The weather is hot, the grills are hotter, and coast-to-coast, haute dogs are popping up.
We aren’t talking about the run-of-the-mill frankfurters from your childhood barbecues, nor the piles of limp sausages competitive eaters stuff into their mouths this time of year.
No, this is about the new hot dog, a model that takes inspiration from all over the world, from Asian-style dogs with seaweed and spicy Indian options to cheese-stuffed sausages wrapped in bacon and gently placed on a fluffy roll.
While some of these creations might sound a bit outrageous, they work, though now we beg the question, what makes a hot dog truly special? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Sonoran Dog from Kachina Southwestern Grill in Denver
10600 Westminster Blvd Westminster, CO
One thing Colorado is known for is being part of the Four Corners, an area where the state meets Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. At Kachina Southwestern Grill, chef Jeff Bolton pays homage to this famous spot with the 100% Kobe beef Sonoran Dog.
“We wanted to create our version of a traditional Sonora hot dog using all housemade ingredients,” said Bolton. “We took the traditional ingredients that originated in Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora, and made our own fresh twist on it.”
This means each order comes with sweet applewood bacon, pico de gallo, cowboy beans, smoked tomato aïoli and cotija cheese. All of that gets nestled into homemade bolillo bread, which is basically a Mexican-style French bread.
Phaal Dog from Brick Lane Curry House in New York
Skip the curry ketchup synonymous with German sausages, and instead get down Indian-style with this restaurant’s intensely spicy Phaal Dog, touted as the hottest hot dog in town.
How does it get such a superb heat? Well, it starts with Brick Lane’s famous phaal curry, which incorporates eight of the world’s hottest chiles including the Bhut Naga Jolokia, which the Indian military uses to make tear gas. In fact, this curry proves so spicy, the chef has to wear a gas mask while cooking it. From there, the chef pumps this sauce into a snappy chicken frank, plops it into a whole-wheat hot dog bun and serves it up with a sprinkling of onions and crisp peppers.
The Sizzler from Red Apron Butchery in Washington, DC
If you like salad and you like hot dogs, The Sizzler at this sleek butcher shop is the perfect option for you.
This beauty consists of a snappy pork sausage coddled by a fluffy, buttery brioche bun, topped with olive-oil-and-parsley-marinated cherry tomatoes, crisp strips of iceberg lettuce and a savory bacon ranch dressing. In other words, it’s chef Nate Anda’s version of a BLT in hot dog form, and we are totally fine with that.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider