmas (131)
Easter (36)
Halloween (80)
Hanukkah (56)
Memorial Day (15)
Mother's Day (37)
New Year's (41)
Passover (11)
St. Patrick's Day (14)
Thanksgiving (128)
Valentine's Day (49)
News
Bakeries (146)
Books (795)
Business (1258)
Celebrities (187)
Coffee shops (189)
Edible Gifts (33)
Farming (446)
Fast Food (312)
Food News (386)
Health & Medical (856)
How To (1379)
Lists (810)
Magazines (502)
New Products (1563)
Newspapers (1608)
On the Blogs (2490)
Raves & Reviews (1186)
Recipes (2383)
Restaurants (1395)
Science (736)
Site Announcements (185)
Stores & Shopping (1016)
Television/Film (653)
Trends (1412)
Vegetarian/Vegan (85)
Features
Cheese Course (55)
Diary of a Distiller (30)
Dining at Our Desks (8)
Festive Family Feasts (9)
Guilty Pleasures (80)
Raising the Bar (23)
The Hungry Bride (22)
The Skinny Chef (27)
Tinfoil Swan (20)
Tip of the Day (280)
Wild Edibles (22)
Back to School (14)
Cocktail Hour (120)
Cocktail Revolution (0)
Cookbook Spotlight (522)
Cooking Without a Recipe (5)
Culinary Kids (234)
Did you know? (448)
Fall Flavors (133)
Feast Your Eyes (314)
Food Gadgets (485)
Food Oddities (1029)
Food Porn (892)
Food Quest (177)
Foodie Flicks (51)
Frugal Food (93)
Garden Party (26)
Hacking Food (109)
Happy Hour (212)
Head to Tail (43)
In Sixty Seconds (640)
Ingredient Spotlight (57)
Leftovers (50)
Light Food (189)
Liquor Cabinet (186)
Our Bloggers (31)
Pop Food (146)
Pumpkin Day (12)
Real Kitchens (85)
Retro cookery (148)
Slashfood Ate (206)
Slashfood Talks (4)
Slow cooking (55)
Super Size Me (121)
The History of... (72)
What's On Tap? (26)
Wine of the Week (38)
YumSugar (35)
What Time Is It?
Breakfast (748)
Dessert (1339)
Dinner (1378)
Hors D'oeuvres (311)
Lunch (1036)
Snacks (1118)
Where Is It?
America (2625)
Europe (508)
France (165)
Italy (171)
Asia (545)
Australia (156)
British Isles (872)
Caribbean (38)
Central Africa (7)
East Coast (580)
Eastern Europe (44)
Islands (57)
Mediterranean (131)
Mexico (35)
Middle East (62)
Midwest Cities (227)
Midwest Rural (73)
New Zealand (63)
North America (93)
Northern Africa (21)
Northern Europe (66)
South Africa (36)
South America (100)
South Asia (124)
Southern States (242)
West Coast (933)
What are you doing?
Baking (806)
Barbecuing (109)
Boiling (130)
Braising (20)
Broiling (36)
Frying (184)
Grilling (193)
Microwaving (37)
Roasting (100)
Slow cooking (29)
Steaming (45)
Choices
Fairtrade (16)
Artisan Foods (145)
Local Eating (130)
Additives
Artificial Sugars (41)
High-fructose corn syrup (20)
MSG (7)
Trans Fats (58)
Libations
Hot chocolate (26)
Soda (169)
Spirits (405)
Beer (486)
Brandy (12)
Champagne (111)
Cocktails (445)
Coffee (391)
Gin (113)
Juice (126)
Liqueurs (78)
Non-alcoholic (25)
Rum (102)
Teas (180)
Tequila (19)
Vodka (163)
Water (88)
Whisky (116)
Wine (734)
Affairs
Celebrations (102)
Closings (11)
Festivals (57)
Holidays (280)
Openings (49)
Parties (239)
Tastings (162)

RESOURCES

Powered by Blogsmith

Featured Stories

Featured Galleries

I scream, you scream...
Food delivery at its finest
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Madeleines
Ostrich Eggs
Belle in a Bubble
Making Krupnikas
Green Eggs and Ham
5 Easter Candies in 5 Days
Homemade Peeps
Yankee Stadium
Citi Field
 

Sponsored Links

Most Commented On (60 days)

Twitter Updates

Sites We Love

Other Weblogs Inc. Network blogs you might be interested in:

Also on AOL