Recipe for the hot dogs you buy from a truck in Long Island???

Question

Back in the early 80's I had a boyfriend who lived in Long Island. There were these trucks that drove around the neighborhoods selling hot dogs. You could buy a whole dozen or more. They were all ready to eat. Like buying a dozen doughnuts. And kinda like an ice cream truck. They had onions cooked in a sauce. Does anyone have a recipe? They don't taste like Nathans hot dogs, at least the Nathans I 've been to. They were the best hot dogs in the world.

Answer 1

Aiken Pool Hall Hot Dogs
This is reportedly the recipe for the topping used on the famous Aiken, SC City Billiards "pool hall hot dogs", with a minor adjustment made on my part regarding the amount of onions used (original recipe states "4 medium onions"). It's a sweet and tangy mixture; I like it topped with lots of shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese. (I've made this with ground turkey and it tastes pretty fine, too!) This makes enough topping for about 4 hot dogs.
1 lb ground beef
3/4 cup hot water
1 1/2 cups minced onions
4 tablespoons ballpark mustard
3 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 cup ketchup
salt
4 hotdog buns
4 hot dogs
4 servings

1. Break up and lightly brown the ground beef in a 4-quart saucepan.
2. Add onions and cook for 5 more minutes.
3. Add hot water to make a thick mix and stir together.
4. Add mustard, sugar, vinegar, chili powder, and ketchup.
5. Cook slowly for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
6. Salt to taste.
7. Use to top hot dogs in buns.
8. (I like to lightly toast the buns with a little garlic butter first).

Answer 2

I'm from Long Island, and those trucks are still around today. I don't know that they all carry the same brand of hot dogs...it's probably up to the individual operator...but I've had a few Sabrett hot dogs from these trucks and they're really good. You might look for the Sabrett brand and try them to see if they're what you remember.

Good luck!