Nailing the Basics: Hot Dogs

Hot dogs are one of the most popular street foods. These dressed up sausages were introduced to America by the Germans in the late 1800s. They are more easy and accessible to make than you may already think! They also make for an adequate base to experiment with fun sides & condiments. In this post, I’ll guide you on how to make hot dogs inspired by the ones you would find out and about, whether that’s Ikea, Disneyland, or all the way in Korea!

Classic-style

INGREDIENTS

For these delicious hot dogs, you’ll need:

STEP 1

Prepare a medium-sized bowl and place your hotdogs on the bottom.

Cover them completely with water, and put them on high heat.

STEP 2

Cut your hotdog buns in half, but don’t separate the two halves! Place mayonnaise and mustard on the top half, and place ketchup on the bottom half.

Add the fried onions and pickles as well.

STEP 3

When the hotdogs come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-high. Boil them for about 5 minutes.

STEP 4

When the hotdogs are cooked, place them on the buns. Fold the 2 halves, and your hotdogs are ready! I hope you try this classic Ikea recipe with a twist out, it’s very tasty and it’s foolproof!

Disney-style

INGREDIENTS

• 3 C. all-purpose flour
• 2/3 C. granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. Kosher salt 
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1/3 C. corn meal
• 3 eggs
• 1¼ C. milk
• 6 pickles whole
• 6 hot dogs
• 1½ C. panko bread crumbs
• 6-8 C. vegetable oil for frying
• 1/2 C. peanut butter 1 T. per serving

PREPARATION

Choose 6 large and straight whole pickles. Dry them off with a paper towel.

Use an apple corer and carefully core the pickles lengthwise.

Insert a hot dog into the hollowed out pickle and cut off any excess.

Remove the trimmed hot dog from the pickle. Insert a thick skewer or a popsicle stick through the hot dog leaving a couple inches for a handle.

Re-insert the skewered hot dog into the pickle and secure with a toothpick if needed.

BATTER DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cornmeal.

2. In a small bowl lightly beat the eggs and add them to the milk.

3. Slowly pour the milk/egg mixture into the dry mix and stir to form a batter.

4. Spread the panko breadcrumbs onto a shallow rimmed pan.

5. Take a pint glass or any tall wide-mouth jar. Transfer the batter into the glass filling it 3/4 full.

6. Use a paper towel and dry off the pickle dog, this will allow the batter to stick better.

7. Dip the pickle dog in the batter and slowly pull it out. Swirling at the end to catch any drips.

8. Heat 3-4 inches of vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or dutch oven to 360˚F/ 182˚C.

9. Roll the battered dog in the panko. Place gently into the preheated oil.

10. Fry a few minutes on each side. Gently turning to ensure even browning. When golden remove and drain on a rack or a paper towel-lined plate.

11. Serve warm with a side of smooth peanut butter that is readily available at the Kodiak Cave.

Korean-style

INGREDIENTS

• 1 C. bread flour
• 1/4 C. rice flour if unavailable, substitute more bread flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2½ tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1 egg large
• 3 oz. warm water
• 1 tsp. instant yeast
• 1/2 C. panko bread crumbs
• 2 C. frozen french fries (optional) chopped into 1/2″ cubes
• 4 hot dogs
• 4 oz. mozzarella cheese cut into 3/4″x2″ sticks
• 6 C. peanut oil for frying

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl whisk together bread flour, rice flour, salt, and sugar.

2. In a separate bowl whisk together the egg and water. Add yeast and whisk to incorporate.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Stir to combine. Once a ball of dough is formed, cover the bowl with a damp towel and place in a warm spot to proof for at least 1 hour.

4. For a regular corn dog skewer a whole hot dog onto a skewer leaving 2 inches for a handle. For a combination dog, cut a hot dog in half and skewer it followed with a block of cheese. Pat the skewers dry with a paper towel.

5. In a wide heavy bottomed-pan heat 1-2″ of peanut oil to 330˚F/165˚C.

6. Dip a skewer into the batter and wrap the dough around the hot dog. Using wet fingertips pinch off the excess dough and smooth it into an even layer.

7. Roll the skewers into french fries or bread crumbs until evenly coated. If using french fries be sure to press firmly so they stick to the batter.

8. Gently place the skewer into the hot oil and fry until golden ~5-7 minutes. Turn for even browning.

9. Drain the corn dogs on rack. Sprinkle each corn dog with a teaspoon of sugar and a generous drizzle of ketchup and mustard. Serve hot.

With summer around the corner, fair foods like hot/corn dogs are great ways to treat yourself. Learning how to make them at home can be a satisfying experience that I urge anyone to try. I hope that these three widely different styles can inspire you to experiment with sides no matter how controversial like peanut butter and pickles.

Recipe #2 adapted from ChefSteps https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/homemade-corn-dogs

Recipe #3 adapted from Delicious Day’s on YouTube

Homemade Disney Pickle Corn Dog

Korean-style Corn Dogs