New York System in Rhode Island


Big cities are often identified by a unique local cuisine. Mention New York and you’ll hear about the pizza. Talk about Philadelphia and you’ll be compelled to discuss how good the cheesesteaks taste. After a quick drive around Providence you’ll notice real quickly that Providence is all about hot wieners.

Also known as New York system wieners, hot wieners are a local favorite
in Rhode Island and you can find them in just about every neighborhood in
Providence. The most famous one of course is Olneyville New York System
Wieners, which was recently featured on
Man vs. Food. The dogs have a natural
casing and are made up of beef veal and pork. Spicy brown mustard and top-cut
rolls are standard with the wiener, but what makes this special is the meat sauce.
Depending on the location the sauce can range from dry to wet, gravy like sauce.

Hot Wieners are a staple of after hours eating here in Providence, with most
wiener spots open until 2am on weekends. For the most part these places are
small family-owned restaurants. So what are you going to do if you forget to
catch them before the clock strikes 2:01? You can follow this recipe to make your
own New York systems at home.

6-8 New England Style Hot Dog Rolls
6-8 Deli Wieners or Beef Franks
1 lbs. of 85% lean ground Beef
1 medium-sized Yellow Onion (diced)
1/2 cup of Vegetable Oil
1/2 tsp. of Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. soy sauce
Celery Salt
Garlic Powder
Black Pepper

1. Place beef in a large skillet on medium-high until the meat is evenly
brown. Make sure you are grounding the meat as best you can. Once
brown drain the meat and set it aside.

2. Next place you diced onions and vegetable oil in the skillet on medium
high until the onion is light brown. I suggest using a wooden spoon.

3. Now you can throw in your beef, Worcestershire sauce, soy, and spice to
tastes. Mix the ingredients well. Now you can reduce heat to a simmer and
cover. This should simmer for about 20 minutes. Check back every few
minutes and taste it. If the sauce is too dry add a little more vegetable oil, likewise if you think it needs more seasoning.

4. In the mean time you can start on your dogs. Traditionally they are
steamed but you can use any method you like. For whichever method you
chose, make 3 small slits on them so you can tell they are ready.

5. For warm buns, wrap the buns individually in a paper towels and place in
the microwave for 20 seconds.

6. Now its time to put your hot wiener together. Your order of operations is
deli mustard, frank, and finally top with some meat sauce.

~Philip Crean ’13.5