OT: Your go to Hot Dogs ?

[CTMike]

Right now, I end up using the gas grill more for grilling and the kettle more for smoking (check out Home - SMOKENATOR... Simple but effective). But if I have the time I'll grill on the kettle. Basically in favor of anything that promotes more grilling/BBQ.

 

[CallMeBruce]

If I'm making my own, I like Deutschmacher. I understand that many of you will be horrified by this, but the "dirty water" style dog is my favorite. This is partially nostalgia-related, as this is how concession stands at little league games and hot dog carts always served them, but I also like the undisturbed texture of the boiled dog. Favorite buns are Martin's potato rolls. For toppings, it's either chili/cheese or mustard, relish, and onions.

 

[August_West]

Right now, I end up using the gas grill more for grilling and the kettle more for smoking (check out Home - SMOKENATOR... Simple but effective). But if I have the time I'll grill on the kettle. Basically in favor of anything that promotes more grilling/BBQ.

I have a smokenator for the kettle. Great device. works perfectly as it is intended. Will teach you fire management in a hurry because long smokes you need to add charcoal to maintain temp. Very delicate balance for long smokes. If you get the hang of smoking with a smokenator you will rule the world as you move "up" in gear.

Through my hobby (family members and friends people buying stuff and never putting it to use so they give it to me) Ive ended up with a ton of gear so I dont use the smokenator much anymore. I have 2 kettles. a mini Kettle for tailgates. 2 different size Smoky mountains, a Big green egg, a cheapo offset smoker. and 2 gas grills. Out of that whole list the only thing I paid for out of my pocket was one of the Smoky mountains. My garage is ridiculously full during winter.
The older and lazier I get the more I use the green egg (I can set it and forget it for 10 hours at this point) , but my absolute best smokes have come out of the Smoky mountains though.

 

[CTMike]

I have a smokenator for the kettle. Great device. works perfectly as it is intended. Will teach you fire management in a hurry because long smokes you need to add charcoal to maintain temp. Very delicate balance for long smokes. If you get the hang of smoking with a smokenator you will rule the world as you move "up" in gear.

Through my hobby (family members and friends people buying stuff and never putting it to use so they give it to me) Ive ended up with a ton of gear so I dont use the smokenator much anymore. I have 2 kettles. a mini Kettle for tailgates. 2 different size Smoky mountains, a Big green egg, a cheapo offset smoker. and 2 gas grills. Out of that whole list the only thing I paid for out of my pocket was one of the Smoky mountains. My garage is ridiculously full during winter.
The older and lazier I get the more I use the green egg (I can set it and forget it for 10 hours at this point) , but my absolute best smokes have come out of the Smoky mountains though.

That is a lot of gear!

I've learned to accept that the smokenator isn't a precision instrument... The temp can fluctuate... And things still come out great. But the more I've done it, the less I end up peeking and losing heat. Hopefully having 2 remote probes now will eliminate peeking except when I need to refil the charcoal.

 

[The Funster]

Agree with Noack"s. Always try to find a local German or Polish butcher to source, don"t like the national brands because for me the dog has to have pork in it. No all beef don"t like the flavor or texture. Blend of beef and pork okay but there has to be swine in it for me.

Grilled or boiled
spicy mustard
onions
kraut
never cheese unless chili and cheese
never ketchup.

Liked Jimmy"s Savin Rock, Glenwood and Lenny"s Dog House in Shelton back in the day. Is Lenny"s still open?

Lenny's is long gone, I'm afraid. I grew up on Lenny's and they are still the measuring stick for me.

 

[August_West]

That is a lot of gear!

