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Hot dog

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For other uses, see Hot dog (disambiguation).
A large hot dog with ketchup

A hot dog is a type of cooked, cured and often smoked sausage of even texture and flavor that is softer and more moist than most sausages, and the sausage most readily eaten as finger food, especially in the United States. As finger food, it is usually placed hot in a soft sliced bun of the same shape as the sausage, and optionally includes condiments and toppings. The resulting sandwich is also called a hot dog.

The flavor of hot dogs varies widely by region and by personal preference as do the toppings. The flavor of the sausage itself somewhat resembles bologna on the bland side, to cooked salami for the spicier varieties.

Hot dogs are traditionally made from beef, pork or a combination of those meats. Unlike many other sausages (which may be sold cooked or uncooked), hot dogs are always cooked before being offered commercially. Barring spoilage, they may be safely eaten without further cooking or reheating but are often unpalatable that way. Vegetarian sausages made from meat analogues can also be made into hot dogs.

Hot dogs are also called frankfurters, or franks for short (named after the city of Frankfurt, Germany), or wieners or weenies (named after the city of Vienna, Austria, whose German name is "Wien"). In Australia the term frankfurt is used rather than frankfurter and a tiny version called a cocktail frank or cocktail weenie is sometimes served at parties and eaten on the end of a toothpick.

History

A "home-cooked" hot dog with mayo, onion, and pickle relish

The American story of the invention of the hot dog, like the hamburger and ice cream cone, is often attributed to the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri. However, similar sausages were made and consumed in Europe, particularly in Germany, as early as 1864. The hot dog's association with baseball also predates the 1904 Exposition. St. Louis Browns owner Chris von der Ahe sold them at his ballpark in the 1880s.

Hot dogs were frequently known as frankfurters or franks, but the name "hot dog" became popular by the early 1900s. "Dog" has also been used as a synonym for sausage since at least 1884. The first known use of the phrase "hot dog" appears in print on October 19 1895 in the Yale Record of New Haven, Connecticut which reads "They contentedly munched hot dogs during the whole service." though likely refers to a hot "dog" and not a "hot dog" as two weeks prior the same paper recorded Tis dogs' delight to bark and bite, Thus does the adage run. But I delight to bite the dog when placed inside a bun. Hot dog became an extension of the older use of dog to mean a sausage.

Hot dog lore suggests that newspaper cartoonist Tad Dorgan coined (or at least popularized) the term "hot dog" when he used it in the caption of a 1906 cartoon illustrating sausage vendors at the Polo Grounds baseball stadium because he couldn't spell "frankfurter". In some versions he could not spell dachshund. However, it appears in print well before this date and the actual cartoon featuring the hot dog is from a bicycle race at Madison Square Garden not a baseball game at the Polo Grounds.

Claims of "invention" of the hot dog are difficult to assess, because different stories assert the creation of the sausage itself, the placing of the sausage (or another kind of sausage) on bread or a bun as finger food, the mass popularization of the existing dish, or the application of the name "hot dog" to a sausage and bun combination. In 2001 the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council stated that others assert the hot dog was created in the late 1600s by Johann Georghehner, a butcher living in the German city of Coburg. Others have also been "acknowledged" for supposedly inventing the hot dog. Charles Feltman and Antonoine Feuchtwanger are among this group.

General description

Grilled hot dogs

A hot dog is typically distinguishable from other sausages by its smaller size and relative lack of spicing. A regular hot dog of the kind popular at sporting events and readily available in supermarkets is roughly 6 inches in length (15 cm), though thickness and length can vary. Twelve-inch (30-cm) or "footlong" hot dogs are popular in some regions. These hot dogs are typically lightly spiced and their smaller size translates into the product being more commonly eaten by children than other sausages. There is wide regional variation in hot dog preferences and many local brands, as well as nationally distributed brands that tend to market similar products to all regions.

Ingredients

There is no fixed specification for hot dog meat, with pork and beef being the most popular. Less expensive hot dogs typically contain chicken, due to the low cost and availability of mechanically separated chicken, and some pork. Hot dogs are generally regarded as unhealthy insofar as most have high sodium, fat and nitrate content. Contents can also be questionable, with cheaper types of hot dogs having been known to contain snouts, ears and organ meat blended. In recent years, manufacturers have turned to completely turkey, chicken, or vegetarian meat substitutes as well as lowering the salt content; due to changing dietary preferences in the U.S.

In general, if a manufacturer produces two different hot-dog-type sausages, "wieners" tend to contain pork, and to be the blander of the two, while "franks" tend to be all-beef, and more strongly seasoned. This is particularly true of Oscar Mayer.

Commercial preparation

Hot dogs are typically prepared commercially by mixing all of the ingredients (meats, spices, binders and fillers, if any) in large vats where rapidly moving blades grind and mix the ingredients in the same operation, assuring a homogeneous product. This mixture is then forced through tubes into casings for cooking. Most hot dogs sold in the US are called "skinless" as opposed to more expensive "natural casing" hot dogs.

Natural casing hot dogs

As with virtually all sausages, hot dogs must be in a casing in order to be cooked. Traditionally this casing is made from the thoroughly cleaned small intestines of sheep, and are known as "natural casing" hot dogs or frankfurters. These kinds of hot dogs are preferred by some for their firmer texture and the "snap" that releases juices and flavor when the product is bitten into.

Skinless hot dogs

"Skinless" hot dogs also must use a casing in the cooking process when the product is manufactured, but here the casing is usually a long tube of thin cooking plastic that is completely removed after cooking and before packaging. Skinless hot dogs vary in the texture of the product surface, but have a softer "bite" than natural casing hot dogs. Skinless hot dogs are more uniform in shape and size than natural casing hot dogs and less expensive to produce.

