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Business Insider spoke with chefs and barbecue experts about the common mistakes people make with hot dogs.
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Avoid boiling the sausages and be sure not to grill them over direct heat.
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Don’t split or puncture the sausages before grilling them, and make an effort to prepare the buns.
Whenever possible, spend a little more on beef hot dogs.
Grillers on a budget may be tempted to add bargain-priced hot dogs to their cart, but a truly sublime hot dog starts with quality meat.
Tim Hollingsworth, chef and owner of Otium in downtown Los Angeles, told Business Insider that you’ll end up with a tastier dog if you skip the cheaper brands.
He recommended keeping an eye out for natural hot dogs made exclusively with beef, which are generally not much more expensive and are available in almost all supermarkets.
Avoid boiling your sausages.
Although they may look pink, most sausages are already cooked and technically ready to eat right out of the package. This means it’s probably unnecessary to boil them for years before throwing them on the grill, and it can take away the flavor for your dogs.
But you might want to make sure your cold sausages are piping hot before you throw them on the grill.
To achieve this, chef and cooking school instructor Candace Conley told BI that lightly poaching your dogs for a minute or two in a covered saucepan of hot water (that has been removed from the heat) will allow them to reach a temperature most ideal roast. without compromising flavor.
Don’t cook your hot dogs over direct heat.
Since sausages are small portions of meat, they can burn easily when cooked over an open flame.
“To avoid burning or overcooking your dogs on the grill, which can cause the carcass to burst, cook them over indirect heat on the grill and move them frequently so the heat source touches all sides,” Claudia Sidoti, chef major. and head of recipe development at HelloFresh, told BI.
Dropping hot dogs on flames can also cause their casings to char and burn before the insides have a chance to heat up.
Avoid poking or splitting your dogs.
You may be tempted to prick the sausages with a knife or fork while they’re grilling to check if they’re “done,” but you should try to break the habit.
“Since sausages are usually pre-cooked, there is no need to open or puncture them during the cooking process. By poking and prodding the sausages, you release the delicious juices that make them juicy,” Sidoti said.
Instead, gently turn the sausages with tongs to ensure their casings remain intact and full of flavor.
It’s smart to adjust the grilling temperature to the fat content of the sausages.
Compare a few packages of hot dogs and you’ll probably notice that different styles and brands contain different amounts of fat.
Adapting the cooking process to this variation is a crucial part of serving delicious hot dogs.
“Consider the fat content of the sausages to determine what temperature you should grill at. Higher-fat dogs should be cooked over medium heat, while leaner dogs should be grilled at medium-low,” said expert Julie Busha. on barbecues. and creator of Slawsa hot dog seasoning.
Make sure the grill is hot enough before adding the sausages.
A grill that’s too hot can burn hot dogs or break their casings, but a grill that’s too cold can also wreak havoc on your hot dogs.
“If the grill is too cold, the hot dog will dry out or become tough,” Hollingsworth said. “Be sure to preheat the grill for a few minutes. I usually aim for a grill temperature of 425 degrees with a cook time of about 10 minutes.”
Don’t forget to prepare the buns.
The perfectly prepared meat is certainly the centerpiece of the hot dog experience, but the bun is also an important factor. Nobody likes cold buns.
“A hot dog bun should be lightly toasted, which can be achieved by tossing the buns on the grill for about a minute on each side,” Sidoti told BI.
For extra flavor, spread the inside of the toasted bun with a little butter or oil.
Consider “bathing” your sausages before grilling.
Boiling sausages for a long time before grilling them is a bad decision, but “bathing” them in a flavorful liquid could make the sausages tastier.
“Keep an aluminum pan filled with a mixture of hot beer, onions and seasonings over indirect heat and place the sausages in before grilling,” Busha told BI. “This not only warms the sausages but also helps firm the natural casing without breaking it.”
Just before serving, simply remove the sausages from the bath and give them a perfect toast on the grill.
Adding sugar-based sauces while the sausages are on the grill can improve them.
Hot dogs can be great right out of the box, but there are plenty of easy ways to add extra flavor to take your barbecue to the next level.
“Once the sausages have cooked for a few minutes, spread on some barbecue sauce, mayonnaise or, if you’re feeling creative, any sugar-based sauce,” Hollingsworth said. “The sauce will caramelize when it’s done cooking.”
If you want a better flavor, avoid skinless sausages.
You know that satisfying snap you get when biting into a perfectly cooked hot dog? That’s from the belly of the meat.
Busha told BI that opting for a skinless hot dog not only sacrifices flavor, but can also cause the hot dog to lose moisture more easily on the grill.
Texture is an important factor in the hot dog experience, so choose dogs with natural casings for best results.
Don’t limit yourself to just one type of seasoning.
Using just one condiment can make even the tastiest hot dogs seem boring.
Although mustard or ketchup works well, don’t be afraid to experiment with different flavors and combinations for a more gourmet experience.
Sidoti told BI that to achieve an ideal flavor balance, you should opt for a tangy topping, which complements the smoky flavor and high fat content of the hot dog.
For example, you can try creating Jerk-inspired Caribbean hot dogs with roasted pineapple, cilantro, lime zest, a splash of rum, and a bit of Jerk seasoning spices.
This story was originally published in June 2019 and was last updated on June 14, 2024.
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