“My favorite meat is hot dog, by the way,” Mitt Romney told his supporters, “That is my favorite meat”.
Sure, it’s easy to boil a hot dog and get decent results. After 4 to 5 minutes (package directions), the dogs will be soft and not too hot.
For the added flavor of lightly browned skins, grill them in a pan.
1. Put a few drops of water in the skillet, turn heat to medium, and wait until the water boils away. The pan is now hot enough.
2. Put hot dogs in pan, cook for a minute on medium heat, turn the hot dogs 1/4 turn, and cook for a minute more. Turn 1/4 turn again, cook 1 more minute. You get the idea. Turn and cook, turn and cook, 8 times, until all 4 sides of the hot dog have been cooked twice for 1 minute each.
3. Keep the hot dogs next to each other in the pan, to keep them from rolling around. Don’t worry if a side or two doesn’t get properly browned.
4. If you want, lightly butter the inside of the bun, turn heat down to medium-low, and put buttered down side for 2 minutes. The buns will be Texas-toasted.
For easier hot dogs, boil a few inches of water in a saucepan, drop in the frankfurters, cover, turn off heat, and let them cook in the hot water for 10 minutes. The dogs will be firm, and 180° F inside.
Toppings
Mustard, pickle relish, onions (pictured) – a favorite
Onions, cheese, mustard – superb
New York Style – sauerkraut and spicey brown mustard, maybe some Sabrett’s grilled onion sauce – classic
German Style – sauerkraut, pickles, mustard
Carolina Dog – chili, mustard, coleslaw
Mustard, chopped onion, relish, cheese, and Cholula – great!
Mustard, chopped onion, relish, chili, cheese, and Cholula – even better!
South Carolina Style – Mustard, slaw, and relish – tasty
Mustard and slaw – good
Deli Style – grilled onions, kraut, and mustard – excellent
Grilled onions, grilled peppers, and jalapenos
Banh Mi Style – julienned pickled carrots, julienned cucumbers, long thin slices of jalapeno, and cilantro – terrific
Green chile, mustard, Swiss cheese
Kimchi – slice into thin strips
Chilean Style – sauerkraut, tomatoes, mayo, avocado – interesting
Cholula Hot Sauce – simple and delicious
Seattle Style – soft cream cheese and chopped onion – good, unbelievably, though not unbelievably good. Thanks, Hanna Raskin.
Notes: I used KFC slaw, Wolf Brand Texas Chili (no beans!), Wickles relish, and Boar’s Head or Sabretta refrigerated sauerkraut. Use whatever mustard you like, and if you like ketchup, do it, no matter what anyone says.
If you find yourself in the vicinity of Atlanta, Georgia, pay a visit to The Varsity, and order a chili slaw dog, onion rings, and a Coca-Cola. It is one of the best hot dog meals available anywhere, and even the Coke is better because Atlanta is the home of Coca-Cola.