Hot Dogs

[mrbigjas]

I still say a hot dog discussion isn't complete without the ones from the Amish people in Lancaster, available at the Reading Terminal Market here in Philadelphia.

But that's just me.

Which Amish are those?

The Stoltzfus Amish people (who seem to have several other shops in the Northern DE area) sell fresh hot dogs and sausages in the New Castle Farmers Market. I have tried their Andoullie, and it is great, but never thought about their weiners. Are these the same ones as in Reading?

You know, I'm not sure. My favorites are from Dutch Country Meats, formerly Stoltzfus, but I'm not sure who makes them. A.A. Haltemann's makes good ones too, but not as good as DCM.

As far as being the same ones, the Pennsylvania Dutch community is pretty limited, and there are onlya few last names that they all have, so they could or could not be the same people.

[Jinmyo]

Jason, I am awed.

You know, not a single one of those brands is available in Ottawa.

[Jinmyo]

Jason, no pictures of cooked hot dogs?

[Jason Perlow]

Jason, no pictures of cooked hot dogs?

I considered it, but it would have required a lot more organization than we put into the project to do. However. Hot dogs all pretty much look the same when you cook them, for the most part.

[tommy]

my jaw is resting on my lap. you guys are out of your heads.

nice job.

[Jason Perlow]

my jaw is resting on my lap. you guys are out of your heads.

nice job.

It was a last minute thing. Actually, I was considering inviting you over to help us out, but I knew you had other plans. Perhaps for the next wave.

[Jason Perlow]

Oh my God. This is incredible news:

http://nathansfamous.com/nathans/products/french_fries.asp

If these are the genuine item, but frozen and perhaps par-cooked -- it may be possible to reproduce that taste and flavor of those in your home. Oh man, I hope they don't disappoint.

[John]

My wife said that these are available at the Clark Shop Rite and that she bought them recently. I don't remember having them, but according to her they taste like the real thing. I love Nathans fries and will be picking up some soon at Shop Rite.

[jayt90]

Depending on my local big box, in the Toronto area, I found two excellent Canadian products for summer BBQ. Freyrich's German franks are thin, natural casings, and fairly well smoked (reddish brown, strongly flavoured.) They come from B.C.; pork, cooked.

Then there is 'Ball Park' from London, Ontario: Thick pork dogs, a chunky garlicky mix with lots of paprika, and lightly smoked. Pre-cooked, they grill very nicely and are always a hit at a BBQ. Whereas the Freyrich's are too strong for some.

[tommy]

i'm so enamored with Usinger's at this point that i have to order more immediately.

any thoughts on freezing these things? should i try to time the delivery for the week that i'll be eating them?

edit: from what i understand, they're frozen before they're shipped...although mine arrived not all that frozen.

Edited July 6, 2004 by tommy (log)

[jbonne]

If these are the genuine item, but frozen and perhaps par-cooked -- it may be possible to reproduce that taste and flavor of those in your home. Oh man, I hope they don't disappoint.

yeah, but are they including the molten cheese to go along with them? Velveeta-grade or no, i maintain there is some mysterious chemical reaction that occrs when their fries and their cheese-like product is combined.

or maybe it's just the heady, salty air of Coney Island that does it.

p.s. adding my thanks for the amazing survey of 'dogs!

Edited July 6, 2004 by jbonne (log)

[John]

i'm so enamored with Usinger's at this point that i have to order more immediately.

any thoughts on freezing these things? should i try to time the delivery for the week that i'll be eating them?

edit: from what i understand, they're frozen before they're shipped...although mine arrived not all that frozen.

Tommy,

They're packed in dry ice when they're shipped and until my last shipment, everything always arrived frozen. I put everything in the freezer and defrosted as needed. I got my last shipment about 2 weeks ago. I ordered fresh brats, franks, and summer sausage. Everything was thawed out with the exception of one package of franks which was still frozen. I threw this package in the freezer and then called the 800 number to ask what I should do with the rest. The woman I spoke with said that I could keep everything in the refrigerator or freezer with the exception of the fresh brats. I was told to either freeze them immediately, or refrigerate and use within 2 days. As for the franks, even though they were originally frozen, she said they could be refrozen. She suggested that I leave everything (except the fresh brats) in the refrigerator. Upon opening a new package of franks, I was told to freeze what I didn't use from the opened package if I didn't plan on eating the remainder within a few days. She also said to freeze any unopened package of franks once it came close to the expiration date stamped on top. I hope my explanation makes sense.

Five or six pounds of sausage doesn't usually last in my house to the expiration date. I would say leave everything in the fridge, and just freeze the uneaten franks when you open a new package unless you plan on finishing them within a few days. Just be careful with any fresh or raw sausage. They must be frozen within a few days of receiving them. Last shipment I had the fresh brats for the first time. They came 4 to a lb. I kept them in the fridge for 2 days, ate 2 and froze the other 2. A few days later I defrosted the other 2 and had them. Excellent. If anything lasts to the expiration date, just make sure to freeze it. If you're looking for something good to try besides the brats and dogs, let me suggest the beef summer sausage. Everything I've had from this company was delicious.

