The next series of blog posts will highlight sausages and the many forms of this ever popular tube-like treat. From Hot Dogs to Brats to the British Banger and beyond, the versatile encased meat mainstay has something to offer everyone. Starting with the simple and straight forward hot dog, our chefs created a few special ways to \ elevate the experience.
Let’s “relish the thought” of eating a simple hot dog at the old ballpark or during a backyard party this summer. Now, combine the love of hot dogs with the knowledge of cooking and fun ingredients. That takes one of America’s greatest comfort foods off the kid’s side of the menu and moves it to the adult side: “Haute Dogs.”
In order to make this happen, a few changes need to take place. First, the size of the dog. No longer will a small 10 to 1 kid dog (10 hot dogs to a pound) do the trick. Start cooking with a larger wiener, either a ¼
pound or jumbo ½ pounder. Second, change the bread. Hold the buns, and search out fresh baked artisan breads like ciabatta, sourdough, Italian panini, sun-dried tomato tortillas, or crispy-crusty French bread. Third, change the cooking method from steaming or heaven forbid, boiling. The grill is the place to be. Grilling helps bring out the natural smoky flavors.
A panini press would also work wonders. If the hot dog was butterflied (split dog ¾ deep right down the middle and open sandwich style), there could be even better grill marks and a shortened cook time. Last and certainly not least, the “haute dog” toppings must be fresh and creative. Fruits, vegetables, seasonal favorites, and much much more. Keep in mind there are no rules to making it right and making it taste great.
Read this article and more like it in our quarterly newsletter, Tasteology!