The hot dog I made for myself today

[John]

Wonderfull posts! I love hot dogs and haven't been on e-gullet in awhile. Just getting used to the new format. I've tried many hot dog places in N.J. and some in N.Y. but have yet to try the places mentioned in Conn. My family thinks I'm nuts to travel all the way to Conn. just to sample hot dogs. But I will go soon.

                 It's funny how your tastes change over time and how you acquire a taste for things you didn't like previously. I never liked pork/beef hot dogs because they are "less bold" than the kosher or kosher style all beef dog. Plus they have a reputation as being inferior. There are cheap hot dogs out there that are inferior, especially the ones made of poultry and containing a lot of fillers. But, as Steven said, a quality pork/beef frank has a different, more subtle flavor profile. I love a quality beef/pork frank as much, if not more, than a kosher style beef dog.

                 Has anyone tried a Thumann's frank slow cooked on a griddle? This is one of the world's best franks. I've come to like this one better than the franks produced in my hometown (Union) by three German butcher shops. I found an article somewhere online where hot dogs were sampled along with microbrewed beer (another of my passions) in Cooperstown last summer. It was a baseball, beer, and hot dog theme. Usinger's Angus Franks got the most votes followed by Thumann's. The woman who wrote the article is from Wisconsin where Usinger's is produced, but she preferred the Thumann's. They also make a hot dog specially for deep frying. This dog contains semolina and soy protein. For those of you in New York; a place called Crif's Dogs uses this dog

                I think Mebutter mentioned Grote & Weigel from Bloomfield, Ct. They sell their dogs to many of the N.J. dog houses. They make a special frank for the Galloping Hill Inn in Union and supply many of the Texas Weiner joints. They make an all beef dog that I enjoy as much as Usinger's. Different tasting, but similar in quality. This particular dog is served at Father & Son in Linden, N.J.

             

                 A very unique tasting pork/beef dog is made by Kohler Provisions in Newark and sold at Frank & Fries in Rahway, N.J. This dog has a unique tangy flavor; almost as if there is mustard inside the dog. A bolder flavor than any beef/pork dog; almost like an all beef dog.

                   You get a great variety of dogs in N.J. and I haven't even mentioned Italian Hot Dogs and Texas Weiners. Schickhaus is another great beef/pork dog. They used to be made by Grote & Weigel. This is the dog served at Max's down the shore. This place is a block away from the Windmill mentioned in an earlier post. As far as condiments go; I have mixed feelings. I like to taste the hot dog with just a little mustard. The better to get the full flavor of the dog; especially a kosher style all beef. It doesn't really need much else. But a beef/pork dog; especially a north Jersey deep fried dog tastes great with chili sauce. The Hot Grill in Clifton, N.J. makes the best chili sauce I've had. Libby's is great also. You can take these home as I do. I'd really like to try the homemade relish at Super Duper Weenie. I've had the relish at Rutt's Hut and it is so good that I can't imagine anything coming close. They ship this all over the country. The Hot Grill sends their chili sauce to England and a few oother countries in Europe.

             I'm anxiously awaiting Holly's review of some of these places. I love to make a few hot dogs at home and compare them side by side. Usinger's and Grote & Weigel kosher style next to a Thumann's and a German frank from Fritz's pork store. I don't tell many people I do this; but I know you people on E Gullet understand

[Fat Guy]

John, you are a gentleman and a scholar. We understand.

[Jinmyo]

So I made hot dogs for myself and a friend for lunch.

I caramelized a Spanish onion as big as my head on low heat for a few hours. Removed a bit after twenty minutes to add back in at the end for textural variation. Heavy twists of black pepper, no salt.

Scooped a few sections of baguette. Spread with Dijon.

Turned up the heat on the skillet, added the huge all beef hot dogs. Added the softened onion slices. Waited until nice blistered and blackened bits appeared on the hot dogs. Tossed them around until nicely so.

Stuffed the bageutte sections with onion and then the hot dogs.

About 2/3rds of the way through eating, I realized one could pull the hollowed baguette crust around the hot dog snuggly and press the overlap to make it not only delicious but tidy. Which is always nice.

[jaybee]

Oh boy, this is a dangerous topic.  I get hungry after reading a few posts.  Jinmyo, your recipe sounds like heaven.  I find that "specials" or knockwurst satisfy more than hot dogs, though the ones they serve at Artie's in NYC on the upper West side are really good.  Years ago, there were a couple of carts in midtown that had the slogan "New York's Best Hot Dog" in blue on a yellow backgound.  The franks were big and fat, cooked on a flat griddle, had a crisp skin and were spicy and juicy.  They were served with real deli mustard on a firm, yeasty bun. The cart was usually on the corner of Fifth and 57th.  I asked who made their franks and the vendor said they were custom made by Sabretts, using a recipe of their own making.  I haven't seen them in years and wonder what became of them.

