Dress up one of summer’s most popular meals

Published 12:09 pm Wednesday, July 5, 2023

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Hot dogs are a summer staple. Whether you’re throwing one on the grill, picking one up from the fair or buying one from a baseball game, there are endless ways to enjoy a hot dog.

In addition to the more common ways to eat a hot dog with ketchup, mustard, relish, onion, chili and cheese, there are lots of recipes out there to take your hot dogs up a notch.

Here are a few we thought were worth checking out:

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Brooklyn’s Corniest Hot Dogs

Ingredients

3 slices thick cut bacon, cut into small lardons
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 ears corn, kernels removed
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
4 hot dogs
1 tablespoon piri-piri hot sauce (recommended: Mazi)
4 potato buns
4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1/4 cup grated Cotija cheese
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 lime, quartered

Directions

Saute the small pieces of bacon in a frying pan over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy. Reserve the bacon lardons for garnish and reserve bacon fat for cooking the onions.

Caramelized onions: Put the onions into the bacon fat, season with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to draw out moisture and cook gently over medium heat until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Reserve.

Corn: Put 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a hot pan over medium heat. When the oil starts to smoke, add the corn kernels 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste. Saute over high heat until the corn starts to caramelize, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon cilantro. Reserve for later.

Hot dogs: Heat a grill to high. Put the hot dogs on the grill and sear until slightly charred. Brush lightly with hot sauce while still on the grill. Meanwhile, brush the inside of the buns with melted butter and arrange, butter side down, on the grill. Grill until lightly golden brown, about 30 seconds.

Assembly: Thinly spread the mayonnaise and mustard on each bun. Put the hot dogs into the buns and sprinkle with a tablespoon of caramelized onions. Top with a tablespoon of lardons and 2 tablespoons of corn mixture. Sprinkle each with 1/2 tablespoon of Cotija cheese and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Squeeze a little lime on each hot dog and serve.

— Recipe from foodnetwork.com

Homemade Chicago Style Hot Dog with Mustard Pickles Relish Tomato and Peppers

Traditional Chicago Dog

Ingredients

1 package Vienna all beef hot dogs
8 poppy seed hot dog buns
Yellow mustard
Chicago style green pickle relish
1/2 white onion chopped
2 tomatoes cut into 8 wedges each
8 dill pickle spears
16 Vienna sport peppers
Celery salt

Directions

Place a pot of water on the stove with a steam basket above the water.

Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, cover until ready to assemble hot dogs.

Fill a large pot (large enough to hold 8 hot dogs) with water, add hot dogs and bring to a boil. Cook for 4-6 minutes or as directed on the package.

As hot dogs are cooking, chop up your onion, slice the tomato wedges and count out the Sport Peppers.

Place the poppy seed buns in the steamer basket and steam for approximately 45 seconds. Watch the buns carefully, you don’t want them to get too soggy.

Place a hot dog in each bun. Add the toppings in the following order:

Squirt yellow mustard down one side of each bun

Drizzle Chicago Style Relish down the opposite side of the mustard.

Add chopped onion (to your taste)

Add two tomato wedges on each hot dog.

Add one pickle spear.

Place two Sport Peppers on top.

Sprinkle very lightly with celery salt.

— Recipe from myimperfectkitchen.com

Homemade Sonoran Hot Dogs with Bacon Mustard Mayo

Bacon-Wrapped Sonoran Hot Dogs

Ingredients

1 package 10 of your favorite hot dogs
10 slices bacon
10 good quality hot dog buns or rolls
2 cans ranch-style beans or homemade beans drained
3 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 medium onion, diced
½ bunch cilantro minced
2 avocados peeled and diced
2 limes juiced
1 cup Mexican Crema or mayonnaise thinned with 2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Wrap one piece of bacon around each hot dog and secure on each end with a toothpick. Refrigerate until ready to grill.

Open cans of beans and heat to a simmer. Drain beans in a strainer over a medium mixing bowl, keep warm.

Toss diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro together, set aside.

Grill bacon wrapped hot dogs over medium heat until bacon is crispy on all sides, but not burned. Make sure to cook slowly and turn the dogs often so that the hot dogs are heated through by the time the bacon crisps, about 10 minutes.

Spoon the mayonnaise into a ketchup type squirt bottle. Thin with milk, a little at a time, if necessary.

Dice avocado and toss with lime juice. Toss into the tomato mixture.

Assemble the hot dogs by spooning beans into the bottom of the hot dog bun. Add the hot dog and top with the avocado pico de gallo.

Drizzle Sonoran Hot Dogs with mayonnaise.

Garnish with a sprig of cilantro.

— Recipe from everydaysouthwest.com