I n the meat world, trends come and go. Beef carpaccio, buffalo burgers, ostrich steaks, artisanal ham. But hot dogs endure.
A form of wurst (sausage) introduced by German butchers to New York and Chicago in the late 19th century, they are as popular as ever and show no signs of losing ground.
For the past six years, retail sales of hot dogs have remained steady: Americans spend about $1.6 billion annually, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. More than a third of those sales occur between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
And why shouldn’t they? Come summer, there’s no better, simpler or cheaper meal plan than throwing a couple of franks on the grill.
The federal government defines hot dogs, also known as frankfurters or wieners, as cooked or smoked sausages made of finely ground beef and pork. They also may contain poultry meat. Whether they are short or long, thin or fat, the finished links may not contain more than 30 percent fat nor more than 10 percent water.
In the old days, all hot dogs had casings, which were made from animal intestines. Without a “skin,” there was no way to keep the pureed meat intact as it was cured and cooked.
But in the 1930s, cellulose casings were introduced, said Janet Riley of the Hot Dog Council. Although they behaved like natural casings during the production process, once the dogs were cooked, they could be mechanically stripped off. Presto: a skinless dog.
Hot dog producers liked this innovation because it resulted in a product with a uniform weight. And, apart from some casing die-hards, the public embraced the skinless dog. Riley estimates that more than 90 percent of all hot dogs sold in the United States are skinless.
This preference was borne out by our hot-dog tasting, where Nathan’s Skinless Beef Franks reigned supreme, outranking, among other contenders, Nathan’s Natural Casing Franks.
While Nathan’s is a New York favorite, it ranks only sixth in sales among national brands. Leading the pack are dogs from Oscar Mayer (annual sales of $296 million) and Ball Park ($258 million), followed by Bar S ($122 million), private labels ($96 million), Hebrew National ($80 million) and Nathan’s ($75 million).
In the mid-1990s, Riley said, the industry began to roll out low-fat and fat-free hot dogs. After an initial surge, however, the “better-for-you” category settled down to about 12 percent of the total market.
The regular hot dog endures.
This sweet-sour relish is similar to the onion topping offered by New York hot-dog vendors.
2large onions, peeled and chopped
3tablespoons vegetable oil
1cup Heinz chili sauce
1teaspoon ground cumin
1teaspoon pepper
Salt to taste
Place onions in a large skillet with oil, cover and place over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until onions give up their liquid and turn translucent, about 10 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and a light golden brown, about 20 minutes. If onions begin to scorch, just add a little water to the pan and stir.
Add chili sauce, cumin and pepper to onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick and you can see the bottom of the pan when you stir. Add salt, if necessary.
Makes 2 cups.
Sauerkraut, writes Wayne Brachman in “See Dad Cook” ($16.95), “is a neglected vegetable condiment. Most of the time it is barely heated and plopped on top of a hot dog.”
Brachman believes that sauerkraut should be cooked slowly with onions, “to give it a sweet, deep and brilliant flavor dimension.” The following recipe is adapted from Brachman’s.
2medium onions
1tablespoon vegetable oil
1(2-pound) bag sauerkraut
Salt and pepper
Peel onions, cut in half through the root end, and then slice thinly crosswise. Place onions in a large skillet with oil, cover and place over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until onions give up their liquid and turn translucent, about 10 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and a light golden brown, about 10 minutes longer. If onions begin to scorch, just add a little water to the pan and stir.
Add sauerkraut, along with its juice, and turn heat to high. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid is evaporated and the sauerkraut is a light golden brown.
Makes 3 cups.
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