The Diverse & Controversial Nutritional Value of the Hot Dog

 

      Sometimes I go to the more critical side of journalism on my blog, these topics can range from politics to life and most often to the cuisine arena.  Today, we will discuss the versatile American favorite, the hot dog.  Of course, Barb and I enjoy these as much as so most Americans.  

      The 'Frankfurter' was invented in Frankfurt, Germany and quickly emigrated to America.  The major difference between the two is frankfurters are mostly pork based, while the hotdog can be and usually is a variety of meats.  

      The entire process of hot dog construction is worthy of some concern as with most food these days there are entire too many processed food procedures, such as multi-meat fillers, nitrites, and chemical preservatives.  These are the #1 causes of colon cancer in the U.S.  There are several brand names to stay away from, most notably Ball Park Franks.  Only the whole beef variety of these is acceptable.  The best approach to take when buying a quality hot dog is to watch for the above mentioned All Beef label.  These are stuffed with only this and use a minimum number of preservatives.  Also, any brands that use chicken, pork, or turkey are much better and safer as well.    

These are the Top 10 brands of hot dogs (in terms of quality):

1.  Kirkland (COSTCO) Beef Dinner Franks

2.  Ambassador Old Fashioned Weiners

3.  Hebrew National Beef Franks

4.  Oscar Meyer Classic Weiners

5.  Sugardale Hot Dogs

6.  Nathan's Beef Franks

7.  Ballpark Bun Size All Beef Franks

8.  Vienna Beef Jumbo Beef Franks

9.  Bar S Jumbo Franks

10.  Jenny O Turkey Franks 

    Also, the Top 6 restaurant chains serving the best hot dogs: 

1.  Dairy Queen 

2.  Sonic

3.  Nathan's Famous

4.  Wienerschitzel

5.  5 Guys

6.  Shake Shack

**Coincidentally Five Guys slices their dogs in half resulting in a thicker, stacked bun.  Sonic offers a delicious foot long Coney Dog with chili.  

      Now down to the Nitty Gritty:  The Rich 'Mad Chef 'Hilts favorite hot dog recipes.

 

CHICAGO DOG

ROTEL CHEESE DOG

Self-explanatory

BAKED POTATO DOGS

Also, pretty self explanatory 

HOT DOG STUFFED MANICOTTI

1 (8 oz) package manicotti shells

1 (10-count) package hot dogs

1 (16 oz) block Colby-Jack cheese, shredded

4 (15 oz) cans no-bean chili

1 cup Ricotta cheese

1 small white onion, finely diced (optional)

Mustard, for drizzling (optional) 

      Preheat your oven to 350°F.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the manicotti shells according to the package directions, but only until they are pliable and slightly underdone.  Drain and set aside.

      Gently roll or lather each hot dog in Ricotta and stuff into each cooked manicotti shell.

      Spread one can of chili over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.  Arrange the hot dog-stuffed manicotti in a single layer over the chili.

      Pour the remaining cans of chili over the manicotti and top with the rest of the shredded cheese.

      For added flavor, drizzle with mustard and sprinkle with finely diced onions if desired.

      Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

      Remove the foil and bake for another 10–15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and melted.

      Of course, there are also other extraneous uses in spaghetti, baked beans, etc.  However, let's not forget the All-American Hot Dog grilled over the campfire.  I love mine a bit on the overcooked, crispy side.  

"I can't tell you how many hot dogs I've eaten in my life"

Shia Lebouf

 

Barb's Bucket List Emerald Isle Trip

 

      The last, and most important item on my wife's bucket list has always been a trip to Ireland.  We have planned this for nearly a decade now, but recently I thought it might a very nice gift to her to invite a friend along (instead of me) for the trip.  A 'girl's trip' if you will.  After some coordination with a close friend of ours who had planned and executed her own trip, Barb decided to follow her lead.  She spent the past year planning this; coordinating with her friend, Nancy:  passports, IDs, immunizations, etc.   Ireland, Scotland, UK All Inclusive Vacations & Tours | CIE Tours  She has always been way ahead of the curve planning this.  

