| Hot Dog | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A cooked hot dog garnished with mustard. | |
| Origin information | |
| Alternatename(s): | Frankfurters Franks Wieners Weenies Wiener Würstchen Frankfurter Würstel |
| Country of origin: | Multiple claims |
| Creator(s) of the dish: | Multiple claims |
| Dish information | |
| Serving temperature: | Hot |
| Mainingredient(s): | Pork, beef, chicken or combinations thereof and bread |
| Variations: | Multiple |
A hot dog is a type of fully cooked, cured and/or smoked moist sausage of soft, even texture and flavor. It is usually placed hot in a soft, sliced hot dog bun of approximately the same length as the sausage, and optionally garnished with condiments and toppings. In the United Kingdom and Australia, hot dog refers more commonly to the combination of sausage and bun, with the sausage called a frankfurter.
The flavor of hot dog sausages varies widely by region and by personal preference, as do the accompaniments. The flavor of the sausage can resemble a range of similar meat products from bologna on the bland side to the German bockwurst in the spicier varieties.
Kosher hot dogs may be made from beef, chicken or turkey. Vegetarian hot dogs and sausages, made from meat analogue, are also widely available in most areas where hot dogs are popular. Unlike many other sausages (which may be sold cooked or uncooked), hot dogs are always cooked before being offered commercially. Unless they have spoiled, hot dogs can usually be eaten safely without further cooking, although they are usually warmed before serving. Many doctors recommend that pregnant women heat hot dogs (and other pre-cooked, pre-packaged foods) to 160-170 degrees Fahrenheit (70-77 degrees Celsius) for at least two minutes before consuming to reduce the chance of contracting Listeriosis, which is caused by a rare bacteria that can thrive at low temperatures (such as in a refrigerator) but can affect unborn children and even cause miscarriage or still birth.[1]
Hot dogs are also called frankfurters, or franks for short, named for the city ofFrankfurt, Germany where sausages in a bun originated, similar to hot dogs, but made exclusively of pork. Another term for hot dogs is wieners or weenies, referring to the city of Vienna, Austria, whose German name is "Wien", home to a sausage made of a mixture of pork and beef. In the German speaking countries, except Austria, hot dog sausages are generally called Wiener or Wiener Würstchen (Würstchen means "little sausage"). In Swiss German, it is called Wienerli, while in Austria the termsFrankfurter or Frankfurter Würstel are used.
In the United Kingdom hot dogs are sometimes made with British sausages, typically cooked by grilling or frying. When prepared using a frankfurter they may be sold and marketed as "German" or "American-style" hot dogs.
General description
A hot dog is typically distinguishable from other sausages by its smaller size and relative lack of spicing. A regular hot dog of the kind popular at sporting events, and readily available in supermarkets, is roughly 6-in (15-cm) long, although thickness and length can vary. There are many nationally distributed brands that provide similar products to all geographical areas.
Ingredients
The basic ingredients in hot dogs are:
- Meat and fat
- Flavorings, such as salt, garlic, and paprika
- Preservatives and colorants - typically sodium erythorbate and sodium nitrite
In the US, if variety meats, cereal or soy fillers are used, the product name must be changed to "links" or the presence must be declared as a qualifier.
Pork and beef are the traditional meats which are still widely used. Less expensive hot dogs are primarily chicken or turkey, due to the low cost of mechanically separated poultry. Hot dogs have high sodium, fat and nitrite content, which have been linked to health problems in some consumers. In recent years, due to changing dietary preferences, manufacturers have turned to turkey, chicken, or vegetarian meat substitutes, and have begun lowering salt content.
In general, if a manufacturer produces two types of hot dog sausages, "wieners" tend to contain pork and are the blander of the two, while "franks" tend to be all beef and more-strongly seasoned.[citation needed]
Condiments
Throughout the world, there are numerous variations in hot dog condiments. Some of these are mustard,ketchup, pickle relish, saurkraut, onion, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and chili peppers. They are usually served in a bun.[citation needed]
In the United States, the National Sausage and Hot Dog Council conducted a poll in 2005, which found mustard to be the most popular condiment (32 percent). "Twenty-three percent of Americans said they preferred ketchup. [...] Chili came in third at 17 percent, followed by relish (9 percent) and onions (7 percent). Southerners showed the strongest preference for chili, while Midwesterners showed the greatest affinity for ketchup. Nationwide, however, mustard prevailed."[15] Some Americans believe that a properly made hot dog should never be topped with ketchup, since it overpowers and destroys the taste of the hot dog instead of complementing it.[16].
The Coney Island hot dog, which is topped with a special "Coney sauce" (generally a beanless chili), also is a favorite in the US Midwest. Several restaurants in Michigan claim to have invented the Coney dog, which is virtually unknown in Coney Island, New York. It is known in parts of Upstate New York and Québecsimply as a "Michigan," and the name stuck to many fast-food meals (namely poutine) that were served with the sauce (although it evolved in Québec more into a meat spaghetti sauce than a chili).[citation needed]
Commercial Preparation
Hot dogs are typically prepared commercially by mixing all of the ingredients (meats, spices, binders and fillers, if any) in large vats where rapidly moving blades grind and mix the ingredients in the same operation, ensuring a homogeneous product. This mixture is then forced through tubes into casings for cooking. Most hot dogs sold in the US are called "skinless" as opposed to more expensive "natural casing" hot dogs.
