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When I initially stumbled across the idea of a “spiralized” hot dog, I was, admittedly, tickled. I decided to try it out for myself. And—plot twist!—after giving it a go, I’m not sure I’ll ever grill a hot dog the old-fashioned way again.
There are a few reasons why I’m really into this quirky concept. First, the spiral-cut score increases the “crisp” factor, creating a snappy, caramelized char down and around the dog. And the perfectly grilled grooves become condiment canals for ketchup and mustard. The hot dogs also lengthen a bit after they’re grilled (since they're less constricted by their casing), making them bun-length for an equal meat-to-bun ratio, for a change. Lastly, and most importantly, they’re very, very fun to make.
I find the best way to spiralize a hot dog is to put the sausage on a skewer and then, using a paring knife, cut it from tip to tip while giving the skewer a twirl. When you remove the hot dog from the skewer, you end up with something that looks like a corkscrew of big meaty fusilli that grills up in no time.
After they’re grilled, how you dress your dog is totally up to you. I sometimes like to baste them with BBQ sauce as they cook and then top with coleslaw, pickles, and crushed potato chips. Other times I keep it classic with just a simple slather of spicy brown mustard. But one of my favorite recipes is a Buffalo-style “firecracker” dog that’s basted with hot sauce and then topped with celery, carrot, red onion, blue cheese, and a creamy, spicy mayo.
| 6 | hot dogs |
| 1/2 | cup hot sauce, divided (I prefer Frank's) |
| 1/2 | cup mayonnaise |
| 1/4 | cup sour cream |
| 1/2 | teaspoon celery seed |
| 6 | hot dog buns |
| Crumbled blue cheese, for topping | |
| Finely chopped celery and celery leaves, for topping | |
| Finely chopped red onion, for topping | |
| Finely chopped or shredded carrot, for topping |
| 6 | hot dogs |
| 1/2 | cup hot sauce, divided (I prefer Frank's) |
| 1/2 | cup mayonnaise |
| 1/4 | cup sour cream |
| 1/2 | teaspoon celery seed |
| 6 | hot dog buns |
| Crumbled blue cheese, for topping | |
| Finely chopped celery and celery leaves, for topping | |
| Finely chopped red onion, for topping | |
| Finely chopped or shredded carrot, for topping |
How do you take your hot dog? Let us know in the comments below.
Written by: Grant Melton
Popular on Food52
5 Comments
My favorite is some kind of garlic sausage or some serious Louisiana Hot Links, stretched and crisped, the bun lathered with a good mustard-mayo mix/ketchup (your call) and a pile of pineapple salsa to fill in all the newly opened sausage real estate. My bff and I make one of these and split it (because it's huge done this way).
Also, another plus, those dogs that tend to be greasy? They render a lot of their fat this way so it isn't all soaked up by the bun/roll.
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