Subject: Hallie's spicy schnitzel dipping sauce
From: Jorja
Date: 8/24/2020, 4:14 PM
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
On 8/24/2020 1:03 PM, jorja wrote:
Recipe search for the ketchup type spicy peppery table sauce
for fried schnitzel at Hallie's lunch box of Lincoln Illinois.
2008 maybe. ( Not before they closed, because it wasn't the
same anymore by end of business) Originally back in the day,
50/60s, the sauce was made at the Mill for schnitzel, a coffee
shop in Lincoln Illinois. This isn't a cooking sauce, it's like
a ketchup in those squeezey red bottles nobody ever washes...
If it helps the taste is super similar to Pete's fish thin red
cocktail sauce of Mesa/Tempe Arizona. Only no horseradish. That
I last had in '87. I've tried to recreate all/both and falls very
short....
Thank you in advance!
Jorja
Hi Jorja,
The Mill, which was and is a Route 66 landmark, closed in 1996. Blossom Huffman, who with
her husband owned and operated The Mill, is credited for the schnitzel recipe as well as
for the sauce recipe.
Hallie’s on The Square, AKA Hallie's Lunch Box was owned by Brian and Cheri Huffman. Brian
Huffman is the grandson of Blossom Huffman. Hallie's closed in 2015 or thereabouts.
The sauce recipe was a family secret that was handed down. I had no success finding it.
They have likely never given it away. I don't think you are going to have any success
finding it unless they change their minds or unless a former employee of Hallie's or
The Mill has it and makes it public.
I also had no success finding a "copycat" or a "tastes-like" recipe for the sauce.
Perhaps it is difficult to reverse-engineer or perhaps no one has tried.
I did find the sauce described in reviews of Hallie's:
Yelp
A nice touch was the unique sauce they serve with the schnitzel. We loved it. It
tasted like Texas Pete blended with catsup. I like catsup with the breaded tenderloin
but this added a little heat and vinegar to the sweetness.
lthforum
I especially appreciated Hallie's house-made schnitzel sauce—a thin red juice not
unlike a spicy "Russian" dressing.
and
sauce which tasted like ketchup kicked up with fresh ground pepper.
I have no ideas of a way to pursue this any further, but I will post this for reader
input. Perhaps someone can recommend a "tastes-like".
Phaed
Jorja,
From a message board:
Pete's Fish & Chips sauce is just 1/2 ketchup & 1/2 water with either
sriracha or tabasco added to taste.
Phaed
On 8/31/2020 1:59 PM, jorja wrote:
Really that simple? I sort of remember it being really delicious.
Course I was very young then :-) thanks .
Hi Jorja,
I found more information about Pete's:
Another recipe: Pete's Hot Sauce
Also:
Equal parts Ketchup and El Pato Sauce. Then add some water to thin it out.
You can use less El Pato if you want it a little less spice. Just kind of
play with it. If you can't get El Pato at your local grocery store, you
can order it on Walmart.com (I think). If not, then you may be able to make
a special request with you grocer.
El Pato Hot Tomato Sauce seems to be the key. I read that Pete's trash contains lots
of empty El Pato cans.
Phaed
Thanks for the tip! I'm certainly going to try making this once.
For schnitzel sauce I think no horseradish but everything else
looks spot on.
