New York System Hot Wieners
On 07/10/2014
Since we are a New England catering company & outdoor cooking specialist, we offer the New York System Hot Wieners on our menus. We feature them in the Narragansett Beach Bash catered barbecue, but they can be added to other menus.
Where do New York System Hot Wieners come from? If you guessed New York, you’re wrong!
New York System Hot Wieners are from Rhode Island! The locals fondly refer to them as “belly busters”, “gaggers” or “gaggahs” if you pronounce it with a Rhode Island accent, but they’re quite the opposite as people usually consume three or more at one sitting! And never call a New York System Hot Wiener a “hot dog” or you might not be served. “No wiener for you!”
New York System Hot Wieners look a little different than the wieners you typically buy in the grocery store. They‘re a little smaller, not as plump as your average wiener and the color is a little more reddish. A mix of beef, veal and pork is made into a long rope of sausage and then cut into individual wieners. The hot wieners are served on small steamed buns and covered with a seasoned ground beef meat sauce that’s texture resembles that of chili but doesn’t taste like chili. The seasoning is a combination of chili powder, dry mustard, ground allspice, ground nutmeg, onion salt, garlic salt, celery salt, minced ginger root, ground cumin, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and ketchup. If you order them “all the way”, they’re topped off with mustard, fine chopped onions, and a sprinkle of celery salt. The typical order includes three hot wieners with a side of fries with vinegar and coffee milk, another local favorite.
So how did the New York System Hot Wiener get its name when it originated in Rhode Island?
Almost a century ago, Greek immigrants ran similar hot dog operations in New York, closely associated with New York’s Coney Island System. When they moved to Rhode Island, primarily around the Providence area, they decided to attach the New York name to their new product to gain credibility. It was a smart marketing strategy and it stuck. The Original New York System was established in the Smith Hill neighborhood by in 1927 by Gus Pappas, and extended family opened the Olneyville New York Systems in 1946.
Another interesting and unique thing about the New York System Hot Weiner is the way they are prepared. The cooks have a system of lining up all the wieners in buns and dressing them one at a time on an assembly line with lightning speed. If you’re lucky to have some prepared by an old-time server or short order cook, he will prepare them “Up d’arm.” He’ll line up as many steamed buns as he can from wrist to shoulder then quickly put the wieners in, squirt the mustard on, spread the meat sauce, sprinkle with the chopped onions and celery salt – all within a matter of seconds!
Of course being a New England catering company and outdoor cooking specialist, B & M Catering offers the New York System Hot Wieners on our menus. We feature them in the Narragansett Beach Bash catered barbecue, but they can be added to other menus. Our buns are fresh and our meat sauce seasoned to perfection! Wieners may be served with clam cakes, chowder, cole slaw, potato salad, potato chips, watermelon and lemonade or anything you’d like.
We welcome you to contact Tim to help you plan your special event and work out your own menu.