For Super Bowl Sunday, what could be more appropriate than a hot dog? But not just any hot dog. The American hot dog — that staple of children’s menus and scourge of health fanatics — has undergone a metamorphosis that should please both fans and foes. The hot dog has gone gourmet to now include high-quality ingredients and fussy toppings.
“Taking the familiar and making it outstanding has happened in sandwiches, ice cream, burgers and pizza. Hot dogs were next on the comfort food list,” notes Mark Sobczak who, as hot dog chef for Vienna Beef, maker of red hots in Chicago (the Bears’ hometown), spends his days dreaming up super dogs along the lines of the Caribbean hot dog wrapped in a tomato basil tortilla with bacon, pineapple salsa, balsamic onion and pepper jack cheese for restaurants that serve the all-beef Vienna.
“Hot dogs aren’t just the old standard any more,” says Becky Mercuri, author of The Great American Hot Dog, to be published by Gibbs Smith in the spring. “More creative combinations are defining the term ‘hot dog’ in a way that’s more akin to sausages when you think about turkey dogs and chicken dogs. It’s very exciting.”
In 2005, Americans ate 1.5 billion hot dogs purchased from supermarkets alone, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council.
“A hot dog consists of the bread, the filling and the topping, and each element is an important part of the whole,” says Mercuri, noting gourmet dogs upscale all three.
With the advent of premium franks such as the American Kobe beef hot dogs from Snake River Farms (snakeriverfarms.com), grass-fed beef sausages from Panorama Meat (panoramameats.com), veggie dogs from Morningstar Farms (morningstarfarms.com) and organic uncured beef dogs from Applegate Farms (applegatefarms.com), diners have a much improved selection over traditional mystery meats.
Hot Doug’s in Chicago dishes wild-game wieners and the mini-chain Frankitude in Miami recently introduced the salmon dog. Top chefs gone to the dogs include David Burke at David Burke at Bloomingdale’s in New York, who preps a Kobe beef frank topped with mustard oil and Angry (or spicy) Onion Relish and Janos Wilder of the J Bar in Tucson who tops the J Dawg with crema poblano, pickled cactus, whole-grain mustard and black beans.
As restaurants have proved, the hot dog is a versatile food, which should be the starting point for the creativity of home cooks aiming to grill up franks for a Super Bowl feed. It’s a chameleon meat, so evenly textured and only slightly smoky that it can bend in the direction of the Caribbean with the right toppings and the Yukon with others.
“Veal is very versatile and I like to think of hot dogs as the veal of the industry,” says Vienna Beef’s Sobczak. “You can manipulate it and use it in many different ways.”
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CONDIMENT
Fried Peppers and Onions
For The Works Dog, load up your hot dogs with 1 or 2 slices of monterey jack with jalapeM-qos cheese and top it off with a pile of these Fried Peppers and Onions.
1/4 cup olive oil
4 red and/or green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 to 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
Heat the oil in a large cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers, onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until peppers and onions are browned on the edges. Reduce heat to medium low and cook 10 minutes until peppers and onions are soft. Makes 5 cups.
Per (1/2-cup) serving: 66 calories, 77 percent calories from fat, 6 grams total fat, .81 gram saturated fat, no cholesterol, 4 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram total fiber, 2 grams total sugars, 3 grams net carbs, .63 gram protein, 2 milligrams sodium.
Adapted from the makers of Applegate Farms Stadium Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dogs.
CONDIMENT
David Burke’s Angry Onion Relish
The “angry” indicates a spiciness that comes from the mustard oil. A hot, pungent oil expressed from mustard seeds, it is available at Asian and Indian specialty food markets.
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups pickle relish
3 cloves roasted garlic, peeled and mashed*
2/3 cup chicken broth, reduced to 2 tablespoons**
2 tablespoons mustard seed oil
In a medium pan over medium heat, cook onions in olive oil until soft and translucent.
Transfer onions to a bowl and let cool. Mix with pickle relish, roasted garlic, reduced chicken broth and mustard seed oil. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Makes about 2 cups.
Per (1-tablespoon) serving: 38 calories, 41 percent calories from fat, 2 grams total fat, .22 gram saturated fat, .10 milligram cholesterol, 6 grams carbohydrates, .10 gram total fiber, 4 grams total sugars, 5 grams net carbs, .10 gram protein, 95 milligrams sodium.
*To roast garlic, place head of garlic on a piece of foil. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Wrap tightly in foil. Place in a baking dish in a 350-degree oven about 20 minutes until very soft. Remove garlic cloves from papery skins.
