What is your idea of the ideal hot dog?

Just seen a few segments here on the food network in regards to hot dogs. Alton Brown mentioned that the food he may request as his last meal was a special "slaw dog" from a particular place, the name and location of which escapes me...

Anyway, I couldn't resist bringing the topic up here. Hot dogs seem to be one of those very personal and custom-friendly items of which virtually no one will agree on an "ideal" one. Indeed, that's precisely why I thought it might be so much fun, if not polarizing, to ask! Much like pizza, New York will say theirs is the best, Chicago will say theirs is the best, etc etc etc...

But what is your ideal hot dog? Just mustard (a la baseball game style)? Is less more? Or are you a "more toppings the better" person when it comes to hot dogs? Is relish a necessity on your hot dog or something that's an instant taste-destroyer?

And what about the hot dog itself? Will you only eat certain ones/brands? Must they be skinless (or not skinless)? Do you insist that the hot dog be big, beefy and as close to a bratwurst as possible or do you just prefer a more modest and proportionate dog?

Fire up the grill and the let the fun begin! Oh wait, I guess I need to wait about five more months for that one. We currently have snow in our grill...

Jeff

If hot dogs disappeared from our world tonight, I wouldn't even notice.
Of all the myriad varieties of sausage available from numerous cultures, the hot dog has to be the tail-end Charlie.

I'm a purist: nothing but the bun and mustard. (But while we're at it: toast the bun, grill the dog (rather than boil it), and make sure the mustard can bite me back.)

I'm a purist: nothing but the bun and mustard. (But while we're at it: toast the bun, grill the dog (rather than boil it), and make sure the mustard can bite me back.)

This.

Chicago Style, from a street vendor, in Chicago. There is no other way for me to enjoy a humble hot dog, and when compared to New York street vendors there is no comparison, New Yorkers eat there hot dogs with KETCHUP or mustard, thats it. I was looking around for Ashton Kutcher because I thought I was being punked.

A hot dog is only as good as the baseball game in front of it. And I mean a game you're watching in person, not on television.

-Paul W.

I'm a purist: nothing but the bun and mustard. (But while we're at it: toast the bun, grill the dog (rather than boil it), and make sure the mustard can bite me back.)

Sounds good to me! Except I don't necessarily need a biting mustard, just a mild classic all-american yellow one will do.

We grill our hot dogs too in the summer (as opposed to boiling). I love the light "char" dimension grilling can give. Have never thought to grill the buns as well but I think I might need to start...

Jeff

Chicago Style, from a street vendor, in Chicago. There is no other way for me to enjoy a humble hot dog, and when compared to New York street vendors there is no comparison, New Yorkers eat there hot dogs with KETCHUP or mustard, thats it. I was looking around for Ashton Kutcher because I thought I was being punked.

I've had those very hot dogs myself on the many visits I've taken to the windy city. They are indeed delicious! Although, in all fairness to New York, I can't say that I wouldn't enjoy theirs as well - I've never been to New York city before.

I do prefer "Chicago style" pizza to New York style though. But, again, that's just in style since I haven't had a specific New York pizza. But I always make sure to reserve one dinner night for the deep dish pizza whenever I visit Chicago! I know it's apparently popular to snicker at this style but I'm not sure why "extremely delicious" is grounds for snickering. Oh well. I really love the city and greatly enjoy its food whenever I'm there.

Jeff

Jeff - you're missing the point. Hot dogs are versatile and since there is a variety of ways to cook and serve them, how you do it depends on the mood you're in. Grilled with mustard and a thin slice of dill pickle and maybe some piccalilli relish. Steamed with hot Chinese mustard on a buttered roll. Cooked in a pot of chili with beans, topped with onions and cheese. Sliced up with canned baked beans. Sliced up in a hot dog & cheese omelet. My favorite hot dog restaurant is Teds, where I get them with "the works", a side of great crumbly onion rings and a large loganberry drink.

I do think the Chicago dog is the best - they have that nice "pop" with the natural casing.

