Hot Diggity Dog

Hot Diggity Dog

Ok, I’ll admit it, I love hot dogs. The best hot dog that I’ve ever had, however, was the Sonoran Hot Dog in Tucson, Arizona. Sitting next to gang members and their families all enjoying hot dogs together (I used to be the New York Court's Gang Expert which is another story altogether). I typically like my dogs with basic yellow mustard, but you can top yours with just about anything you can think of. Did you know that hot dogs are one of the most popular grillables in the United States? In fact, the average person will eat about 60 hot dogs in a year. Live in an urban area? Don’t own a grill? No problem! Go out and get yourself a hefty grill pan. Remember, most anything you can cook on a grill you can cook in a grill pan on your stove or in the oven. Please don’t boil your dogs in water. That’s just not cool. 

Let’s start with the basics. There are more hot dog choices today than ever before. Taste is key, but it’s also important to consider your options. Casing or skinless (I like dogs with casing for texture), type of filling (beef, pork, poultry, or a combination), kosher (no pork), stuffed (cheese, apple), healthy (lean, vegetarian, vegan), uncured (no nitrates).

Grilled Hot Dog Pointers

Give Them A Roll: Keep the dogs moving by rolling occasionally with a spatula. The idea is to create tasty texture by blistering and browning as much of the exterior as possible. 

Toasty: Save a step by warming the buns right on the franks for 1 minute before they’re done. Once toasted, you can grab the bun and dog together and place on a waiting platter. 

Trick Out Your Dogs

Try these fun ideas to spruce up your dogs.

Spiral Dog: Skewer the hot dog top to bottom, then use a paring knife to cut a diagonal spiral down the length of the hot dog. Remove the skewer and grill as directed. 

BBQ Dogs: Brush hot dogs with barbecue sauce, then grill as directed.

Bacon Dog: Partially cook bacon in the microwave on a paper towel-lined plate until cooked through but still pliable (about 2 minutes on high). Wrap hot dog with bacon, securing with toothpicks at both ends, then grill as directed.

Grilled Hot Dogs

INGREDIENTS

8 Hot Dogs

For a charcoal or gas grill, place hot dogs on the grill rack directly over a medium heat. Cover and grill for 3 to 7 minutes or until heated through, turning occasionally. Remove from grill. During the last minute, place a hot dog bun, cut sides down, over each hot dog on grill rack. Cover and grill for 1 minute more or until buns are warmed and lightly toasted. Remove hot dogs and buns together. Serve and top as desired. Makes 8 hot dogs.

Chicago Dogs

INGREDIENTS

3/4 Cup Quartered Cherry Tomatoes

1/3 Cup Chopped Celery

1/3 Cup Chopped Seedless Cucumber

1/3 Cup Chopped Onion

1/4 Cup Sweet Pickle Relish

3 Teaspoons Cornichon Juice

1/2 Teaspoon Celery Seeds

1/2 Teaspoon Poppy Seeds

1 Recipe Grilled Hot Dogs (Above)

Yellow Mustard

12 Cornichons (Have Lengthwise)

Pepperoncini Peppers

In a small-size bowl, combine tomatoes, celery, cucumbers, onions, pickle relish, cornichon juice, celery seeds, and poppy seeds. Drizzle each of the Grilled Hot Dogs with mustard. Spoon tomato mixture onto hot dogs. Tope with cornichons and pepperoncini peppers. Serves 8

Summer Dogs

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup Grilled Corn Kernels

1/3Cup Finely Chopped Onion

1/3Cup Snipped Fresh Basil

1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon Sour Cream

1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar

1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper

1/8 Teaspoon Sugar

1 Recipe Grilled Hot Dogs (Above)

2 2/3 Cups Shredded Romaine Lettuce

2 Medium Roma Tomatoes (Thinly Sliced)

1 Medium Avocado (Seeded, Peeled, Thinly Sliced)

Sliced Fresh Jalapeno Chile Peppers (Optional)

In a small-size bowl, combine corn, onions, basil, mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, kosher salt, pepper, and sugar. Fill each of the Grilled Hot Dogs with 2/3 cup of shredded lettuce. Arrange tomato slices on one side of buns and avocado slices on the other side of buns. Top each hot dog with about 1 tablespoon corn mixture. If desired, sprinkle with jalapeno peppers. Pass around the remaining corn mixture. Serves 8

Chili-Mac Dogs

INGREDIENTS

1 Recipe Grilled Hot Dogs (Above)

8 Ounces Deli Macaroni Salad

1 1/3 Cups Warmed Prepared Chili

1/2 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1/2 Cup Crushed Corn Chips

1/2 Cup Chopped Red Onion

1/4 Cup Snipped Fresh Cilantro

8 Ounces Sour Cream (Optional)

For each of the Grilled Hot Dogs, spread about 2 tablespoons of the macaroni salad onto one side. Spoon a generous 2 tablespoons of the warm chili over each hot dog. Sprinkle with cheese, corn chips, onions, and cilantro. If desired, top with sour cream. Serves 8

Tip: If using, place sour cream in a 1-quart heavy resealable plastic bag. Seal bag, snip a small hole in one corner of the bag (this makes a piping bag). Squeeze to drizzle sour cream evenly onto hot dogs.

Russian Dogs

INGREDIENTS

1/4 Cup Mayonnaise

1/4 Cup Ketchup

2 Tablespoons Drained & Diced Pimiento

1 Tablespoon Prepared Horseradish

1 Tablespoon Sweet Pickle Relish

1/2 Tablespoon Coarse Ground Black Pepper

1 Recipe Grilled Hot Dogs (Above)

8 Thin Slices Swiss Cheese

1 Cup Rinsed & Drained Sauerkraut

Caraway Seeds

For sauce, in a small-size bowl, combine mayonnaise, ketchup, pimiento, horseradish, pickle relish, and pepper. For each of the Grilled Hot Dogs, line one side of buns with cheese slices. Top hot dogs with sauerkraut and sauce. Sprinkle with caraway seeds. Serves 8

Hawaiian Dogs

INGREDIENTS

1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Packed Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

2 Teaspoons Asian Chili Paste (Sambal)

1 Large Red Onion (Thinly Sliced & Separated Into Rings)

1/4 Of A Cored Fresh Pineapple

Cayenne Pepper (Optional)

1 Recipe Grilled Hot Dogs (Above)

Teriyaki Sauce

1/2 Cup Thinly Sliced Green Onions (Optional)

Sesame Seeds (Optional)

In a medium-size bowl, combine vinegar, brown sugar, oil, soy sauce, and chili paste. Add onion rings; stir to coat. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Drain onion rings. Throw away marinade. Meanwhile, cut pineapple lengthwise into four wedges. If desired, sprinkle with cayenne pepper. For a charcoal or gas grill, place pineapple wedges on grill rack directly over medium heat. Cover and grill for 3 to 4 minutes or until grill marks appear, turning occasionally. Remove from grill. Chop pineapple. Pat dry with paper towels. Place a grill basket on grill rack until basket is hot. Add onion rings to hot basket. Cover and grill for 6 to 8 minutes or until onion rings are tender and slightly charred, stirring frequently. Top each of the Grilled Hot Dogs with pineapple and grilled onion rings. Drizzle with teriyaki sauce. If desired, sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds. Serves 8

© Victoria Hart Glavin