Hot Dog Recipes

Use All Beef Hot Dogs
Hot Dogs Are An American Tradition

The Hot Dog Recipes on this page celebrate an all-American tradition - with a twist - or two.

Okay, it's Hot Dog Season! From Memorial Day to Labor Day, Americans eat billions of them.

Hot dogs are still an American favorite, especially during barbecue season. Some people I know say they can't enjoy watching a baseball game without a hot dog! And, of course, we cook them at family cookouts.

The restaurant doesn't serve hot dogs on a regular basis. We do occasionally prepare them as part of the lounge menu when there are special sporting events on TV.

But the restaurant and I like to serve them in a variety of ways, both at home and at the restaurant. One time we might feature New York Style Hot Dogs; another time we have Chicago Style hot dogs, sometimes chili dogs sell well and so on.

I have experimented with a number of hot dog recipes over the years and have found several that are very much appreciated by the restaurant guests and my family. But there are two important points to understand about serving hot dogs: the quality of the product and what condiments are served with them.

Regional Hot Dog Recipes In New York City and the area immediately surrounding - it will be served with steamed onions with a pale yellow mustard. Coney Island hot dogs are usually topped with a spicy meat mixture. In some parts of Maryland you might find your hot dog split and deep-fried. In and around Chicago the dogs will probably be layered with yellow mustard, green relish, chopped raw onion, tomato slices and seasoned with a bit of celery salt and served in a poppy seed bun.(Recipe below) In Atlanta and many parts of the South you might be served a dog topped with cole slaw. Kansas City has a hot dog recipe that usually calls for sauerkraut and melted Swiss cheese on a sesame seed bun. In many parts of Texas you can expect the hot dog to be topped with chili, cheese (often Monterey Jack) and jalapenos or salsa.

Buy Quality Hot Dogs, Please How about quality? What are hot dogs made of? Traditional hot dogs are made of beef, pork, veal, chicken or turkey. They are made with or without skins and may contain up to 30 percent fat and 10 percent added water. For vegetarians, there are tofu hot dogs. Beef or all-beef hot dogs contain only beef. No soybean protein or dry milk solid fillers are added. Kosher hot dogs are also all-beef and often are seasoned with garlic. Meat hot dogs are usually a mix of 40 percent pork and 60 percent beef with no fillers. Frankfurters may contain up to 3.5 percent fillers and made from a combination of meats.

Hot Dogs and Health Are hot dogs bad for your health? Maybe. Almost all varieties of hot dogs contain sodium nitrite which some researchers say are carcinogens. Others deny it. Sodium nitrite is a chemical salt used as a preservative and flavor enhancer in hot dogs, weiners, and sausages. It is particularly effective against botulism strains. Some people have reported other health problems from indigestion to sudden drops in blood pressure. And don't automatically think that chicken or turkey hot dogs are lower in fat because it is not always so. I buy only all-beef hot dogs or Kosher hot dogs for use at home and for the restaurant guests in the lounge. I have tried serving turkey or chicken hot dogs but my guests don't want them. Whether you call them hot dogs, red hots, weiners, franks or frankfurters, learn the good, the bad and the ugly, and try some hot dog recipes.

Hot Dog Recipes

Chicago-Style Hot Dogs
Preparation time: 10 minutes. Makes 10 hot dogs.

Cooking Conversion Table

Ingredients: