What is your favourite way to cook a hot dog: boil, grill or both? Well, it turns out that boiling first and then charring on a hot grill yields the best hot dog.
The inside is heated through and the outside is toasted to perfection without burning or drying out the exterior. The broiler works equally well.
Toasting buns is non-negotiable though. Throw them on the grill, under the broiler or in a pan with butter.
For easy summer family entertaining, why not have a hot dog bar. Make all the toppings ahead of time, lay them out with suggestions and let everyone make their own.
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New York style hot dog recipe
- 6 jumbo beef wieners
- 6 hot dog buns
- 2 tbsp. olive oil 30 mL
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 2 mL
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder 2 mL
- pinch cayenne
- 1/4 c. ketchup 60 mL
- 1/2 c. water 125 mL
- 1 c. sauerkraut 250 mL
- spicy brown mustard, to taste
To make the onion sauce, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until soft. Stir in cinnamon, chili powder and cayenne and cook for one minute.
Add ketchup and water and stir until well combined. Bring to a simmer and cook until sauce thickens, about 10 to 15 minutes.
To assemble put wieners in buns and top with sauerkraut, onion sauce and spicy brown mustard.
Tex-Mex hot dogs
Feel free to substitute cooked lentils for the pinto beans.
- 4 beef wieners
- 4 hot dog buns
- 1 c. roasted corn, stripped from cob 250 mL
- 1/2 c. cilantro 125 mL
- 1 c. canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed 250 mL
- 1/2 c. salsa 125 mL
- 1/2 c. Mexican crema or thinned sour cream 125 mL
- 1/2 c. red onion, diced 125 mL
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
Place peeled corncobs onto hot grill. Rotate occasionally as the kernels turn golden brown. Remove from grill and allow to cool.
Using a knife, cut kernels away from the cob and set aside. Then grill hot dogs. Remove from grill, set aside.
To assemble fill bun with wiener, top with roasted corn, pinto beans, red onion, bell pepper, salsa, cilantro and Mexican crema.
Bacon blue cheese cowboy hot dog
- 4 beef wieners
- 4 hot dog buns
- 1 pkg. frozen onion rings, prepared
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp. butter 45 mL
- 5 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
- 1/2 c. barbecue sauce 125 mL
- 1/2 c. blue cheese, crumbled 125 mL
Prepare onion rings according to package directions.
Sauté bacon in skillet until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Chop when cool enough to handle. Add sliced onions to pan and caramelize until golden brown.
Grill wieners until heated through and lightly charred on the outside.
To assemble, place wieners in the buns, top with caramelized onions, chopped bacon, blue cheese crumbles, onion rings and drizzle barbecue sauce.
Mexican street food hot dogs
- 8 wieners
- 8 hot dog buns
- 8 bacon strips
- 4 jalapeños, stemmed, halved lengthwise and seeds removed, optional
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil, plus more for drizzling 30 mL
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- kosher salt
- ketchup, yellow mustard and mayonnaise, for serving
- For the pico de gallo:
- 1 1/2 c. plum tomatoes, diced 375 mL
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/2 c. small red onion, diced 125 mL
- 1/4 c. chopped cilantro 60 mL
Heat oven to 400 F (200 C). Tightly wrap each wiener with a strip of bacon until most of it is covered.
Place wieners on a foil-lined baking sheet. If using jalapeños, place them skin-side down on the baking sheet and lightly drizzle with oil.
Roast jalapeños until skin starts to blister, about 25 minutes. Roast until bacon is browned and starts to ripple, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon (15 mL) oil in a large skillet over medium-to-high heat. Add the yellow onion and green peppers and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in red bell pepper and the remaining one tablespoon (15 mL) oil.
Season to taste with salt. Remove from heat when onions are caramelized and peppers are soft, about 20 minutes.
To make pico de gallo combine tomatoes, avocado, red onion, cilantro and lime juice in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and set aside.
Toast buns, if desired. Place bacon-wrapped wieners in the buns, top with onions, peppers and pico de gallo. Drizzle with ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise. Finish with roasted jalapeños, if desired.
Top-sliced hot dog buns
- 1 1/4 c. whole milk 310 mL
- 2 tbsp. sugar 30 mL
- 2 1/4 tsp. active dry or instant yeast 11 mL
- 2 1/2 – 3 c. all-purpose flour 625 – 750 mL
- 1 tsp. salt 5 mL
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- poppy or sesame seeds, optional
In a small saucepan, heat milk over medium heat until it just comes to a simmer. Set aside to cool to lukewarm.
Once cooled, add sugar and sprinkle yeast over top. Stir and let stand a few minutes to proof.
In a large bowl or bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine two cups (500 mL) of flour and salt. Add the milk/yeast mixture and stir to combine. Start adding additional flour, a bit at a time, until dough comes together. Knead by hand or with the dough hook until dough is smooth and moist, but not sticky. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a tea towel and rise until doubled.
Grease a 7 x 11-inch (18 x28 cm) baking pan and set aside. If you only have a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) pan, fill the end two inches (5 cm) of the pan with crumpled foil balls, then make a straight edge by placing a folded piece of foil on the inside edge. This will shorten the width of the pan from 13 inches (33 cm) to 11 inches (28 cm), so as the buns rise, they rise up instead of sideways.
Remove dough to a lightly floured surface and divide dough in to eight equal pieces. Shape each piece of dough in to a ball, then using the palm of your hand, roll and stretch slightly, until it is an oblong shape, about 4 1/2-5-inches (11-13 cm) long. Place in prepared pan, pinched side down, pushing it up against the short end of the pan slightly. Continue with remaining pieces of dough, placing each snuggly up against the next, until all eight are in the pan and equally spaced apart. Lightly spray the buns with oil, cover and let rise.
Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C) with rack in middle of oven.
When ready to bake, brush buns with egg. If using, sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds.
Bake in pre-heated 375 F (190 C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and they sound hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from oven and let stand a few minutes. Run a knife along the edges and remove buns as one piece and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Store extras in an airtight bag or freeze.
Sarah Galvin is a home economist, teacher and farmers’ market vendor at Swift Current, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. She writes a blog at allourfingersinthepie.blogspot.ca. Contact: team@producer.com.
