Archive for April, 2011

Face it, Bacon makes everything better. You throw it on a burger without question so why not on a hot dog? It’s a bit more work to prep a bacon hot dog but definitely worth it. This is really kind of a fusion prep utilizing the art of the ‘splitter’. Splitters are deep fried dogs that get their name from the fact that they split wide open vertically. It’s smart to help things along by adding a vertical slice through the skin of the dog before cooking.

So you wanna make a bacon dog? Here it goes:
Set up a frying station with 350 degree vegetable oil
Add a slice vertically to the full length of the hot dog;
Wrap your dogs in raw bacon
Deep fry those suckers until the bacon is crisp
Add your bacon dog to a warmed bun and you’re ready to add toppings

The beauty of the bacon dog is that it adds much needed crispness to a hot dog without the papery char commonly achieved when attempting to add crunch. Plus, it’s a no veggies added way to get that crunch – a manly meal indeed. Another bonus is that the split, bacon, and frying add a texture to the dog that helps it hold more toppings. More nooks and crannies to fill with goodies. I suggest adding some spicy fixings to counter the inherent sweetness and saltiness you’ll have naturally in the hot dog and bacon combo.

So I’ve been on this hot dog kick lately. Hence the post about the Chicago Dogs. It’s part of my spring and summer solstice rituals. Before the grill gets primed back to smoker status I ease into things with some of the lesser meats. Burgers, Dogs, Sausages – if it’s processed it’s practice meat. They’re like my b-squad of barbecue and backyard entertaining.

So what’s really in hot dogs? Well, it ain’t pretty but it’s not as bad as you think. Pork, beef and chicken ‘trimmings’ from the traditional cuts of meat plus some corn starch (as a binder), corn syrup and seasonings. There are lots of regional variants to hot dog seasonings. What you find in Boston isn’t what you find in Detroit and certainly isn’t what you’ll find in the south. Here in the great Bay State I believe the current Fenway Frank is a specialized Kayem brand hot dog while if you head to Detroit you’ll be blasphemous if you use anything but Koegel’s on your grill.

The Discovery Channel has a great short video about the making of hot dogs from soup to nuts, so to speak. If you’re into meat paste and sausage Gatling guns it’s well worth your time. Plus, it might inspire you to make your own from scratch instead of trusting the ol’ playdough fun factory of meat making. Enjoy!

I have to admit a sad and humbling truth. I’ve never had a true ‘Chicago Dog’ and I’m going to change that this weekend. I consider my man card on hold until I pull this off. If you’ve been to the windy city or your a true native who has Chicago Dog experience, chat it up in the comments. I’d love to hear if this is really doing it right. Plus, I want to know what your pro tips are and what the best place for a dog is in Chicago. Maybe we can get into other types of dogs too. Southern “Red hots”, Rhode Island Wieners, Fenway Franks. What is it that makes the ultimate dog? All to often you show up to a backyard barbecue and the poor hot dog is neglected, lacking any real condiments. Meanwhile the burger gets all the props. I think it’s time for a sausage renaissance!

There are lots of fun gadgets out there for grilling. Ox and company at BullyLife believe the best gadgets are your own two hands. So how can you check the temp of a grill and decide if its perfect for cooking? You can test the coals in a charcoal grill with a visual test. However, using your hands can be an easy indicator for both charcoal and gas grills.

For Low Heat (about 225 to 250 degrees F) you should see some thick ash with a hint of light orange on your coals. At this temperature range you can hold your hand 4 inches over the coals for about 10 to 15 seconds before feeling like you have to pull away or risk burning your hand. For Medium Heat (roughly 325 to 350 degrees F) you’ll see glowing orange coals at the same 4 inches above the coals you’ll feel like you have to pull away in 4-10 seconds. High Heat is in scorched earth territory (around 450 to 650 degrees F). At High Heat keeping your hand 4 inches above the grill for anything more than 2-3 seconds will make you feel like a crispy critter. The coals are bright orange at high heat, glowing like kiln.