      Her trip was for September 4-11.  The trip included air fare, a day of independent touring in Dublin, a guided day tour, Blarney/Killarney, Ring of Kerry, Skellig, Cliffs of Moher, and a tour of Galway before returning to Dublin and the trip home.  Total cost for this trip was $7800 for the two of them.  This included the tour, air fare, and travel insurance.  Barb took over 440 shots and it took me several hours to sort thru, collate, and post process these on the laptop.  The rest of this blog post consists of some of the best of Barb's Bucket List Trip.

DUBLIN

     

           

Irish Stew

BUNRATTY CASTLE

Medieval Feast Chicken etc.   

Asssorted Pics

Busses in Dublin

The Merry Ploughboy, Dublin

Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle

Blarney Castle

Killarney Buggy

Countryside

Blarney Castle

Countryside

Countryside

Skellig Village

Skellig Village

Skellig

Coastline

Sheep dog demonstration

Irish traffic jam

Cliffs of Moher

Village Lane

Galway Cathedral

 Fresh Hake and Mixed Salad

      Unfortunately, they experienced 2 cancellations on their trip:  the wait for the Blarney Stone was 2+ hours and the ferry to Skellig Island was cancelled due to weather.  Regardless, Barb and Nancy had the time of their lives.  The enormous smiles on their faces at the airport are proof.  It warmed my heart that she could experience that.  

"Love is never defeated, and I could add, the history of Ireland proves it"

 Pope John Paul II

Smoked Stuffed Pork Loin with Bacon and Gouda

 

      We love pork loin but rarely smoke it.  It is such a versatile piece of pork, from roasted to fried to smoked.  This recipe was recommended to me by BBQ friend online, so we tried it.  It doesn't require much prep other than butterflying the loin and pounding it a bit so you can stuff it easily.  You won't find shredded Gouda cheese so be prepared to do it yourself.  

      Of course I cook these on my wood pit offset smoker, but you can easily do it on a Traeger, Weber Style Grill or Brinkman Portable.  I do suggest a milder smoke wood, such as apple, cherry, or pecan.  Oak is good too, but stay away from Mesquite.....too strong.  

1 pork loin, butterflied

3 Tbs Spicy brown mustard

Kosmos Dirty Bird Rub

¾ cup Gouda cheese shredded 

½ lb. Bacon 

Butcher’s twine

      Cook bacon until it is crispy.  Let it cool then crumble into small to medium sized pieces.

      Buy already shredded cheese or you can buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself.

      First, add a little spicy brown mustard to help the rub stick and then season the butterflied loin with the Dirty Bird Rub.   Evenly spread the cheese and bacon throughout the butterflied loin. 

      Fold the butterflied pork loin over on top of itself.  Apply some spicy brown mustard to the outside of the stuffed pork loin.  Rub the mustard all over the top and bottom of the loin then sprinkle rub on both sides generously.      

      Cut (3) 24 inch pieces of butchers twine for each pork chop to tie it up.  Lay the pieces of twine parallel and at about 2 inch intervals.  Lay the loin on top of the twine.  

      Loop each piece of twine over the loin, pull it tight and tie a knot that will hold.  Trim the extra string with scissors or a sharp knife.

    Set up your smoker for cooking indirectly at about 225°F using cherry or your favorite smoking wood.  Once the smoker is ready, place the loin directly on the grate.

      You can expect the pork loin to take from about 2-3 hours depending on actual thickness, how often you open the lid, weather conditions, and how cold the meat was when it went into the smoker.

      Ultimately, the pork is done and ready to eat when they reach 145°F.  Be sure to measure pork and not the filling temps. In the end this cook took 4 hours.  Do not forget to cut and remove the butcher's twine.  Honestly the bacon and gouda meld throughout the loin which results in a divine taste.  

      Serve with potatoes and choice of roasted vegetables, including collard greens.  THIS IS THE BEST TASTING PORK LOIN I HAVE EVER TASTED. 

"If I had to narrow my choice of meats down to one for the rest of my life, I'm quite certain that meat would be pork"

James Beard