[Susan in FL]

Tommy, thanks for the question about freezing, and John, thanks for the answer. We were wondering about freezing part of ours. The order which came Friday is still in the fridge, and we're having the fresh brats tomorrow night... I sure hope they are OK.

[John]

Susan,

They'll be ok. With every order they include some stuff like ordering forms, catalogs, gift suggestions, and a retail price list. At the end of this price list there is a section on cooking tips for link sausage followed by sausage handling and storage. You should have received one. I wouldn't wait past tomorrow though. You're probably better off freezing these brats as soon as you get them. As I said before, I had some 2 days after receiving them, then froze the remainder until I had them a few days later. The ones that were frozen were just as good.

I spoke with someone at Wegmans meat dept about Johnsonville brats. They sell both the fresh and cooked brats. The fresh ones are right there on the shelf and my guess is that they are sitting around for more than 2-4 days before they are either eaten or purchased and frozen by whoever buys them. The employee said that you can keep them refrigerated up till the expiration date unless you open the package. Then the remaining uneaten brats have to be frozen or eaten within a couple of days. Usinger's does a good job of packaging their products, so if you haven't opened the package, you'll be ok.

The Union Pork Store near me makes fresh and pre cooked brats. They don't make a big quantity of fresh brats because of how perishable they are. And they don't package them; they just put them out in the deli case. They're a great product and they sell fast. They don't sit in the deli case for more than a day or 2. When you buy them, someone from the store will tell you to eat them within a couple of days or freeze them since they aren't sealed or packaged.

[Holly Moore]

According to Usinger's any of their film wrapped dogs (as opposed to loose, 6 lb cartons) are good for up to 30 days refrigerated. But I typically work out of the freezer. Bring out a pack or two each week.

The fresh brats go so fast it's never a problem.

[tommy]

Actually, I was considering inviting you over to help us out, but I knew you had other plans.

yeah, my plans over the weekend were to eat 6 lbs of Usinger's.

[tommy]

john, holly, thanks.

[Susan in FL]

I appreciate the follow-up.

With every order they include some stuff like ordering forms, catalogs, gift suggestions, and a retail price list. At the end of this price list there is a section on cooking tips for link sausage followed by sausage handling and storage. You should have received one.

...What a novel idea! Reading the directions?!

It's a good thing what's left will freeze well. If not, I'm afraid I would submit to the temptation to eat one a day.

[bleachboy]

i'm so enamored with Usinger's at this point that i have to order more immediately.

I don't blame you! They are freaking scrumptious. I still have two pounds of the smaller weiners, but I think that's it. I'll probably order more in a month or so. I just bought a big order from my local abattoir (C&F Meats) so I have a crapload of pork, bacon, sausage, steak, etc from them in the freezer to eat through before I get back to hot dogs.

any thoughts on freezing these things?  should i try to time the delivery for the week that i'll be eating them?

edit: from what i understand, they're frozen before they're shipped...although mine arrived not all that frozen.

Mine arrived frozen solid, except for one pack that was mostly thawed. I ate those within the week. The rest I have just kept in the freezer and broken a couple off the block as needed, defrosting them first in the microwave.

[rlibkind]

I've always wanted to try a version of the Upstate NY pork-beef dog so, when I found myself in the vicinity of the Woodbridge NJ Wegman the other day I picked up a pack of Zweigle's natural casing Texas Hots.

They were a faint red color, but cooked up on my Weber silver B to a flaming red. They were called "Pop-ups" on the label, and I could see why: the casing burst apart over medium heat. The hot dog also expanded in size, I assume because of the water content.

As to taste, it was okay. Pretty much what I expect a pork-beef dog to to taste like. But nothing special. Whether because of the water and/or fat content, it was suitably juicy. The diameter of the cooked dog was a bit larger than I like.

Are there better versions of the Upstate dog? Should I have tried a Hoffman white?

[Jason Perlow]

Zweigle's is actually known for their "While Hots", which we looked at earlier this year:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=29227

[tommy]

I appreciate the follow-up.

With every order they include some stuff like ordering forms, catalogs, gift suggestions, and a retail price list. At the end of this price list there is a section on cooking tips for link sausage followed by sausage handling and storage. You should have received one.

...What a novel idea! Reading the directions?!

i tore through that packaging so fast there could have been a 10 carat diamond tucked away in the styrofoam and i wouldn't have seen it.

[Susan in FL]

I appreciate the follow-up.

With every order they include some stuff like ordering forms, catalogs, gift suggestions, and a retail price list. At the end of this price list there is a section on cooking tips for link sausage followed by sausage handling and storage. You should have received one.

...What a novel idea! Reading the directions?!

i tore through that packaging so fast there could have been a 10 carat diamond tucked away in the styrofoam and i wouldn't have seen it.

Yes, that describes it! I am laughing out loud at the images of all of us tearing into hot dog packages.

[winesonoma]

Got some Boars-Head dogs today along with some of their kraut and surprised the GF for lunch. She said it took her back to being a child eating a dog. Major points my way.

[Susan in FL]

The brats were real fine! I started another topic, thinking though they're all sausages, perhaps brats are a different food than hot dogs... I guess if you think they're different, you would reply here.

The daily storm came right when it was time to cook, but we're die-hard grillers. This is my die-hard griller husband, outside the back porch...