I like grilled dogs with snap (Hebrew Nationals are good). Then I load them with chopped onions, mustard, relish and ketchup.

If hot dogs disappeared from our world tonight, I wouldn't even notice.
Of all the myriad varieties of sausage available from numerous cultures, the hot dog has to be the tail-end Charlie.

What he said!

Jeff - you're missing the point. Hot dogs are versatile and since there is a variety of ways to cook and serve them, how you do it depends on the mood you're in.

ITA with this. Sometimes I want just a hot dog with mustard, other times, a chili cheese dog with grilled onions. Sometimes I fancy sauerkraut and other times, I like an "Italian Hot Dog" with no peppers (This might be a NJ thing...but it's usually 2 skinny hot dogs, grilled and placed a in a big flat pita type roll make from pizza dough, topped with grilled onions, potatoes, peppers, and mustard). I love the Chicago dog too, and a NY dirty water dog.

The best hot dog I have ever had though, was at a place in Chicago called The Wiener's Circle. I had a Chardog, oh, it was so heavenly. I definitely prefer my hot dogs grilled over boiled or steamed.

As to the hot dog being on the bottom of the totem pole, let me disagree. With its roots some 500 years old and originally known as the frankfurter, the well made hot dog is no less to be admired than the best knockwurst, bratwurst or other such sausages. Let us not forget that as there are bad wines so are there bad knockwursts, bratwursts and hot dogs and those are to be shunned.

As to the traditional hot dog, my favorites are either of beef or veal, those with the usual chemical spices added of course (what would any sausage be without phosphates?) but with no bread or, heaven forbid, soya to fill them out. It should go without saying that fine hot dogs do not contain either chicken or turkey meat. I firmly believe that there is a special place in hell for people who manufacture hot dogs made of chicken meat.

Perhaps by chance, many of the best hot dog/frankfurters to be found whether in the USA or throughout Europe are kosher. Oddly enough perhaps, that is most definitely not true in Israel however where non-kosher franks rule supreme when it comes to taste and texture.

As to how I like my franks

(a) At Nathan's in Coney Island, first boiled then grilled, served on a soft bun with nothing more than a generous quantity of deli mustard
(b) At street side stands in New York City, boiled, served on a soft bun and topped with mustard, mayonnaise, relish, fried onions and hot sauce
(c) At New York City delicatessens, on a plate (at least three and ideally four dogs), served alongside potato salad, cole slaw, sauerkraut, fat pickles and ideally accompanied by Dr Brown's CelRay Tonic (or whatever name it goes by today)
(d) At the stands in Vienna, Weisbaden, Berlin and St. Moritz, boiled, on a medium-soft to medium-hard roll with nothing but mustard (put my sauerkraut on a separate plate please) and with a can of ice cold beer close at hand
(e) In delis in the State of California – on soft buns (implying of course that I will eat more than one) with a mixture of ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard spread first on the bread and then topped with fried onions when available or with additional mustard, depending on the mood
(f) At home - as close to Nathan's as I can get - first boiled and then grilled

I'm a purist: nothing but the bun and mustard. (But while we're at it: toast the bun, grill the dog (rather than boil it), and make sure the mustard can bite me back.)

I learned to eat my "hot dogs" in Germany as a teen, by going to trinkhallen (little kiosks) and getting them on a small paper plate, bratwursts fresh grilled, with a brotchen (small bread roll) and a plotch of Dusseldorfer. Yowza!

I will confess to your type: grilled, even French's yellow will do in a pinch, and very occasionally the bite of (fresh) chopped raw onion as the only addition.

On even rarer occasions, Bubbie's Dill Pickle Relish. But not that often.

I like grilled dogs with snap (Hebrew Nationals are good). Then I load them with chopped onions, mustard, relish and ketchup.

Perfect! This is the way I like mine on a nice soft bun, slightly toasted on the inside.