I've learned to accept that the smokenator isn't a precision instrument... The temp can fluctuate... And things still come out great. But the more I've done it, the less I end up peeking and losing heat. Hopefully having 2 remote probes now will eliminate peeking except when I need to refil the charcoal.

you got it. You can smoke incredibly in kettle with a smokenator. You eventually learn just how many pieces of charcoal (down to the briquette) gets you to a certain temp. I still remember my smokenator formulas. Like I said it is a great way to get down to it, because everything you do afterwards is a piece of cake in comparison and you earned a bachelors degree in smoker education in the process.

peeking a no no. And man I hated removing that cover for charcoal add! Its like a chinese fire drill, want it done as fast as possible.

some things more forgiving about temp variations (ribs you can go 225-280) within a cook and they seem no worse for wear. Pork shoulder/butt is pretty damn forgiving too. Brisket is the sucker that gives you the headache. Shes a real b1tch about temp.

 

[31GuardTrap]

I'm fat and love hot dogs..

Stands-
Augie & Rays in East Hartford
Capitol Lunch-New Britain
Teos-Pittsfield, MA (slider Hot Dogs)

If I am making a dog with a casing, I prefer it steamed or done in a pan in 1 inch of water if I cannot steam. Kayem seems to be our go to right now.
Top sliced bun gets pan toasted in butter on both sides.
I like alot of condiments and very few. Depends on mood. I am a ketchup on everything person though. Very little on a dog but it's still there.

On the grill-no casing..hate when they crack. Usually Ball Park Beef or Fenway Franks. If top sliced buns, it goes on the grill.

I am a big fan of chili dogs but I cannot seem to find a good one in the store to use at home. Looking for a an easy to make recipe. Meat or non-meat.
I have plenty of chili recipes but they belong in a bowl and not on a dog.

 

[pepband99]

That is a lot of gear!

I've learned to accept that the smokenator isn't a precision instrument... The temp can fluctuate... And things still come out great. But the more I've done it, the less I end up peeking and losing heat. Hopefully having 2 remote probes now will eliminate peeking except when I need to refil the charcoal.

I also have a smokenator, but time is at such a premium on weekends that it doesn't get enough use. Hoping to change that soon.

Honestly - with the way my 2 of my 3 boys are trending towards OT's or NG, I keep suggesting to my wife that we get the Ranch Grill. Now THAT is a grill!

 

[jibsey]

Hebrew National natural casing on the link sold at Crown Market in West Hartford, they are expensive ($9 a pound) and different from the ones sold in the packages.
Boars Head makes an all beef natural casing that is quite similar, Highland Market.
Well done on the grill until they split, deli mustard and saurkraut.

 

[Fishy]

I use a sous vide cooker to bring the hot dogs to 116 degrees and then I use a Searzall attachment on my blowtorch to sear the outside.

But if you clowns want to poke your hot dogs with Thermapens like savages, go ahead.

(I don't actually do this....but after thinking about it, I am going to.)

 

[superjohn]

I'm fat and love hot dogs..

Stands-
Augie & Rays in East Hartford
Capitol Lunch-New Britain
Teos-Pittsfield, MA (slider Hot Dogs)

If I am making a dog with a casing, I prefer it steamed or done in a pan in 1 inch of water if I cannot steam. Kayem seems to be our go to right now.
Top sliced bun gets pan toasted in butter on both sides.
I like alot of condiments and very few. Depends on mood. I am a ketchup on everything person though. Very little on a dog but it's still there.

On the grill-no casing..hate when they crack. Usually Ball Park Beef or Fenway Franks. If top sliced buns, it goes on the grill.

I am a big fan of chili dogs but I cannot seem to find a good one in the store to use at home. Looking for a an easy to make recipe. Meat or non-meat.
I have plenty of chili recipes but they belong in a bowl and not on a dog.

For chili, Wolf Brand beanless chili is my favorite.

 

[jibsey]

I use a sous vide cooker to bring the hot dogs to 116 degrees and then I use a Searzall attachment on my blowtorch to sear the outside.

But if you clowns want to poke your hot dogs with Thermapens like savages, go ahead.

(I don't actually do this....but after thinking about it, I am going to.)

The thermapen is a must have. Never have an overdone steak or anything else again. It's worth the 100 bucks.

 

[Deepster]

I use a sous vide cooker to bring the hot dogs to 116 degrees and then I use a Searzall attachment on my blowtorch to sear the outside.

