The (not so) Humble Hot Dog
One of the worst kept secrets is my love for food, even my blog name, BaconMedic, proudly reflects this fact. While many other food bloggers prefer to talk about the latest, greatest celebrity chef Michelin rated restaurant with its lightly seared filet of whatever topped with a coating of this or that, I prefer the more simple, traditional foods. My happy place is any American style barbecue joint where I can compare my pulled pork with the pit master (hint: mine will always be better). My comfort food is found in a greasy spoon 24-hour joint where breakfast is available anytime. Given the chance, I’ll try to find if any region of the country has pizza that can hold a candle to that found in Boston’s North End.
But, out of all of these foods, nothing quite tops the classic all American hot dog. From the simple charcoal grilled backyard cook out dog to the fanciest Billionaire Dog in Las Vegas, this is simple dish is a treat that holds true to its American roots. A simple sausage in the simplest of buns provides a base for any variety of toppings; yellow mustard, neon green relish, sport peppers, chili, cheese, bacon, onions, even foie gras – but never, ever ketchup! (In many areas, including both Chicago and in my back yard, adults putting ketchup on a frankfurter will earn you anything from a brief look of disappointment to a full-on glare of disgust.)
My love for hot dogs started when I was very young; my mother would grill a Schonland’s natural casing frank as well as a flat sided New England style bun in butter and then lovingly top it with ketchup just for me (hey! I was just a kid and didn’t know any better then). I soon started to wonder what other toppings would taste like. I branched out from just ketchup to topping my hot dog with yellow mustard and traditional relish – until that summer when my mom’s Uncle Stanley came up to visit with his family.
Suddenly my parents were spooning a thick green relish onto their hot dogs and curiosity got the best of me; I tried this magical new topping and never looked back. Howard’s Piccalilli, a condiment made locally in New England, blended perfectly with the grilled wiener. That first taste was a defining moment in the development of the BaconMedic’s young palate. I immediately realized that ketchup had no place on hot dogs; it’s overwhelming sweet, tomato flavor suffocates all the other toppings.
After years of taste testing, I eventually settled on my current go to for toppings: deli mustard, raw onions and a generous helping of Howard’s spooned across the top (If you can’t get Howard’s, regular relish can be substituted. Actually, no, it can’t—get online and order yourself some Piccalilli, you’ll thank me for it later.). Natural casing is a must for me as there is no better feeling than the snap of the first bite. That snap takes me right back to my childhood every time. Ideally, the bun is grilled in butter to add to the flavor. If you are feeling adventurous or want to take your simple dish to the next level, try spreading some full fat mayo on your bread instead of butter and grilling it. Over the past decade, I’ve grown to favor the mayo method over butter as it adds a different, richer flavor to the bread. This method works great on grilled cheese sandwiches – but that’s a blog for another day.
Don’t get me wrong, my love for hotdogs is such that I appreciate many other possible topping combos. A close second to my traditional ‘Mark Style’ described above is the beloved chili dog. Or perhaps, I should say, the chili-cheese dog.
For this beauty, natural casing is absolutely necessary for the hot dog to fully separate itself from the chili. Many grillers assemble the dog by putting the hot dog in the bun first, then a slice of traditional American cheese, then topped with chili to melt it. While that works well, I like to add some chili to the bottom of the bun, then the hot dog wrapped in a slice of American cheese, then some more chili on top, and finish the whole thing off with a handful of raw onions and a nice line of yellow mustard across the top.
While anyone with a fry pan can grill up a hot dog at home for a quick and virtually perfect meal, sometimes you just need to go out to eat. Going out to eat doesn’t have to be fancy to be enjoyable. Hot dog lovers know this better than just about anyone. Simple, fast, and delicious-the humble hot dog is a perfect portable meal that can be found and enjoyed just about anywhere, provided you know where to look.
When traveling, one of the first things I research is where to go to try the local take on the frankfurter. I’ve found that most middle to large sized cities have at least one go to joint that serves up wieners until the wee hours of the night, making sure to take advantage of the late-night bar crowd that needs a little nutrition to soak up the alcohol. These places aren’t fancy, but they are fast, reliable, and provide the hungry consumer with some tasty options regardless of the time of day. Places like these have saved me from starvation or gas station snack meals for many years. Early on in my EMS career I had many meals at Elliot’s in Lowell, Massachusetts. The wieners at George’s Coney Island in Worcester, Massachusetts got me through nursing school.
From sea to shining sea, hot dogs are truly the quintessential all-American meal. They remind us of ballgames, backyard cook outs, camping, and childhood. They are the comfort food we didn’t know we needed. While we can find the humble hot dog all over the country, there are definitely different regional styles.
The most famous hot dog on the East Coast is undoubtedly Nathan’s Famous. Nathan’s Famous is known for the quintessential Coney Island hot dog as well as being the home for the International Hot Dog Eating Contest held every July 4th. (Don’t judge: I haven’t missed watching one since before Joey Chestnut started out on his incredible dynasty of winning a stunning 11 Mustard Belts in 12 years).
