One of the most popular fast foods has to be the much-loved hot dog and, in honour of National Hot Dog Day, which is celebrated on Wednesday, July 21, here are some fun facts as well as a few recipes from the chefs at Capsicum Culinary Studio.
- German immigrants to New York were the first to sell wieners from a pushcart in the 1860s and their carts became known as “dog wagons,” due to the (false) belief that dog meat was used in making the sausages. It was not long before the people began referring to them as “hot dogs”.
- Every Independence Day, Americans enjoy 150 million hot dogs which, if placed end to end would stretch for over 21 500 kilometres!
- The longest hot dog ever made was 203.80 metres in length and was made at the Expoferia in Paraguay on July 15, 2011.
- In 2014, the world’s most expensive hot dog sold in Seattle, Washington, for R2 400. The cheese bratwurst was smothered in Teriyaki grilled onions, Maitake mushrooms, wagyu beef, foie gras, shaved black truffles, caviar and Japanese mayonnaise.
- On July 4, 2021 American Joey Chestnut broke his own world record by eating 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes at the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest for his 14th career title.
Sticky Hot Dogs
Ingredients
6 sausages
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp maple syrup
6 hot dog rolls
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Large pinch brown sugar
2 tsp wine or cider vinegar
Method
Heat oven to 200°C. Place the sausages in a non-stick baking tray and roast for 20 mins. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onions and mustard seeds together for 10-15 mins until soft and golden.
Remove the sausages and brush with maple syrup. Place the rolls onto the same baking tray and return to the oven until the sausages are dark, shiny and cooked through (5 minutes). Stir the mustard, sugar and vinegar into the onions until the sugar has melted.
Cut the rolls open across the top and put a sausage into each.
Spoon over the mustardy onions and serve.
Hot Hot Dogs
Ingredients
6 chorizo sausages
1 tbsp olive oil
6 shallots, peeled and sliced lengthways
3 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tbsp honey
6 hot dog rolls
3 tomatoes, finely chopped
50g feta, crumbled
For the chimichurri
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium red chilli, finely chopped,
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
small bunch of coriander, finely chopped
50ml extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tbsp
Method
For the chimichurri, combine the ingredients in a bowl with ½ tsp salt and set aside.
Place the sausages in an oven tray and grill under medium-high heat for 12-15 minutes.
Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the shallots for 10-15 mins until soft and starting to brown. Stir in the vinegar and honey and cook for a few minutes until sticky.
Warm the hot dog rolls under the grill and cut the cooked sausages in half lengthways.
Place a sausage in each roll then top with a big spoonful of the chimichurri, chopped tomato, feta and sticky shallots.
If you like you dogs really, really hot you can add a few more slices of red chili!
Hoisin Hot Dogs
Ingredients
1 tbsp sriracha
1 tbsp mayonnaise
6 sausages
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
6 hot dog rolls
¼ cucumber, thinly sliced
4 spring onions, sliced
Method
Mix the sriracha with the mayonnaise. Brush the sausages with the hoisin sauce and cook under a medium-high grill until cooked (12-15 minutes). Cut the rolls open across the top and fill each with a sausage and spoon over some extra hoisin sauce. Top with the cucumber, sriracha mayonnaise mix and spring onions.
