Treat Your Franks to a “dirty Water Dog”
There are many ways to cook and eat hot dogs, and I love the whole spectrum. Give me a grilled dog , an air-roasted dog , a sliced or coiled dog, a Costco dog, or a chili dog. I’ll eat them all. However, there is a special place in my heart and stomach for mud dogs.
Dirty Water Dogs are those classic, iconic hot dogs you get from a cart on the street, usually in New York, though not always. (As a child, my favorite dirty water dog cart was driven by a man named George who hung out outside the Church of Scientology in Los Angeles. Great hot dogs; interesting place.) Dogs are cooked and kept in a vat of salted, flavored water. and they are plump, juicy and filled with flavor. But you don’t need your own cart or even a large vat to give your hot dogs that dirty water feel.
I’ve made them sous-vide before, but you don’t need that fancy setup to enjoy that infused franc. (However, this is a cool party trick if you want to make a whole bunch for the crowd and keep them warm for hours.) All you really need is a large saucepan, some red wine vinegar and a few choice seasonings, an extra pinch of medicinal salt. if you want to mimic the “extracted nitrates” that dogs are exposed to in a vat, and of course some hot dogs (just make sure they’re not skinless).
Light dirty water dogs
Ingredients:
- 6-10 hot dogs, skinless (if you want more, just double everything below)
- 1 liter of water
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Large pinch (1/8 teaspoon) ground cumin
- Large pinch of garlic powder
- Large pinch of ground nutmeg
- A tiny pinch of salt to treat (Optional to bring in all the nitrites you’re more likely to find floating in hot dog water.)
Add everything except the dogs to the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Add dogs, cover and cook for at least 10 minutes. Remove from heat and serve on steamed buns with your favorite toppings. (I won’t even judge you for using ketchup if that’s what you’re into.)