If you’re like most people, when you think about traditional American cuisine, you think about hamburgers and hot dogs. In fact, you can’t get much more American than the hot dog. It’s a staple of summertime outdoor grilling, is sold in almost every sports concession stand ever, and is a solid standby when you need a good, quick, hearty meal. Unfortunately, it can also be a little boring.
With 4th of July festivities approaching, it may be time to start taking your hot dog recipes a little bit more seriously. Here are some of our favorite suggestions to take your dog game to the next level. And if you have any favorite recipes of your own, let us know in the comments.
1. The Chutney Dog – Chutneys are hugely popular throughout Europe, the Middle East, and south Asia. Unfortunately, this delicious treat has had some difficulties making inroads on to the North American table. Or grill. This is a mistake that we will be rectifying in the near future here at The Culinary Exchange, but in the meantime I’ll just give you the basics. A chutney is a condiment, somewhat similar to relish. It’s widely used in South Asian cuisines to add a dash of sweet spiciness to a dish, and it can transform your everyday hotdog into something extraordinary.
So what kind of chutney should you put on your hot dog? It’s up to you, but for celebrating the 4th, you might look to something as American as Apple Pie – this wonderful apple chutney from the Barefoot Contessa herself.
2. The Curry Dog – As you can see, I’m on a little bit of a South Asian kick here, but that’s what we’re all about here – taking interesting little fusion detours. So our next hot dog recipe follows that train of thought to curry. After all, if chutney on a hot dog is delicious, then why not curry? After all, there are curries to fit every taste and pairing.
Like chutney, curry isn’t something that has quite made it into the kitchens of most American home chefs. Like many strange and exciting foods from faraway places, it can seem intimidating to learn to cook and use. Fortunately, it’s a pretty simple sauce to make, and can be thickened up to serve as a replacement for ketchup or mustard on a frank, or combined with vegetables to make an almost “Chicago Style” hot dog topping. For inspiration, check out our collection of curry recipes, or for the truly dedicated, look up 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer.
3. Tortilla Dog (or Pigs in a Poncho) – What do you do when you want a hot dog, but don’t have any hot dog buns? You get creative, that’s what. I’ve used pretzel buns, baguettes – all kinds of bread to make impromptu hot dog buns out of whatever is lying around in the cupboard. But something that makes a really great hot dog bun is a tortilla. Throw a few choice ingredients inside of a tortilla, add a hot dog, roll it up, and cook it in a skillet. BS in the Kitchen has a quick and tasty looking recipe that’s perfect.
4. Greek Dog – Who doesn’t love Greek food? And who says that hot dogs can’t get some delicious Greek food treatment? Take a basic hot dog and top it high with tzatziki, feta cheese, and pickled onions. Not sure how to whip up a batch of tzatziki? It’s simple, only consists of a few ingredients, and only takes a few minutes. Cooking for Engineers has a great recipe on their website, and The Joy of Cooking has a great yogurt sauce that could work well as a topping, too.
5. The Banana Dog – Who says hot dogs can’t be a dessert? In fact, who says hot dogs have to contain hot dogs? In fact, here at the Culinary Exchange, we don’t think it’s a coincidence that bananas are perfectly shaped to fit inside hot dog buns. For a delicious and healthy way to end a day of stuffing yourself full of grilled meat, try throwing a banana on the grill. Once it’s good and toasty, you can put it on a bun and smother it with any number of delicious and healthy options like peanut butter, honey, or jelly. If you’re feeling particularly creative, you can even make a fruit “relish” to top off your fruit-dog.
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