Kosher hot dogs

A kosher hot dog is one made in accordance with Jewish dietary laws, which include a ban on pork. Most fillers, such as dairy powders used to extend or flavor the meat, also cannot be used. As with some other commercially-prepared Kosher foods, these ingredient restrictions and greater confidence in oversight of production facilities attract a significant non-Jewish market that perceives Kosher hot dogs to be healthier (or at least less unhealthy) than other hot dogs.

Kosher hot dogs are popular at some American baseball stadiums. Kosher hot dogs are similar to the kinds, kosher and non-kosher, popular in New York City, and are preferred by some consumers for their distinctive taste, texture and spicing. These brands are usually sold at a premium and are all-beef.

Final preparation

For a full list of regional differences in hot dog preparation and condiments, see Hot dog variations.

One of the more recent developments in hot dog preparation: The hot dog toaster.

Hot dogs may be grilled, steamed, boiled, pan fried, deep fried, broiled, microwaved, or eaten cold (the sausages themselves are cooked before packaging).

A hot dog on a stick fried in corn batter is commonly called a corn dog ('battered sav' or 'dagwood dog' or 'pluto pup' in Australia or 'pogo' in Canada). A corn dog might be eaten plain or with mustard or ketchup. Corn dogs are popular in the U.S. and are widely associated with state fairs and other public gatherings. A hot dog which is split down the center, stuffed with cheese, wrapped in bacon and deep-fried is known as a francheesie.

Other variations are found. A hot dog served with the addition of cheese is known as a "cheese hotdog" or simply a "cheese dog". "Cheese dog" may also refer to a hot dog that contains processed cheese within the hot dog itself. A hot dog served with the addition of chili is typically known as a "chili dog" or "coney dog" in some areas (an exception being New York City's Coney Island).

In Quebec, Canada this is known as a "michigan" due to its popularity and possible origin in that U.S. state. A hot dog served with both of these would be a "chili cheese dog" or "cheese coney". Chili dogs and cheese dogs are popular foods at carnivals and amusement parks.

Condiments

A Detroit Coney Island hot dog with chili, onion and mustard.

Throughout the world, there are numerous variations in hot dog condiments from region to region. The most common are mustard, ketchup, chili, sauerkraut, coleslaw, pickle relish and chopped onion. Others include mayonnaise, chopped lettuce, tomato (chopped, sliced, or in wedges), pickle spear, celery salt, and chile pepper usually in a bun.

In the United States, the Hot Dog Council ran a poll in 2005, which, according to their press release found mustard the most popular condiment (32 percent). "Twenty-three percent of Americans said they preferred ketchup. [...] Chili came in third at 17 percent, followed by relish (9 percent) and onions (7 percent). Southerners showed the strongest preference for Chili, while Midwesterners showed the greatest affinity for ketchup. Nationwide, however, mustard prevailed." [1]

Some Americans believe that a properly made hot dog should never be topped with ketchup. Often these people believe the flavor of ketchup overpowers and destroys the taste of the hot dog instead of complimenting it. [2] In Chicago, some restaurants and hot-dog stands that consider themselves to be "true" Chicago hot dog grills do not, as a rule, carry ketchup in stock, even if they serve other food items that use this condiment, such as french fries.[citation needed] The National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, in its recommendations for proper Hot Dog Etiquette capitulate only slightly to the public's general regard for ketchup, saying "Don't use ketchup on your hot dog after the age of 18."

The attitude against the use of ketchup was summarized by Mike Royko in one of his columns:

"No, I won't condemn anyone for putting ketchup on a hot dog. This is the land of the free. And if someone wants to put ketchup on a hot dog and actually eat the awful thing, that is their right. It is also their right to put mayo or chocolate syrup or toenail clippings or cat hair on a hot dog. Sure, it would be disgusting and perverted, and they would be shaming themselves and their loved ones. But under our system of government, it is their right to be barbarians."

In the film Sudden Impact, San Francisco detective Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) looses a tirade while conversing with a cop who's munching a ketchup-topped dog at a murder scene:

"Nah, this stuff isn't getting to me — the shootings, the knifings, the beatings... old ladies being bashed in the head for their social security checks[.] [...] Nah, that doesn't bother me. But you know what does bother me? You know what makes me really sick to my stomach? It's watching you stuff your face with those hot dogs. Nobody... I mean nobody puts ketchup on a hot dog."

Trivia

A deep fried, bacon wrapped "Jersey Breakfast" dog from Verona, New Jersey.

Availability

In the USA, along with ballparks, regional restaurants offer hot dogs. Few national chains in the USA offer the sandwich though, especially considering its ease in preparation makes it ideal for fast food service. A few chains in the USA that offer hot dogs include Sonic Drive-In and Dog n Suds, who call it a coney; Hardee's (but not their counterpart Carl's Jr. on the west coast of the United States); Wienerschnitzel (originally Der Wienerschnitzel), whose menu focuses on hot dogs; Woody's Chicago Style; Nathan's Famous, who sponsors the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest; and A&W. Krystal restaurants in the southeast offer a small hot dog called a Krystal Pup, and Fatburger, located mostly on the west coast of the U.S., offers hot dogs and chili dogs.

Casual dining restaurants often have a hot dog on their children's menu, but not on the regular menu.

Hot dog stands and trucks sell hot dogs and accompaniments, as well as similar products at street and highway locations.

See also

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