Hot Dog! It's Summertime!
Maybe you didn't know that July is National Hot Dog Month. Big deal, you say? When you stop to think about it, July is the perfect month to celebrate hot dogs. After all, they're such a traditional part of picnics, cook outs and casual gatherings.
Americans eat 20 billion hot dogs per year, which comes out to 70 hot dogs per person every year. Over the 4th of July holiday alone, however, we'll enjoy 150 million of them. And when we fix hot dogs, mustard is the favorite topping among adults ages thirty-five years and up, while younger folks prefer ketchup.
We like to think of hot dogs as an all-American food. Or are they?
The German city of Frankfurt-am-Main celebrated the 519th birthday of its claim to being the birthplace of the hot dog. Vienna, Austria disputes that title and considers itself the originator of the wiener. What Americans know and love is probably a hybrid of several European sausages brought to our country centuries ago.
The term "hot dog" was coined in 1901 at the New York Polo Grounds, so the story from the Hot Dog and Sausage Council goes. One cold April day, concessionaire Harry Stevens was losing money with ice cream and cold soda. He bought up all the "dachshund sausages" from other vendors and attracted buyers by calling, "They're red hot! Get your dachshund sausages while they're red hot!' Ted Dorgan, a sports cartoonist heard the vendors and was inspired to draw a cartoon of barking dachshunds as food—but not being able to spell "dachshund,' he changed the wording to hot dog. And a legend was born.
The hot dogs we buy today are cured and cooked sausages made of pork, beef, chicken, turkey or a combination of meats with water, salt, sugar, spices and curing agents added to the mix. Government regulations say that hot dogs may contain up to 3.5 percent non-meat ingredients such as non-fat milk, cereal, dried whole milk or soy protein. These ingredients, which add to the nutritive value, must be clearly labeled. If any variety meats, such as livers and hearts are used in processed meat products, the manufacturer must clearly declare "with variety meats" or "with meat by-products" on the front of the package.
All those styles of hot dogs—did you ever wonder what they mean? Here's a list:
- Chicago-style hot dogs: steamed or grilled hot dogs in a buttered, toasted bun, topped with mustard, ketchup or chili sauce, chopped onion, sweet pickle relish, chopped tomato and sprinkled with celery salt with a hot pepper and a slice of dill pickle on the side.
- New York-style hot dogs: hot dog in a bun, preferably garlic-flavored, topped with chili without beans and onions, sometimes with sauerkraut
- Greek-style hot dogs: hot dog, cut in bite-size pieces, in pita bread pocket half and topped with plain yogurt, chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumber, crumbled feta cheese and sprinkled with Greek-style seasoning.
- South of the border hot dogs: grilled hot dog wrapped in a warm soft flour or corn tortilla and topped with sour cream, shredded lettuce, salsa and shredded Mexican-blend cheese
- Italian-style hot dogs: grilled hot dog or Italian-style sausage in a club roll and topped with marinara or spaghetti sauce and grated parmesan or Romano cheese, topped with sautéed onions and sweet peppers.
Hot Dog Salad
From the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council
1 lb elbow or other macaroni
1/2 lb hot dogs, sliced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup sliced celery
1 tomato, diced
Cook macaroni according to directions. While cooking, assemble all remaining ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Drain macaroni, and add to the bowl. Stir gently. Chill several hours before serving.
Frankly the Best Baked Beans
From the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council
1 1/2 Tbsp yellow mustard
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 (16 oz) cans baked beans (dark brown, small beans are best)
1 pkg hot dogs, sliced or whole
Preheat oven to 350° F. Mix all ingredients together in an oven-proof, 2-quart casserole dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Serves 8 to 10
Published 07/06/07
