Does America have saveloys? Those are traditionally boiled.
I was wondering if I was going to be the first person to bring up beer, but a few of you mentioned it just before the end of the thread.
If you’re going to boil hot dogs, boil them in beer! They’re quite nice that way.
I’ve been eating boiled hot dogs all my life. They taste weird to me now if they’re cooked any other way.
You can certainly use one of those or a fancy-schmanzy two-pronged fork with a telescoping handle. But if there’s a nice stick available that would be my first choice. (Easy clean up too, just toss it in the fire when you’re done!)
I wouldn’t say they are indistinguishable. Pan cooking means you don’t lose the saltiness leaching into the hotdog water, and you can get a bit of a mallard reaction, like a grilled dog. They are less juicy, but that can be a good thing.
I usually just go with the microwave if I cook them at all. It depends on the brand if they are actually better heated. The cheapo Bar-S brand definitely isn’t for me. The ones that get better have that sorta mealy texture when cold, likely due to higher fat content. Liquifying the fat gives them a better flavor.
I still marvel at how big a difference the flavor can be simply from heating (and not full on cooking).
When I buy hot dogs, I put them in the freezer. If I want to eat a hot dog, I extract it from the block of frozen hot dogs and put it in boiling water. I then let it boil long enough to thaw it out and heat the center.
My preference has always been for corn dogs. I can’t buy the premade ones any more – something they have in the corn mixture will make me sick for days. Instead, I make my own mixture kind of like corn bread and then deep fry them.
Not by that name, at least not broadly available.
That role in the food universe is largely taken up by the hot dog here, though unlike saveloys (which I was unaware of until now), American hot dogs/frankfurters don’t generally have the history of being made from organ meat.
A kid I went to school with in 2nd and 3rd grade, Terrence, had some pretty bad scars from he was doused with the hot water from a boiling pot of hot dogs on the stove. We used to boil hot dogs when I was a kid only occasionally grilling them when were were having a big barbecue. Boiling came to an end when I got a gas grill.
My mother always steamed them, probably until the ends split. I personally like to roast them in the oven until they get a nice Maillard-reaction browning.
I’ve eaten them boiled, and they taste good that way, but I prefer fried or grilled.
Growing up in the 80s my mom would boil just about anything beyond recognition. I didn’t know food could have texture beyond mush until I taught myself how to cook.
I really don’t care for hot dogs any way they’re cooked but if I have to choose I want one cooked on the grill until the skin starts cracking and peeling.
Boiled for a mess of dogs, best taste is steamed then sautéed or fried until skin was dry began to blister.
Can we all agree that the worst way to heat a hot dog are those filthy rollers at 7-11 or gas stations?
I would say the worst way to heat a hot dog is to roast it on a green stick over a campfire that’s too hot with smoke blowing in my eyes.
Wow, I far prefer corn dogs to hot dogs, but your dedication is extremely admirable. I have a big box of State Fair “Heat 'em up and eat 'em up!” corn dogs out in the freezer, but I want to try yours.
Nah, I would rather eat one of those (especially an Earl Campbell’s hot link from Stop 'n Go) than any boiled dog.
Several years ago, my younger brother went into a local gas station/convenience store on winter day and saw dirty socks in the warmer.
It turns out that the employee got his socks soaking wet when shoveling off the stove so he put them in the warmer, alongside the food, to dry out.
I guy I knew in college made his own, using some wood, two nails, and an electrical cord. It did electrocute the hot dog, and potentially anyone who touched the live nail when it was plugged in.
The Hotdogger had interlocks and a cover to prevent this.
Something new at the racetrack this year: an outdoor commercial propane-fired grill, serving hot dogs, bratwursts, and burgers. Very cleverly, the management put it next to the stand selling cold beer and soft drinks. All I need now out there is a betting window, and I could spend the whole day outside.
I can’t resist the grill though. I had forgotten what a grilled hot dog or a grilled bratwurst tasted like, and gosh, I’ve been having fun getting reacquainted. I may dig out the countertop electric grill and do dogs and brats myself at home. After racing season, of course.
Growing up hot dogs were either boiled or cooked on a BBQ grill. As an adult, I cook my hot dogs in a pan on the stove top with some water in the pan to provide steam.
American hot dogs/frankfurters don’t have a history of being made from any recognizable cut of meat.