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WSGW Radio Presentation

June 25, 2019 - Cooking Hot Dogs

It’s officially cookout season which means millions of Americans are firing up their grills to make burgers, steaks, and of course – hot dogs.

While a simple pre-cooked sausage might seem simple enough to prepare, there are actually a lot of mistakes that can be made.

  1. The hot dogs aren’t totally defrosted.  People think of hot dogs as quick-cook meat but that doesn’t mean they can go from the freezer to the fire and be okay.  Putting frozen meat on a grill will certainly mean the outside will burn before the inside gets warm.                       
  2. Give the hot dogs a little bath.  Boiling the heck out of a hot dog before grilling is never a good idea, but simmering them in water for 3-5 minutes before grilling can be helpful.
  3. The hot dogs are split – badly.  Generally chefs are not big fans of cutting up meat before or during cooking since it results in juices flowing out.  It’s not suggested to split it down the middle but creating 4 slits on a 6 inch hot dog before putting it on the grill can help it get crispier on the outside without losing moisture on the inside.                          
  4. The charcoal isn’t set-up properly.  In general, when grilling, the coals should be white in color.  They need the right amount of heat, which is 400-425 degrees F.                  
  5. You never move your hot dogs.  For juicy burgers, many chefs only advise flipping them once.  But hot dogs aren’t patties and need more attention.                                      

Key Points

  • Remember to always wash hands before and after handling food.
  • Remember to use a food thermometer to verify proper cooking temperatures.

Source:  USA Today

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