Hot Dog!

It may seem unpatriotic or even treasonous, in this Bicentennial year, to suggest that our beloved frankfurter--America's ubiquitous hot dog--is a German immigrant. Nevertheless, it's true--at least technically. As a member of the sausage family, of which there are more than 500 varieties, the frankfurter has a long and noble genealogy. Born of necessity as a means of preserving food, sausage was known to Homer, Aristophanes and Apicius. It was a favorite nosh of carousing Romans during their periodic freak-outs. Sausages were so closely associated with pagan revels that the Emperor Constantine banned them after his conversion to Christianity. That experiment was no more successful than our own attempt at Prohibition. A big (continued on page 170)Hot Dog!(continued from page 111) trade in bootleg sausage soon developed and the edict was ultimately repealed.

The frankfurter is a relatively recent addition to the sausage tribe. Hot-dog annalists credit the butchers' guild of Frankfurt am Main with formulating the prototype Hund, in 1852. It is further alleged that the sleek, low-slung silhouette was inspired by a pet dachshund, adored by one of the butchers. German trenchermen took to the trim, taut, spicy beef-and-pork mixture, eating it from a plate with potatoes, sauerkraut and a dab of sweet mustard--much as they do today.

But superstardom lay only an ocean away. The 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis was the launching pad that sped the hot dog to glory and Anton Ludwig Feuchtwanger was the vehicle. Feuchtwanger, whose name will rank with Paul Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed when the folk history of our country is written, was peddling his sizzling Wursts to hungry hordes at the Expo. Since the Hündchen were too hot to handle and a mite greasy, the enterprising vendor lent white cotton gloves to every customer. Larcenous souvenir hunters soon made off with his stock of gloves. The dauntless Feuchtwanger countered by incasing the wiener in a soft bread roll--an edible holder that also protected delicate digits. With this simple stroke of genius, Feuchtwanger transformed the frankfurter into the all-American hot dog.

Actually, the term hot dog did not surface until a few years later. It is attributed to a clever sports cartoonist, Thomas A. "Tad" Dorgan, who worked a talking frankfurter into his cartoons--calling it a hot dog. Dorgan, something of a phrasemaker, is also responsible for dumbbell, 23 skidoo and drugstore cowboy.

Americans gobble hot dogs at a ferocious rate. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (there's also a hot-dog queen) expects that we'll do away with 18 billion wieners this year--if everyone pitches in. On a roll, with mustard or mustard and sauerkraut is the most popular way, but there are countless hot-dog embellishments: catsup, chili sauce, Thousand Island dressing (if you can stomach that), chili with beans, bacon bits, pickle, barbecue sauce, pickle relish with crushed pineapple and any number of cheeses, from taco-spiced to provolone. Californians lean to the corn dog--dipped in corn-meal batter and deep-fried. In Kansas City, an intrepid gastronome can sample the Reuben Dog (sauerkraut, melted Swiss), the Chicago Dog (mustard, relish, onion), the Kansas Dog (mustard, cheddar cheese) and a New York Dog (cheddar, bacon) that the Big Apple has yet to see. New York vendors do offer savory stewed onions, originally a Hispanic specialty, now as part of the city's multinational cuisine.

No matter how sophisticated one's palate, there are places only a hot dog will do--circuses, carnivals, fairs, amusement parks, political rallies, Independence Day picnics and other outings. It was front-page news when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt introduced the king of England to our national soul food at a Hyde Park picnic. But the one place where hot dogs are absolutely indispensable is the sports event. A whopping 60 percent of those who attend sports attractions will end up chomping a red-hot, according to concessionaires. And they're firm believers in the Vince Lombardi doctrine "Winning is the only thing." If the home team takes a comfortable lead early on, hot-dog sales are brisk. Sandy Koufax may have enthralled the faithful, but he'll never make the Vendors' Hall of Fame. His 1--0 nail biters held the fans' minds on the game, while concessionaires "sat on their hands."

Frankfurters have not changed significantly in their 124-year history. Today's hot dog is usually a combination of beef and pork that is cured, seasoned, finely ground, stuffed into casings and linked. Finally, the franks are lightly smoked and given a hot-water bath, so that they're ready to eat as purchased. However, it is advisable to reheat them, for both sensory and sanitary reasons.

Hot dogs come off the linker in a variety of sizes and shapes, from the foot long to the diminutive Lily Pushin. If you assume Lily Pushin is the name of some celebrated diva, you're way off the mark. It happens to be the trade's arresting interpretation of Lilliputian. Your average frank runs a shade over five inches--seven to the yard on the linker. Dinner franks are somewhat plumper; Knackwurst is even plumper and spicier. The longest dog was a 164-footer, contrived for the First Baptist Church of New Philadelphia, Ohio.

