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Grilled Hot Dogs With Sauerkraut Recipe

The Food Lab

Unraveling the mysteries of home cooking through science.

J. Kenji López-Alt
Grilled Hot Dogs With Sauerkraut Recipe

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

The key to perfectly cooked sausages on the grill is to start them in a moist bath of flavorful toppings, slow-cooking them to infuse them with flavor and get an even cook, then finish them off over the hot side to crisp and char them.

Read more: The Food Lab: The Best Way to Grill Sausages

  • Yield:Serves 4 to 6
  • Active time: 15 minutes
  • Total time:30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 (1-pound; 450g) package sauerkraut, with juices
  • 2 pounds (900g) natural-casing all-beef hot dogs (such as Boar's Head or Dietz & Watson)
  • Buns and brown mustard, for serving

Directions

  1. 1.

    Light 1 chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange coals on one side of charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Alternatively, set half the burners on a gas grill to the highest heat setting, cover, and preheat for 10 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate.

  2. 2.

    Place sauerkraut and juices in a 10-inch square disposable aluminum pan. (Alternatively, construct a tray out of a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil, 10 inches square, with sides about 2 inches high.) Nestle hot dogs into sauerkraut.

  3. 3.

    Place tray on hot side of grill and cook until simmering, about 4 minutes. Slide to cooler side of grill. Cover grill, with vents over sausages. Cook with all vents open until hot dogs are heated through, about 10 minutes, turning once halfway through.

  4. 4.

    Remove lid. Using tongs, remove hot dogs from sauerkraut and place directly on cooking grate over hot side of grill. Cook, turning occasionally, until well browned and crisp, about 3 minutes total. Return to sauerkraut. Toast buns over hot side of grill, if desired. Serve hot dogs with buns, mustard, and sauerkraut.

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The Food Lab: The Best Way to Grill Sausages

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