Michigan Sauce
“Michigan” sauce is put on hot dogs
Compiled by Scott Smith
Ingredients:
3 lb
2-15 oz cans
8 Tsp
¾ Tsp
2 Tsp
1/ Tsp
8
2 Tsp
¼ Tsp
Ground Beef – do NOT brown
Tomato Sauce
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Onion – finely minced
Cayenne Pepper
Ground Cumin
Ground Black Pepper
Directions:
Put all ingredients in a pot
Bring up to a boil
Reduce heat and cover
Simmer 1 hour
Mr. George Todoroff in Jackson, Michigan, created the original Michigan sauce. The sauce was
originally created to be used as chili sauce. In 1914, Mr. Todoroff took his recipe to Coney Island in
Brooklyn New York and opened his first restaurant. However, the hot dog hadn’t arrived on the scene
when he first opened his restaurant, so he had to wait until 1916 to make his first famous "Jackson
Coney Island" hot dog. Todoroff's restaurant in Jackson remains in business to this day. The name of
the Michigan hotdog originally came from Plattsburgh, New York. However, how and when the
Michigan Sauce arrived there is somewhat of a mystery.
There are also two commonly told stories about how the sauce made its way to Plattsburgh. The
first story is of a Canadian, possibly a salesman, who traveled between Montreal and New York City.
On his way home, he would stop in Plattsburgh and spend the night at the Witherill Hotel.
Apparently, he would bring back several of Todoroff’s "Jackson Island Conies" and get the cook at
the hotel to warm them. The cook liked the flavor so well that he created a similar sauce with similar
taste and it caught on and spread in several of the local restaurants. Soon thereafter, everyone in
Plattsburgh began referring to them as, "Michigan hot dogs".
According to the second, and more likely story, a couple (Mr. Jack Rabin and his wife) from
Plattsburgh went to Coney Island on vacation. They, like everyone else at Coney Island, ate a
Jackson Coney Island Hot Dog and fell in love with it. When they came home to Plattsburgh, they
recreated the sauce and decided to put it to work. They opened a "Michigan Hot Dog" stand, named
Nitzi’s, on Route 9 just outside the city. The name came about because they couldn’t call their
sandwich a Jackson Coney Island so they gave it the name of the state from where it was born.
When Nitzi (Rabin) sold his stand many years later, the buyer didn't want to pay Nitzi's price for
his now-famous Michigan Sauce Recipe. While there are many places in the North Country to get
Michigans, it is believed that Michigans Plus--located in the former iHOP building on Route 3-currently has Nitzi's recipe.