Taste preferences are, of course, subjective--and, in the case of hot dogs, regional. Brands popular in the Midwest are apt to be milder and softer. Easterners and people in ethnic centers want more seasoning. Beef frankfurters tend to be both firmer and spicier than meat frankfurters. (The terms all-beef and all-meat have been discontinued. The Government considers them inappropriate for a product containing 15 percent of other ingredients--ten percent added water, corn syrup, seasonings and preservatives.) Franks labeled imitation can be made with almost anything--and generally are.

Connoisseurs say a top dog should be succulent, beefy, aromatic with spices, tender yet crisp and lightly tanged with smoke--but not smoky. They want a little pop, a spurt of juice and a fragrant puff of steam when they make contact. But that calls for natural, preferably sheep, casing. However, most hot dogs sold in the United States--and virtually all of those sold in supermarkets--are skinless. There's a relatively new edible casing fabricated from beef collagen (a gelatinlike protein occurring in vertebrates), but, despite manufacturers' claims, it is not identical to sheep casing. One bastion of natural casing is the kosher hot dog sold in delicatessens. Prior to World War Two, kosher franks were scarcely known beyond the Hudson River. But with the gourmet explosion, these beef frankfurters went public, thriving in such unlikely outposts as Colorado, Arizona and Texas. Kosher hot dogs are seasoned liberally. After several cases of garlic shock were reported, the spicing mixture was tempered slightly to accommodate genteel palates but not enough to disappoint the regulars.

In recent years, hot dogs have taken quite a panning--and the chief cook is Ralph Nader. It's a murky situation, but it would appear that hot dogs are neither the nutritional bargain painted by the industry nor the "deadly missiles" denounced by Nader. At this point, an intensive, coordinated, Government-sponsored research project is required. The controversy swirls, but it will not deter the avid frankophile in his pursuit of hot-dog happiness. The following recipes can only advance this laudable endeavor.

Hot dog on a roll

Put hot dogs in pan of cold water. Bring to a boil; lower heat and simmer 5 minutes. Drain. Place in cold frying pan over medium heat. Grill until lightly browned, 6 or 7 minutes, turning often. Serve on warmed roll--with mustard and sauerkraut.

Note: For a tangy French touch, try potent Dijon or mellow, aromatic Pommery mustard.

[recipe_title]Choucroute Americaine[/recipe_title]

[recipe]2 tablespoons oil or bacon drippings[/recipe]

[recipe]1 large onion, chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]27-oz. can sauerkraut[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon caraway seeds[/recipe]

[recipe]12-oz. can beer[/recipe]

[recipe]1 lb. hot dogs[/recipe]

Heat oil in large skillet and sauté onion until soft. Drain sauerkraut; rinse in cold water and drain well. Add sauerkraut and caraway seeds to skillet; cook 2 minutes. Add beer, reduce heat and cover skillet. Simmer 20 minutes. Place hot dogs on top of kraut; simmer 10 minutes more, uncovered. Serve on plate with parsley potatoes.

[recipe_title]Super Pooch[/recipe_title]

Slit frankfurters lengthwise, about halfway through. Shred sharp cheddar cheese and insert in frankfurters. Wrap a strip of bacon around each and secure with toothpick. Place in shallow pan and bake in 425° oven until bacon is crisp. Remove picks. Put franks in rolls and garnish to taste.

[recipe_title]Frank and Beans[/recipe_title]

[recipe]2 cans (1 lb. each) pork and beans in tomato sauce[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup catsup[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons finely chopped onion[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce[/recipe]

[recipe]2 teaspoons prepared mustard[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons brown sugar[/recipe]

[recipe]1 lb. frankfurters[/recipe]

Combine beans with catsup, onion, Worcestershire and mustard. Spoon into lightly greased baking dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Cut lengthwise slits in frankfurters, then cut each in half crosswise. Arrange on top of beans. Bake in 325° oven 25 minutes or until beans are bubbly and frankfurters lightly browned.

[recipe_title]Pagan's Potage[/recipe_title]

[recipe]I can condensed black-bean or pea soup[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons dry sherry[/recipe]

[recipe]2 teaspoons finely chopped onion[/recipe]

[recipe]1 frankfurter, sliced[/recipe]

Prepare soup according to directions on can. When hot, add sherry, onion and frankfurter. Simmer 10 minutes.

[recipe_title]Chili Dog[/recipe_title]

[recipe]1 small onion, chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]1 clove garlic, chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1-lb. can red kidney beans[/recipe]

[recipe]8-oz. can tomato sauce[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste Salt, pepper, to taste[/recipe]

[recipe]8 frankfurters[/recipe]

[recipe]8 rolls, warmed[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup shredded lettuce[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 1b. Monterey Jack or Swiss cheese, shredded[/recipe]

Heat oil in large skillet and sauté onion and garlic until soft. Add kidney beans with liquid, tomato sauce and seasonings. Bring to a boil; lower heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add frankfurters; simmer 10 minutes more. Fill rolls with hot dogs and beans. Top each with lettuce and cheese.

July is National Hot Dog Month. Take a hot dog to lunch ... brunch ... the beach ... the ball game ... bed. Whatever turns you on!