We have a little kiosk downtown that sits in the parking lot of a health store where I frequently shop. When I am in between errands and hungry, I pick up a spicy polish dog, with spicy brown mustard and loads of sauerkraut. The are on a rotisserie and done just right. I go across the street to the river, park and watch the sea gulls, ducks, geese, pigeons, etc.

We like tasty, spicy, natural casing New England style Franks sauteed in butter or EVOO, on a split top toasted bun, with chile and minced onions.

I learned to eat my "hot dogs" in Germany as a teen, by going to trinkhallen (little kiosks) and getting them on a small paper plate, bratwursts fresh grilled, with a brotchen (small bread roll) and a plotch of Dusseldorfer. Yowza!

My partner and I hit a few of these in Vienna this fall. (We had to go to several so that we could try _all_ the different wursts, don't you know?) Yum-my.

Almost forgot - my father was in the construction business, specializing in work for the meat and dairy industries. During summer vacation I would occasionally accompany him on his rounds and one of those rounds was to the Hebrew National plant, then in the Bronx. Be there no questions but that the very best, absolutely godlike hotdogs were those that came out of the huge smokhouses, still dripping with fat from their racks and before being washed. You plucked off one or two, at them with your fingers and you knew that the world had a future!!!!

Ah....sweet memories of youth

Best
Rogov

Hebrew National all beef, with chili, chopped onions and French's yellow mustard. The quality of the chili makes a big difference. Best I ever had was at a place called Pop's Mexi Hot (long since gone) , a Greek run restaurant in State College, PA.

Jeff - you're missing the point. Hot dogs are versatile and since there is a variety of ways to cook and serve them, how you do it depends on the mood you're in.

I certainly don't disagree with that! That's why I thought it would be fun to ask and mentioned that it's highly unlikely anyone would agree on an "ideal one" because of the personal, regional and "custom-friendly" preference of hot dogs. What point was I missing?? I wasn't necessarily stating any set-in-stone hot dog preferences for myself. I was just throwing the question out there, just for fun...

Jeff

As to the hot dog being on the bottom of the totem pole, let me disagree. With its roots some 500 years old and originally known as the frankfurter, the well made hot dog is no less to be admired than the best knockwurst, bratwurst or other such sausages.

I definitely agree with this!

Of course, I'm not so naive to understand what hot dogs are made of and I do acknowledge that it's a food likely best enjoyed as long as you don't literally stop to THINK about what you're eating. But whether they are "unappetizing" in their origins or not, I always think it is personal taste that ultimately judges whether they are a "bottom of the totem pole" item or not. Nothing can account for personal taste (at least to the tastebuds of the taster). Especially with food, which seems inherently subjective as it's literally a matter of taste (at least that's ultimately what you do with it, taste it...) But what do I know

Jeff

[Jenise]

My initial reaction was somewhere between David N's and PaulW's.

And then I remembered being in Cologne near the cathedral, and smelling this heavenly smell late at night. We went in search of the source, and found a vendor grilling these 10 inch long fairly skinny well-seasoned sausages that were more like a bratwurst--pale and coarse, not red and fine--that he scooped up to order by clamping a small and crusty, approximately 4" butterflied and toasted bread roll around it before wrapping it in a small piece of tissue and handing it to you. There was nothing about that not to love and admire: a perfect sausage and a chewy perfect bread roll on a cold winter night. No adornment needed. If this is what was meant by "hot dog", then I could say I love them. But unfortunately in America, home of Oscar Meyer weiners, it usually isn't.

If one can get the kind of natural casing Chef refers to that snaps when you bite into it, however, then I can't pretend I'd turn that down, especially if it's wrapped in a hot corn tortilla with Dijon mustard.

First choice would be a Skyline Chili dog. Those tiny little hot dogs with the softest buns, loaded with chili and cheese. Mmm. They're just so smooshy and good.

Second choice--and most often choice since we don't live near a Skyline!--is a grilled (very charred, almost burned) Hebrew National with finely chopped onions, a little yellow mustard and a lot of ketchup. I like a buttered, toasted bun, as well.