World's Best Hot Dog

[Mike Buckley]

My New Year's resolution was to create the world's best hot dog. If you don't think these really are the world's best hot dogs, just ask me; I'll be more than happy to confirm that there is no recipe as good as this one.

The Sauce:
The hot dog sauce is such a slight modification of the sauce in this copyrighted recipe from Food and Wine magazine (that recipe is fabulous!) that I'm not comfortable providing that part of the recipe as my own. Make a small portion of that sauce using a light red wine such as Gamay, Pinot Noir or Barbera instead of white wine. Include a touch of cinnamon in the sauce. Cook the sauce until it's thick and gooey.

The Hot Dogs
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 Celsius).

Place your favorite hot dogs ideally made at least partly with pork on a baking sheet. Slice each hot dog down the length not quite all the way through the meat. Open up the hot dogs so the flat surfaces face up. Spread the sauce onto the hot dogs.

The Pastry
Spread your favorite pastry (I use Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry) as thin as possible using a rolling pin and cut it into strips about 1" x 14" (about 3cm x 35cm). Cut thin pieces of Swiss cheese into lengths the same width and place them end to end on top of the pastry. Carefully wrap the hot dogs and sauce as shown in the photo with the cheese between the hot dog and the pastry. Remove any unused pastry and Swiss cheese. Lightly brush the exposed pastry with a beaten raw egg.

Baking & Serving
Bake for about ten minutes until the pastry is nicely browned. Garnish the meat and sauce (not the pastry) with chopped scallions. Serve hot with a side dish of applesauce garnished with cinnamon.

Setup
The tabletop is a place mat. A small continuous-light lamp fitted with a diffusion sock was above, to the left and very close to the scene to create soft shadows. A reflector on the right side lifted the shadow tones on that side of the scene. A polarizer controlled glare.

[rpcrowe]

Nice images... They make me hungry!

[Cogito]

Sorry, Mike, can't agree with you. Hot dogs are "fairly basic" and even in America they Come with a proper bun
And outside America? They still come with a proper bun!
I'm sure store bought puff pastry is an alternative but......
And yes a hotdog needs sauce but also garnish.

[RandyRFJP]

Looks mighty tasty!!

[Mike Buckley]

Hot dogs are "fairly basic"

Something tells me that you aren't going to appreciate that the sauce includes wine.

I've seen many sites such as those that you provided. The only reason for the rather unhealthy and equally distasteful bun is so one can eat the hot dog without using utensils. It's sites such as those that helped motivate me to come up with something superior.

[ragman]

Looks like a variation to 'pig in a blanket', although more like 'pig in a bikini '. Looks delectable.

[Mike Buckley]

'pig in a bikini '

Very clever! I like that!

[Wavelength]

Love this

[Cogito]

Something tells me that you aren't going to appreciate that the sauce includes wine.

I can read, you know! But whatever wine you use, does that make it better than a rum or brandy based sauce?

I've seen many sites such as those that you provided. The only reason for the rather unhealthy and equally distasteful bun is so one can eat the hot dog without using utensils. It's sites such as those that helped motivate me to come up with something superior.

Honestly! There's nothing unhealthy or distasteful about bread. If you prefer store-bought pastry to store-bought bread, may I suggest you do as I do and make your own bread? The point of hotdogs is that they are food for on the move, not a gourmet meal.

[Mike Buckley]

But whatever wine you use, does that make it better than a rum or brandy based sauce?

I have no idea. That's because I don't like to drink hard liquor and as a result have never tried any sauces made with them. I only know that when I changed the recipe to use red wine instead of white wine, the sauce was slightly richer and a better fit with the meat.

If you prefer store-bought pastry to store-bought bread, may I suggest you do as I do and make your own bread?

The primary reasons I prefer the pastry to the bread on a hot dog is because of the dish's higher proportion of meat and the texture of the pastry. I absolutely love homemade bread but have never made it for fear that I wouldn't have the will power to restrain myself to eating it in reasonably healthy quantities.

The point of hotdogs is that they are food for on the move, not a gourmet meal.

I'm sure that's how most people think. It's just not how I think about any food, as I want to enjoy savoring my food and the conversation that goes with the meal. That includes when eating a hot dog. Similarly, most people wouldn't think of pizza as a gourment dish but I'm very happy to pair it with a rather expensive wine.

[bnnrcn]

It's a pity that I haven't seen this thread before I like the image with lively colors. I think I would prefer the image without the bowl, it distracts a bit .