How to Cook the Perfect Hot Dog

This little recipe tutorial gives us everything we need to make great hot dogs. I tried each method over a 2-day period, and each produced a different hot dog, which kept me from tiring of them.

First, I used the microwave method, expecting, of course, dreadful hot dogs. Not so. The weenies were by no means exceptional but were hot, unexploded, and quite tasty.

I followed this with dogs held by metal tongs over an open flame. You really could use any source of fire. Thinking back to my adolescence, I opted for the gas flame on the range. I turned the flame on high, made certain that my wife wasn’t nearby, and had at it. This produced a wonderful, lightly charred, slightly sweaty hot dog, as fine as any from that coveted green egg.

Next came the standard grilled hot dog. I used a preheated propane grill. Four minutes, turn, four minutes more. A perfect dog. No explanation needed.

I next moved on to boiling or simmering. This method produced, by far, the least memorable hot dog of the lot. I would only use this method if I was going to bury the dogs in chili or peppers and onions. Yes, it works nicely, but it imparts no real flavor to the hot dog.

Finally, I roasted some hot dogs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Guess what? These puppies turned out to be nearly as good as, if not AS good as, the grilled and open flame hot dogs. They browned wonderfully and the texture was perfect, not to mention the great flavor, and, as promised, the ability to make many hot dogs at one time, freeing up precious grill space for burgers, steaks, and the rest.

My family is in heaven. Normally hot dogs fall into the category of an occasional treat, but the prospect of testing various ways of cooking hot dogs had everyone running for the store almost immediately. Since mixed pork and beef hot dogs are hard to find, we chose to use Angus beef hot dogs. After a couple of days of exhaustive testing, the results are in…

Grilled

A family favorite since you can get the charred outside yet ensure the dog is cooked through. We also like this recipe method because it ensures that there were fewer lost hot dogs from falling into the fire, as can happen when dogs and sticks are involved. We have a natural gas barbecue, so preheating the grill was as simple as turning it on. As the kids are all grown up now, this is a backyard favorite.

Open Flame

This also proved to be a favorite, bringing back memories of camping trips and cookouts with the kids when they were little. There is a sense of anticipation as you hold your stick with the dog on the end over a flame to get it warm inside and slightly charred on the outside. However, I found that tongs bring little hands too close to the flames and the heat, so a nice 3- or 4-foot stick, or even those special forks for campfire cooking, are a better option. This technique is sure to bring back good times. Even those dogs that were a little more charred or cool in the middle brought laughter and memories.

Simmer

My husband’s and my favorite. This recipe method ensures you get a juicy hot dog complete with the desired snap of the skin. Another way to do this method is to bring the water to a boil, add the hot dogs, turn off the heat, and let them simmer in the heated water. As long as the dogs are kept at a gentle simmer, perfection awaits. This method also allows you to let them get plump and juicy in the water while you get the buns and fixin’s ready.

Microwave

This was an after-school favorite since the kids weren’t allowed to use the gas stove and usually wanted a snack before dinner. Done right, this method works perfectly well. The trick is to make sure the ends of the paper towel are wrapped under the dog so it’s protected. When it is done wrong, you get leathery ends that are edible but unpleasant.

Roasting

Again, a serviceable method, but almost more work than necessary. I would use this if I had to roast other things in addition to the hot dogs and briefly had to be away from the stove. I’m fond of using this method to cook sausages, but to be honest, for a hot dog it doesn’t seem necessary to turn on the oven when there are other methods that work as well and produce a better result.

As for our choice of buns, we much prefer the top-open, or lobster roll, type of bun. It’s easier to load the dog than using the side-open buns. I found most grocery stores only carry the side-open or American-style buns, but we were able to find uncut buns at a local bakery and cut them as we wanted.

The best hot dog was truly a trip down memory lane. I haven’t eaten hot dogs in a long time. The hot dogs I ate as a child were either Nathan’s or from the corner hot dog cart.

The microwave and the simmer both seemed to yield the same results and tasted good. The oven technique was very flavorful but the one that was most memorable to me was over the open flame for the food memories it brought back.

The hot dog I used for this recipe was Hebrew National All Beef.

This recipe should get high marks just for fun—and my husband was more than willing to be the tester. He’s always in the mood for a hot dog.

We tried 3 different kinds. One was the classic Applegate and the others were from the store—Karl Ehmer in Hillsdale, NJ, and the Swiss Pork Store in Fairlawn, NJ. The Applegate hot dog was simmered, the Ehmer hot dog was grilled on a gas grill, and the Swiss Pork Store hot dog was grilled in a pan on the stove.

The best dog for taste was the grill-panned approach, but we agreed that it would have been better on the gas grill. It wasn’t skinless, so it had a nice snap to it. We got a couple of extra hot dogs so we’ll be grilling those.

Is it OK to admit that I like hot dogs? Not every day, or even every week, but I do like hot dogs. Now, they have to be really good hot dogs. I won’t eat fill-in-the-blank-brand hot dogs sold everywhere. A few years ago, someone was sampling a new product at our local Whole Foods. They were uncured, hot dogs made with pasture-raised beef. They really seem to care about their animals, which translates, of course, into the finished product.

I particularly liked the results we got by grilling hot dogs. The outside got coppery crisp, which gave the dogs a beautiful snap when you bit into them. Add some spicy mustard and locally made sauerkraut and what a great lunch! A cold local beer can also add a nice touch.

I used both the open flame method and the grill. I like the fact that you get a definite crisp outside and hot inside. I used skewers over the open flame and I don’t believe I lost much in terms of fat or juices. The skewers that I used are very long with wooden handles and are much easier to handle than tongs.

On the grill, I grilled the hot dogs as-is, although the second time I tried this method I split the hot dogs lengthwise, cutting almost but not all the way through, sort of a butterfly cut. I then cooked the hot dogs on both sides until they had a nice char. My family liked this last method much better because you can actually get a more crisp surface and have more space to squeeze extra ketchup or mustard.