Prefer ketchup to mustard for your hot dogs? Make it special with a few simple add-ins.
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1. Sriracha Ketchup:
1 cup ketchup + 2 tsp. sriracha + 1 Tbsp. lime juice + 1 tsp. rice vinegar
2. Pickled Ketchup:
1/2 cup ketchup + 1/2 cup mayonnaise + 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce + 3 Tbsp. minced cornichons
3. Chipotle Ketchup:
1 cup ketchup + 1 Tbsp. minced seeded canned chipotle chile in adobo + 2 Tbsp. adobo sauce
4. Smoky-Sweet Ketchup:
1/2 cup ketchup + 1/4 cup honey mustard + 2 Tbsp. barbecue sauce + 1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
5. Creamy Horseradish Ketchup:
2/3 cup ketchup + 1/3 cup mayonnaise + 2 Tbsp. prepared horseradish
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Be the Top Dog—In the Kitchen or at a Cookout!
No matter how you choose to heat ‘em up, here are expert tips for making franks.
• GRILL: Preheat the grill to about 400°F. Place the hot dogs on the grates and cook, turning often, until nicely charred, 6 to 8 minutes. Use tongs—not a fork—to turn them. A fork would pierce them and allow the flavorful juices to run out. Toast the buns on the grill as well—for the last 30 seconds to 1 minute of cooking.
• SIMMER: Heat a pot of water until it lightly bubbles (you don’t want it to boil). Add the hot dogs, cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the franks right away, or reduce the heat to very low—do that and you can keep dogs in the pot for several hours, such as for a party.
Extra Tip: Add halved garlic cloves, fresh herbs, chopped onion or whole spices to the water—or even replace the water with beer. That helps flavor the hot dogs.
• MICROWAVE: Wrap a hot dog tightly in a dry paper towel. Twist the ends to seal in the dog. Place it on a plate and microwave for 30 to 45 seconds on 80 percent power. This should keep the hot dog from splitting; the paper towel helps to steam the frank.
Source: Russell van Kraayenburg, author of Haute Dogs: Recipes for Delicious Hot Dogs, Buns and Condiments
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Photo credit: Antonis Achilleos