**To reduce broth, place 2/3 cup broth in a saucepan over high heat and boil until only 2 tablespoons is left in the pan.
ENTREE
Hawaiian Dog
This hot dog is basted with a sweet teriyaki glaze and accompanied by grilled pineapple chunks, sauteed Vidalia onions, Swiss cheese and shredded lettuce on a grilled ciabatta roll.
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup Vidalia onions
1 (7-inch) hot dog (Vienna Beef recommended)
1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce of choice
2 slices canned pineapple
1 ciabatta roll
1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded lettuce
2 slices Swiss cheese
In a skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onions and sautM-i until golden; set aside.
Split hot dog lengthwise down the middle. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill and cook the hot dog basting it with teriyaki sauce. Grill pineapple rings and cut in chunks. Split roll in half and cover bottom half with lettuce. Place grilled dog on lettuce, cover with Swiss cheese, sauteed onions and pineapple. Cover with top of roll, cut it in half and share with a friend. Makes 2 servings.
Per serving: 424 calories, 47 percent calories from fat, 22 grams total fat, 7 grams saturated fat, 35 milligrams cholesterol, 44 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total fiber, 11 grams total sugars, 42 grams net carbs, 16 grams protein, 788 milligrams sodium.
ENTREE
Chicago Fire Dog
Try this spicy Polish sausage, char-grilled and topped with grilled bell peppers and onions, a spicy chipotle mayo and pepper jack cheese.
1 Polish sausage (Vienna Beef Spicy Polish recommended)
1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup sliced green bell peppers
1/4 cup sliced red bell peppers
1/2 cup sliced white onions
1 ciabatta roll
1 tablespoon commercially made chipotle mayonnaise
2 slices pepper jack cheese
Split sausage lengthwise down the middle. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill and grill the sausage on both sides until cooked through.
In a skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the green and red peppers and onions and saute until soft.
Toast roll on grill. Slice roll in half and spread chipotle mayo over both sides of roll. Place hot dog, skin side down, on bottom half of roll, top with jack cheese and sauteed bell peppers and onions. Cover with top half of the roll. Makes 1 serving.
Per serving: 830 calories, 61 percent calories from fat, 56 grams total fat, 15 grams saturated fat, 81 milligrams cholesterol, 60 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams total fiber, 8 grams total sugars, 55 grams net carbs, 26 grams protein, 1,152 milligrams sodium.
CONDIMENT
Chili For Chilly Dogs
For Chilly Dogs, spoon this chili over hot dogs in buns, then top that with aged cheddar cheese and chopped onions.
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3 pounds ground beef or turkey
2 jalapeM-qo peppers, stemmed and finely chopped
6 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 cup water
Heat the oil in a medium heavy-bottomed nonreactive saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, 10 to 15 minutes until the onions are soft. Add the meat, increase heat to medium high, and cook, breaking up the meat with the back of the spoon, until it is no longer pink.
Stir in the jalapeM-qos, chili powder, cumin and salt and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, vinegar and 1 cup water and stir until well combined.
Reduce the heat to medium low, partially cover pot, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 11/2 hours until chili thickens. Uncover pot and continue to cook 30 minutes until thick. Adjust seasonings. Makes 10 cups.
Per (1/2-cup) serving: 150 calories, 53 percent calories from fat, 9 grams total fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 42 milligrams cholesterol, 4 grams carbohydrates, .80 gram total fiber, 2 grams total sugars, 3 grams net carbs, 14 grams protein, 260 milligrams sodium.
Adapted from the makers of Applegate Farms Stadium Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dogs.
CONDIMENT
Sauerkraut With Caraway
To make a Brew Dog, gently cook your hot dog in beer, lay each one in a warm toasted bun, then smother the dog in Sauerkraut With Caraway. Top off this wiener with a squirt of hot mustard.
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 pound sauerkraut
1 cup beer
Put caraway seeds into a nonreactive saucepan and heat over medium low until fragrant. Add sauerkraut and beer and stir to combine. Cook sauerkraut until bubbling hot. Makes 4 cups.
Per (1/2-cup) serving: 17 calories, less than 4 percent calories from fat, trace of fat, no saturated fat, no cholesterol, 3 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total fiber, 1 gram total sugars, 1 gram net carbs, .77 gram protein, 500 milligrams sodium.
Adapted from the makers of Applegate Farms Stadium Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dogs.
