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Whether you call them hot dogs, wieners, frankfurters, tube steak, dirty-water dogs, etc…. hot dogs are an American staple. What cookout or baseball game would be complete with them? Seeing as though the US population likes them so much, I’ve always wondered why the Big 3 fast food chains do not offer them as they are already cooked, they take up less storage space than burgers and they can sit in hot water for a while without losing quality. Some even claim they get better as they sit in water, a la the Dirty Water Dog sold in New York City by street vendors. I will vouch that they are tasty!
There has always been a suspicion that hot dog manufacturers are in cahoots with the hot dog bun makers to make the consumers buy 2 packs of buns in order to have enough for 1 package of hot dogs and then still have some left over. You need to buy 5 packages of hot dogs and 4 packages of buns to break even. That isn’t the case, when hotdogs first appeared in the 1900’s they were sold individually from the butcher instead of being packaged in 8’s like today. The bun makers had special pans made that would hold 10 during the baking process, which are still in use today. If you must assign blame, blame the hot dog manufactures for not adding two more to the packages of 8.
I’m sure that you have heard that hot dogs are made from what is swept up off the floor at the end of the day, take comfort in the fact that the US Food Police wouldn’t let that happen. Hot dogs are very versatile when it comes to cooking them. They can be poached, boiled, broiled, pan fried, fried, or even cooked in a microwave. I don’t recommend the microwave but my brother loves them that way….to each his own.
Amuse Bouche will take a look at current issues in today’s vast food world through the eyes of a sarcastic, CIA trained Chef. It will also keep readers abreast of current events and what is just arriving at the Canandaigua Farmer’s Market.