Natural casing hot dogs
As with virtually all sausages, hot dogs must be in a casing to be cooked. Traditionally, this casing is made from the thoroughly cleaned small intestines of sheep, and the products are known as "natural casing" hot dogs or frankfurters.[17] These kinds of hot dogs are preferred by some for their firmer texture and the "snap" that releases juices and flavor when the product is bitten.[17]
Kosher natural casings are difficult to obtain in commercial quantities in the USA, and therefore kosher hot dogs are usually either skinless or made with reconstituted collagen casings.[17]
Skinless hot dogs
"Skinless" hot dogs also must use a casing in the cooking process when the product is manufactured, but here the casing is usually a long tube of thin cellulose that is completely removed between cooking and packaging. Skinless hot dogs vary in the texture of the product surface but have a softer "bite" than natural casing hot dogs. Skinless hot dogs are more uniform in shape and size than natural casing hot dogs and less expensive to produce.
Final preparation
For a full list of regional differences in hot dog preparation and condiments, see Hot dog variations.
Hot dogs may be grilled, steamed, boiled, barbecued, pan fried, deep fried, broiled, or microwaved. Some cooks prefer to boil their hot dogs in beer.[18] While hot dogs are always cooked before packaging, they should not be eaten cold from the package. Hot dogs and their packaging fluid are sometimes contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, which causes listeriosis, a serious foodborne illness.
Hot dogs in the United States
7-Eleven is North America's number-one retailer of fresh-grilled hot dogs, selling approximately 100 million each year.Other chains in the U.S. that offer hot dogs include Sonic Drive-Inand Dog n Suds, who call it a coney; Hardee's (but not their counterpart Carl's Jr. on the west coast of the United States, which is ironic due to founder Carl Karcher having started the Carl's Jr. empire with a hot dog stand); Dairy Queen; Wienerschnitzel (originally Der Wienerschnitzel), whose menu focuses on hot dogs; The Frankfurter in Seattle, Washington; Woody's Chicago Style; Five Guys; Nathan's Famous, which sponsors the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest; A&W; and Spike's Junkyard Dogs located in Rhode Island and Boston. Additionally, Rhode Island is home to the New York System restaurants, specializing in wieners with mustard, chili sauce, chopped onions and celery salt. Krystal restaurants in the southeast offer a small hot dog called a Krystal Pup, and Fatburger, located mostly on the west coast of the U.S., offers hot dogs and chili dogs. In Cincinnati, Ohio Skyline Chili and Gold Star Chili sell hot dogs and spaghetti with their signature Cincinnati-style chili. They are also commonly served at Sam's Club and Costco with a soda.
Yocco's Hot Dogs, founded in 1922, maintains six restaurants in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania and is known for its long-standing specialty of hot dogs with various toppings. Given Yocco's strong global popularity, the restaurant also has a mail-order business, providing bags of frozen hot dogs to customers around the U.S. and the world. A map of the world displayed in each of the company's six restaurants marks the thousands of locations that have ordered Yocco's hot dogs. They also serve wine, meaning that they serve wieners and wine.
Casual dining restaurants often have hot dogs on their children's menu, but not on the regular menu. Hot dog stands and trucks sell hot dogs and accompaniments, as well as similar products, at street and highway locations. At convenience stores such as 7-Eleven, hot dogs are usually kept heated on rotating grills; a selection of flavors and sizes is sometimes offered.
- Nathan's is a famous hot dog chain. The famous original stand is located in Coney Island, New York.
- Pink's Hot Dogs is another famous independent stand and is located in Hollywood, California.
- Casper's is a hot dog chain that originally started in Oakland, California, who opted to use a recipe similar to the German frankfurter, and said to have a signature "snap" when you bite into them.
- The Varsity in Atlanta, Georgia is a famous venue for hot dogs.
- Superdawg in Chicago, Illinois is a local tourist attraction which still features carhops.
- Walter's Hot Dog in Mamaroneck, New York, is one of the nation's oldest independent roadside stands.
- Tony Packo's Cafe in Toledo, Ohio made famous worldwide by Cpl. Klinger (Jamie Farr) of the TV show M*A*S*H.
Hot dogs sold by vendors who wander through the stands are a tradition at baseball parks. Several ballparks have signature hot dogs, such as Fenway Franks at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts and Dodger Dogs at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The Fenway signature is that the hot dog is boiled and grilled Fenway-style, and then served on a New England-style bun, covered with mustard and relish. Often during Red Sox games, vendors traverse the stadium selling the hot dogs plain, giving customers the choice of adding the condiments.
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