On the West Coast, Pink’s in Los Angeles is king (I still haven’t figured out the allure of the tomato on the chili dog).
Smack dab is the middle of the country is the most unusual dog of them all – the Chicago style hot dog. Served chargrilled on a poppyseed bun, it’s the unusual combination of toppings that just plain works. A line of yellow mustard, a blob of out of this world looking neon green relish, raw onions – so far so good – then the weirdness: tomatoes, a pickle, a couple of spicy pickled sport peppers and a healthy sprinkle of celery salt.
A beginner may make the mistake of ordering their Chicago dog without one of these toppings, thinking that their palate is smarter than those that first came up with this perfect combination, but trust me, get it traditional style and let the synergy of everything going on work its magic on your taste buds. And please, for all that’s holy, no ketchup.
While these hot dogs may be the most well known, there are different hot dog styles all over the country that are worth trying.
A summer vacation in Maine wouldn’t be the same without a trip to Flo’s in Cape Neddick (don’t blink or you’ll pass it). Here, you will need to try at least two: one House Special and one Loaded. Fear not as both are topped with Flo’s famous Relish.
Nightlife in Roanoke almost always ends with a trip to the Texas Tavern for a couple of ‘hots’ with chili, with or without (onions).
Tourists and locals alike in the Big Easy enjoy a quick but amazing lunch at one of the many Lucky Dog carts located around the city and even at the airport.
NASCAR fans attending races at Martinsville Speedway know of no better treat than the southern red dog served with a combination of chili, coleslaw, onions and mustard.
Of course, one of the greatest food cities in the world, Las Vegas also happens to have an incredible hot dog scene. My last trip out there I visited five such places, all with very different but tasty selections. Those five places didn’t even begin to complete the Vegas hot dog scene, I know I have at least five more to visit on my next trip.
So, what’s my hot dog favorite, you ask?
You probably aren’t going to believe it, but the best traditional American food isn’t even in America.
Leaving no stone unturned in my quest for amazing food, I packed my warmest clothes and boarded a plane for one of the most remote countries in the world, Iceland. Landing in late February was exactly as you might imagine: snowy, cold and windy. While my travel companions were excited to see all the sights of the land of fire and ice, I had my heart – and stomach – set on one mission: tasting the world-famous Icelandic hot dog at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur in Reykjavik.
Open until the wee hours, this small, unassuming shack downtown is easy to find simply by looking for the line of both locals and tourists waiting to feast on this amazing creation. Served on a perfect squishy bun, this hot dog (as are all Icelandic hot dogs) is made from locally raised lamb, beef and pork. Now I need to stop right here and say this: please, don’t be like so many others with unsophisticated palates and declare how much you don’t like lamb.
Here are a couple of things you should know: first, one needs to know how to cook lamb properly. Overcook it and its dry, undercook it and its chewy and gamey. Quality matters as well, and you aren’t going to get a better quality lamb than lamb from Iceland, where the sheep outnumber the people by more than 2:1 and are truly free range. When people ask what there is to eat in Iceland, lamb should always be the first choice, and the Icelandic lamb dog is perfectly seasoned with that required snap. Ok, off my soapbox.
The traditional Icelandic hot dog is then topped with raw onions, crunchy onions (think French’s and the top of green bean casserole) and the Icelandic take on three condiments: a sweet brown mustard called pylsusinnep, white remoulade (made from mayo, capers, mustard and herbs) and ketchup. Yes, ketchup. This isn’t the sweet, overpowering American variety, Icelandic ketchup is much more subtle (read: adult) and works perfectly with all the other toppings.
Once again, you shouldn’t be ‘that guy’ who thinks they know better than those who created this delicacy, ask for your dog (ok, dogs, you need at least two) Traditional Icelandic style to get it the way it was meant to be. Yes, you will wait in line – maybe 5 minutes, maybe 20 – and yes, it will be windy with a biting wind coming down from the Arctic Ocean, across Reykjavik bay and funneled in between a couple of office towers, but heck yeah, it’s worth the wait.
Hot dogs have evolved from the days of being convenience store food to being a culinary treat. Long gone are the days of hot dogs being made from leftover scraps at the meat factory. Whether you choose pork, beef or even lamb, quality matters and any hot doggery serving up these as a menu item realizes this. Hot dogs aren’t all the same; they are often a remarkable reflection of the local culture.
Next time you are eating out, whether close to home or half a world away, power up your phone and find the local dog joint. There you will find an amazing and inexpensive meal choice where the locals gather and mingle no matter from what walk of life they are from. Walk in with an open mind and hungry stomach and try the local eats while reliving a piece of your childhood. You won’t regret it.
Curious about which hot dogs make the BaconMedic’s Top 10 Best Dogs List? Click here.
Have a favorite you think should be on the list? Go to the BaconMedic Facebook page and tell me about it. Or take a picture of yours and tag us on Instagram.
