Gourmet Hot Dog Ideas
December 11, 2007 – 9:56 am
Now that you are a grill guru, or at least have mustered up the courage to attempt cooking outside, what should you make? Hot dogs are the perfect option for a beginning griller, and I happen to know some grill masters that love a good dog now and then! If hot dogs sound a little humdrum, please do reconsider … follow these tips and your dogs will be anything but boring.
There are 3 essential parts to building a hot dog: the dog, the bun, and the toppings. So let’s think beyond the regular dog, white bun, ketchup and yellow mustard. Your local grocery store sells tons of other options that will help you build a hot dog that looks as good as it tastes.
The Meat of Choice:
There are so many hot dog options on the market today. 100% all beef dogs, turkey dogs, chicken dogs, and even veggie dogs. You can turn any of these into “a hot dog with style.” However, it’s easier to make them gourmet if you choose a larger, thicker hot dog and not the long skinny kind. You can also use pre-cooked sausages in place of actual hot dogs for something different. The pre-cooked Chicken Apple Sausages are one of my favorite choices. Since they are pre-cooked, you just heat up your grill and leave them on long enough to make grill marks. Yum!
The Buns:
Head to the bakery section of the grocery store where you can often find larger, freshly baked hot dog buns or sandwich rolls. These are better for gourmet hot dogs since they can hold more toppings! Make your buns extra special. Buy some shredded parmesan cheese and sprinkle it over the top of the buns, then place them under the broiler or on the grill for 1-3 minutes.
The Toppings:
This is my favorite part of hot dogs. You can get really creative! I always like to set out a variety of gourmet mustards. The new Grey Poupon Hearty Spicy Brown and Savory Honey Mustards are amazing on hot dogs. I also set out chopped black olives, gorgonzola cheese, spicy ketchup, avocado, and salsa.
If you’re anxious to try a “Gourmet Hot Dog” and you like your dogs with some heat the Grey Poupon website has a Spicy Street Style Hot Dog recipe that’s got a real kick! Happy grilling!
Most hot dogs are pre-cooked by nature. If so, just grill them over medium heat until slight charred on outside. If they are not cooked when you buy them, grill about 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. Also, you can boil them for 6 minutes before grilling to avoid over charring them on the grill, while still making sure that they are fully cooked.
