# Why does scoring a hot dog make it plumper? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 22, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-scoring-a-hot-dog-make-it-plumper/500648 "2009-06-22T21:21:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-scoring-a-hot-dog-make-it-plumper/500648/1 "2009-06-22T21:21:37Z")
I’ve done the research and sure enough scoring (etching a shallow line with a knife) a frozen hot dog before you grill it does in fact result in a plumper, less wrinkly hot dog. Why is this so? ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-scoring-a-hot-dog-make-it-plumper/500648/2 "2009-06-22T22:02:12Z")
Hard to figure. By and large, scoring or poking food before cooking allows for the escape of steam, which would otherwise cause swelling and…plumping. You seem to be getting the effect by doing exactly what would be done to avoid it. Curiouser and curiouser. By the way, can you describe the experiment you did so we can evaluate the controls, the procedure, the data collection, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-scoring-a-hot-dog-make-it-plumper/500648/3 "2009-06-22T22:11:16Z")
You relieve the tension that the outer surface has which resists expansion of the middle. Think of it as pleats on a pair of pants. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-scoring-a-hot-dog-make-it-plumper/500648/4 "2009-06-22T22:22:55Z")
Aha—that explains why they deform and explode in the microwave if you don’t score them, but expand nicely if you _do_ score them. However, what is causing the expansion itself? Other meats don’t expand when you cook them, at least not as noticeably or dramatically as do wieners. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-scoring-a-hot-dog-make-it-plumper/500648/5 "2009-06-22T22:33:47Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > Aha—that explains why they deform and explode in the microwave if you don’t score them, but expand nicely if you _do_ score them. However, what is causing the expansion itself? Other meats don’t expand when you cook them, at least not as noticeably or dramatically as do wieners. They’re _hot dogs_. What does meat have to do with it? ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-scoring-a-hot-dog-make-it-plumper/500648/6 "2009-06-22T22:46:47Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > Aha—that explains why they deform and explode in the microwave if you don’t score them, but expand nicely if you _do_ score them. However, what is causing the expansion itself? Other meats don’t expand when you cook them, at least not as noticeably or dramatically as do wieners. Sadly, the plumpness of hotdogs is caused by nitrates. I’ve tried to make my own nitrate free hotdogs, but it’s extremely difficult. Hotdogs are an emulsion in which each tiny piece of ground meat is surrounded by fat. When you prepare and stuff them everything must be kept cold enough to keep the fat solid, or it separates. I’ve never been successful.