Rhode Island Hot Wieners

The recipe Saturday was Rhode Island hot wieners — small hot dogs in soft buns topped with a meat-and-spice sauce, mustard, onion, celery salt. The Rhode Island regional classic.

The recipe is below.

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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