Fat Guy, the combination of a grilled kosher hot dog and a crispy baguette is great.  The engineering is cool too.  BTW, does anyone else boil their franks until the skin is tight and finish them to a dark crispness in a fry pan?

[Fat Guy]

I've never done that with a frankfurter -- does it make any difference? I've seen it done with bratwurst, but that's because they're boiled in beer before being grilled. That's a little different, because there's a flavor infusion situation going on.

[Jinmyo]

Yes. And bratwurst can do with a flavour infusion.

Generally, hot dogs are edible right from the package as are (ugh) bologna and (yea) mortadella. Boiling (or simmering) first seems unnecessay. (Sounds like something those d@mn Frenchies would do to make a Plotnicki dog.)

But perhaps there's something about the texture going on here. jaybee boils 'em "until the skin is tight" and then crisps them in a pan.

Do you do this with all hot dogs or is it related to a particular brand?

edit full disclosure: removed inadvertant cutting and pasting of directions for cold fusion and poaching and just why the universe is beige instead of green (or taupe)

[jaybee]

Whenever I order specials at a kosher deli, the waiter asks "boiled or grilled."  I like the texture of boiled but the extra crispness and little char on the skin of grilled.  So I say "both".  They don't like that. I do this at home with kosher beef franks and kockwurst or specials.  I found that this makes the texture of the skin "plunkier" and the mouthfeel of the meat better than pan grilling alone.  Pan grilling to get the skin to the texture I like usually requires more time than the filling benefits from on such intense heat. Also, unless you have one of those rotating grills, you have to keep turning them to get an evenly done skin. The meat starts to get a little dry on the outside edges or cooks unevenly.  As you say, they are already cooked, so the job is to get the skin texture right all around and keep the insides evenly hot and juicy. Boiling first does that.

[Jinmyo]

jaybee, you certainly know what you like.

[jaybee]

jaybee, you certainly know what you like.  

Well, yes.  But there seem to be few in this august group who don't. {:-)

[SobaAddict70]

Thought I'd bump this one up again.

Had a snack the other day from a beloved street corner stand near the office, and been having a craving recently due in part from the NJ hot dog run, so....

What have you had recently?

Soba

[fifi]

Nooooooooo! says she.

I feel another eGullet inspired craving hot on my heels. I really don't like hot dogs. But, sometimes, nothing else (and I mean nothing) will do at all. Since my favorite version is grilled over charcoal until just about burned, dressed with mayonaise *ducking*, maybe some cheese, grilled onions if available. Buns are problematic. I may try the baguette approach. I also like the split and grilled idea. More browny bits for me.

[NulloModo]

You know, this is a terribly low-brow confession, but I really enjoy the hot-dogs at 7-11. In particular the 'Bahama Mamma' is pure heaven in sausage form. I shudder to think what animals, and which parts of them, are stuffed into that casing, but the taste is ethereal.

I prefer them loaded up with the 7-11 chili, some of that fake cheese stuff, jalepenos, sauerkraut, dill pickle chips, raw onion, lots of yellow mustard, and a nice stripe of mayo.

[Marlene]

Hot dogs must be burnt in order to be edible. I always toast my hot dog buns as well. Cheese definately, mayonnaise? Well, I won't knock it since I haven't tried it, but saurkraut would be good..

[kitwilliams]

I was babysitting during our recent rainstorms. We (my four-year-old friend and I) decided to roast wienies over the charcoals in the living room fireplace (don't worry -- the gas was off). We got them nice and crusty and blistered -- well, mine was. A four-year-old likes them pretty rare. Buttered buns, stuck under the broiler and, the kicker, individual Velveeta slices wrapped around the dog and stuck into the buttered bun. Nothing else. Perfect. Took me back to a chain we used to have here in the west, Pup 'n' Taco. Anyone else remember them?

Of course, we had S'mores for dessert.

[fifi]

Hot dogs must be burnt in order to be edible.  I always toast my hot dog buns as well.  Cheese definately, mayonnaise?  Well, I won't knock it since I haven't tried it, but saurkraut would be good..

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Well, most folks I know just about gag when I ask for the mayonaise. It really doesn't work if the dog isn't pretty well charred. Sometimes, I reach for redemption by adding some Dijon or Creole style mustard.

I was babysitting during our recent rainstorms.  We (my four-year-old friend and I) decided to roast wienies over the charcoals in the living room fireplace (don't worry -- the gas was off).  We got them nice and crusty and blistered  --

. . . . .

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Oh yes! Speared on a long fork and blistered over coals is the best. (You are a really cool babysitter.) My dad made these wonderful really long stainless steel forks out of tubing that he split at the end to form the two tines. He even put mahogany handles on them that had been turned on the wood lathe in different patterns. They were absolutely beautiful. We would have big piles of coals fairly often from burning brush, mostly mesquite. A hot dog and marshmallow roasting orgy just about always followed.

Now a question about using baguettes . . . If you take some of the inside crumb out, would that be a good thing so that it could hold more chili?