A friend recently posted this question on social media: “Is anyone else falling face down in comfort food?” I laughed because, honestly, aren’t we all these days?
Soon I was thinking about a story from a few years ago, when an acquaintance shared a tale both charming and silly. A friend of hers had moved to California from Korea as a young child. Her mother, eager to assimilate quickly, decided the best way to do so was to abandon their traditional Korean foods and explore American cuisine instead.
The mom quickly came to the conclusion that the hot dog was the quintessential American food, the food that, if she learned to cook it well enough, would turn her family into Americans in short order. Soon she was making stir fry, chili con carne tacos, spaghetti marinara, chile rellenos, fajitas, stew and pot pie, with hot dogs.
Sometimes I just want a good hot dog. This crazy year, the craving is appearing more often than ever. And because so many places are now closed, I must satisfy the longing at home.
When it comes to hot dogs, there are many regional specialties. Chicago hot dogs are topped with hot peppers, onions, tomatoes, pickles and green relish. In Milwaukee, hot dogs are served on hard rolls. Kansas City is famous for its Reuben hot dogs. Hawaiian Puka Dogs feature Polish sausages on Hawaiian sweet bread, with tropical fruit salsa on top. Mexican hot dogs are wrapped in bacon and offered with a kaleidoscope of toppings and condiments. Chili dogs are hugely popular almost everywhere. And some hot dogs are topped with a mound of sweet-tart coleslaw. When I’m craving a hot dog, this is the version I want.
Hot Dogs, My Way
Serves 6
6 beef hot dogs, such as Niman Fearless Franks
6 whole wheat hot dog buns
1 cup sauerkraut
½ small red onion, cut into small dice
Dijon mustard or other mustard of choice
Put the hot dogs on a grill, in a toaster oven set on broil or in a hot oven and cook, turning a few times, until they just begin to crack open and are sizzling hot.
While the hot dogs cook, toast the buns to whatever degree of doneness you prefer.
Set the toasted buns on a clean work surface, open them and put sauerkraut down the center of each. Set the hot dogs on top, scatter onions over them and squirt or slather plenty of mustard over everything.
“Hot dogs” made of soy have been around for a long time, but I am not a fan of faux meat and don’t think soy dogs taste at all like the real thing. Both their taste and texture is cloying and somehow “off.” A few years ago, I came across a carrot dog at an event at the Sebastopol Grange Hall. What a brilliant idea! Carrots and mustard are wonderful together. They are absolutely delicious, even if you are not a vegetarian.
Carrot Dogs
Serves 2, easily doubled
2 whole medium carrots, scrubbed or peeled and trimmed
Olive oil
2 whole wheat hot dog buns
¼ cup sauerkraut
2 tablespoons minced red onion
Mustard of choice
Roast or steam the carrots whole until they are quite tender when pierced with a fork or bamboo skewer. The exact time will vary based on the thickness of the carrots.
When the carrots are ready, quickly toast the buns, set them on a work surface and divide the sauerkraut between them. Top with a carrot, add onions and squirt or slather mustard on top.
A hot dog on a bun is, of course, also under a broader umbrella of sausage sandwiches. This one is a longtime favorite. Simple, easy to make and full of great flavor, this classic German-inspired pub sandwich is irresistible. I had my first taste of it when I was in Zurich for a few days following a lengthy visit to India. Exhausted from the flight, I went to bed early in a hotel that sat above a pub. The aromas of the grilled bockwurst enticed me downstairs, where I enjoyed the sandwich and a glass of beer.
American bockwurst are closer to what the Germans call weisswurst, a white sausage made of veal and pork which has its roots in Bavaria, where they are typically poached. I prefer them grilled or cooked under a hot broiler. If you have a toaster oven, it will work perfectly with these sausages.
Bockwurst Sandwiches with Onion-Mustard Sauce
Serves 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound yellow onions, very thinly sliced
Kosher salt
1 cup beef stock
Black pepper in a mill
4 bockwurst
4 tablespoons coarse-grain mustard
4 sourdough French rolls, split
Preheat an oven broiler.
Set a heavy frying pan over medium heat, add the olive and onion and sauté until the onion is very soft and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Season with salt, add the stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with several turns of black pepper, stir in the mustard and remove from the heat. Taste and correct the seasoning. Set aside.
Broil the sausages for about 15 minutes, turning to brown all sides; if you prefer, you can fry them in a heavy skillet over medium heat.
While the sausages cook, toast the French rolls.
Place a sausage in each roll and spoon the onion mixture on top.
Michele Anna Jordan is the author of 24 books to date, including “The Good Cook’s Book of Mustard,” from which these recipes are adapted. Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com.
The Link LonkSeptember 16, 2020 at 05:29AM
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Add a twist to the all-American hot dog with these three variations - Santa Rosa Press Democrat
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