PrintNatural Casing Hot Dogs
Based on a post made here a week or so ago, I went out of my way to buy hot dogs with natural casings. I made a couple of them for lunch and they were quite tasty. My usual method for cooking hot dogs is to put them in a frying pan with a little bit of water, and a bit of butter. I let it boil with the lid on for a few minutes, and then remove the lid to let the water evaporate so they'll start frying. (I usually like to cook em until the skin is a dark mahogany color.) So all went well until the water evaporated, and then the skins burst. As I said they were very tasty nevertheless, but what did I do wrong? My first inclination was that I didn't piece the franks with a fork, but I'm beginning to think that had I done that, it would have been even worse.
Help me, Serious Eats. You're my only hope.
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7 Comments:
Hi Dave. I don't think you did anything wrong. I'm going to go home and check on the Papaya King label for their instructions. I usually just fry them in a fry pan with one of those grill presses on top of them. Dave, I will try to answer your question over the weekend. Don't fret.
Ed Levine at 6:20PM on 06/22/07
DaveFaris, I'm just as curious as you as to what Ed has to say, but I've always had success with them with just a little olive oil in a pan over medium heat, and just keep turning them till they're browned.
There'a also my mom's aunt's Almost Flint-Style Coney Sauce, that includes ground natural casing hot dogs in the meat with the ground beef.
LunaPierCook at 8:38PM on 06/22/07
Here is how Papaya King says to cook hot dogs. The key seems to be slow cooking.
Lou at 10:39AM on 06/23/07
Well, maybe it's just the boiling water that does it. I'll try a slow fry with a little butter or olive oil and see how that works out. The hot dogs are fairly thin. No need for the full knockwurst treatment, I guess.
DaveFaris at 10:43AM on 06/23/07
What I like to do is prepare natural casing dogs on a cheap electric griddle. I don't really like butter, so I top my griddle with aluminum foil (like Papaya King) spray it with a little Pam, and set the temperature to 225 degrees. This will insure that the dogs will reach an ternal temperature of 160 degrees. This temperature (225) was suggested to me by Matt Visconti, the owner of the Clifton, N.J. Papaya King. I cook the dogs slowly, turning them occasionally. If you want the EXACT same dogs that Papaya King uses, go to either a Sabrett distributor or Restaurant Depot and ask for the natural casing 10's (10 to a lb).
My favorite natural casing dog is the 5 to a lb natural casing dog that was served at the famous Syd's in Union, N.J. These are only available at Best Provisions in Newark. They taste best simmerred in hot water and then charbroiled on the backyard grill. Doesn't matter if the skin breaks; these dogs still maintain their snap. Only dog I would rate above Papaya King.
hotdoglover at 8:05PM on 06/23/07
Here in WNY we swear by either Wardzynski's or Sahlen's hot dogs.....both are available in natural casing, and both have that wonderful snap when you bite into them. I've never boiled them before cooking though....I've always slow grilled them either with a gas grill or charcoal....cooking them just until they split...that's when I know they're done!
Sahlen's can be found here.....
http://www.citymade.com/MadeInBuffalo/products.asp?dept=38&pagenumber=8&sort_on=&sort_by=
Try some Weber's horseradish mustard with the dogs....it's the best.
mepolo at 9:20AM on 06/25/07
mepolo,
I can't get Sahlen's or Wardynski's where I live, but I have plenty of them in my freezer. Becky Mercuri, who wrote the Great American Hot Dog Book (available through Amazon.com) was kind enough to send me a lot of both. I have had Sahlens in the past. Both are excellent, but a different style than the spicier kosher style dogs like Nathan's, Sabrett, Best, Boars Head, or Hebrew National. Sahlen's and Wardynski's are German style beef and pork dogs. They have a milder flavor profile with subtler spicing. Sahlen's has a hint of black pepper in the background. This is the dog served at the Popular Ted's in Tonawanda and other locations in the Buffalo area.
Today for lunch I had a Hebrew National, Best's, and Sahlen's boiled and then cooked on the backyard grill. All excellent.
hotdoglover at 7:07PM on 06/25/07