But if you clowns want to poke your hot dogs with Thermapens like savages, go ahead.

(I don't actually do this....but after thinking about it, I am going to.)

I'm not gonna lie. I thought "A sous vide?!" You got me, you bastard.

 

[August_West]

I'm not gonna lie. I thought "A sous vide?!" You got me, you bastard.

Jesus. Do me a favor, if I'm ever caught on the boneyard while in paradise, kill me with a thermapen through the ear drum.

 

[Fishy]

The thermapen is a must have. Never have an overdone steak or anything else again. It's worth the 100 bucks.

If you use a sous vide, you have no use for a Thermapen - the laws of physics prevent you from overcooking anything. Besides, you shouldn't be sticking steaks with Thermapens anyway - save the Thermapen for roasts and learn how to grill a steak.

I'm not gonna lie. I thought "A sous vide?!" You got me, you bastard.

I swear, I am doing this the first second I have the time.

 

[August_West]

If you use a sous vide, you have no use for a Thermapen - the laws of physics prevent you from overcooking anything. .

Jeez you are a delicate flower. Sous vide?

No char? no blackening? No Maillard reaction? No carcinogens? Be a man and eat some charred flesh that carries some inherent danger with it. What the hell happened to this country? If I didn't know you had been around here so long I would have had you pegged for a millennial.

 

[Fishy]

Jeez you are a delicate flower. Sous vide?

No char? no blackening? No Maillard reaction? No carcinogens? Be a man and eat some charred flesh that carries some inherent danger with it. What the hell happened to this country? If I didn't know you had been around here so long I would have had you pegged for a millennial.

Your lack of pedigree is just shining through.

You sear the outside of it for about 15 seconds. Done.

No unavoidable gray border of overcooked steak at the edges - if you want it rare, it's rare right up to the seared crust on the outside.

 

[August_West]

No unavoidable gray border of overcooked steak at the edges - if you want it rare, it's rare right up to the seared crust on the outside.

I can accomplish the same thing in reverse sear 10 minutes on a grill .
Have fun with your bucket of water though.

 

[Fishy]

No, you can't.

It's simple physics.

 

[Leebo]

Today I boiled some hot dogs and only put ketchup on them.

It was good.

 

[superjohn]

I'm with August on this. I love French food and Sous vide has it's merits but I actually like the process of cooking meat. Getting a good cut from the butcher, seasoning it and firing the hell out of it on a grill. Heating meat in a plastic bag doesn't do it for me.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I don't think I've had a hot dog in a decade.

 

[August_West]

Heating meat in a plastic bag doesn't do it for me.

It's like getting your dinner from a colostomy bag.

 

[Deepster]

Jesus. Do me a favor, if I'm ever caught on the boneyard while in paradise, kill me with a thermapen through the ear drum.

Maybe I just love this place more than you.

 

[Excalibur]

I have a smokenator for the kettle. Great device. works perfectly as it is intended. Will teach you fire management in a hurry because long smokes you need to add charcoal to maintain temp. Very delicate balance for long smokes. If you get the hang of smoking with a smokenator you will rule the world as you move "up" in gear.

Through my hobby (family members and friends people buying stuff and never putting it to use so they give it to me) Ive ended up with a ton of gear so I dont use the smokenator much anymore. I have 2 kettles. a mini Kettle for tailgates. 2 different size Smoky mountains, a Big green egg, a cheapo offset smoker. and 2 gas grills. Out of that whole list the only thing I paid for out of my pocket was one of the Smoky mountains. My garage is ridiculously full during winter.
The older and lazier I get the more I use the green egg (I can set it and forget it for 10 hours at this point) , but my absolute best smokes have come out of the Smoky mountains though.

I get conflicting information about this so I'm wondering what you think . . . Is it possible to do an unattended overnight smoke on a Big Green Egg? I'm using a cookshack electric right now just because it's so freaking easy and gets you 95% of the way there, but it's getting towards the end of its useful life after 11 years and I'm thinking of going with the BGE.