When one orders a gourmet hot dog at a restaurant it comes very large and plump. Where does one obtain these larger dogs to make at home? The usual grocery stores have nothing like this ... they are the smaller "wieners".

I would be interested in an answer to this as well.

More lips & a**holes.

Good question. I've seen "Brisket" Hot dogs. It seems a shame to to that to a nice cut of meat!

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Is 1/4lb big enough?
Costco's quarter pound "beef dinner franks."

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Chopper,

I think in many cases, it's less about gourmet and more about how much water is in the hot dog and how the restaurant cooks them. I've seen hot dogs from a gourmet restaurant served plump with a snap, hot dogs from a gourmet restaurant that aren't plump but still have the snap and hot dogs from a gourmet restaurant that aren't plump and have no snap. I won't buy a hot dog from the last place. Once was enough.

Robert

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Lux Interior
More lips & a**holes.

Yes! Stuff 'em in there.

But also from both the pig and the cow are required in my opinion.

Not sure I would ever use the words "gourmet" and "hot dog" in the same sentence... ;)

But costcos are pretty good and pretty large.

I think restaurants boil them so they don't shrink.

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Edited 999 time(s). Last edit at 12:08PM by jdc.

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jdc
Not sure I would ever use the words "gourmet" and "hot dog" in the same sentence... ;)

</snip>

When it comes to hot dogs, I prefer the descriptor "boutique"

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Make your own. You'll need some hog casings. "Natural" is best...

Sam’s or Costco might have plumper ones.

Look for things called "sausages" on the package, rather than the term "hot dog". Part of it is a branding issue... the good ones don't want to be associated with what passes for a "hot dog".

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Paul F.
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Call them frankfurters:
[www.pearlmeat.com]

Nathan's Colossal.
100% beef

If your "usual grocery stores" have all the meat pre-wrapped in plastic wrap on styrofoam trays, it might be a good time to look around for one with a full-service butcher department staffed by guys in white, bloody aprons and rubber boots.

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At our house, we like Hebrew National quarter pounders.

look for the word "dinner" but obviously there are big fat ones as well that aren't marked as such.

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jdc
Not sure I would ever use the words "gourmet" and "hot dog" in the same sentence... ;)

Then you've never been to Paris. Or at least haven't had a hot dog there. The best I've ever had was at a little place close to Notre Dame cathedral. Footlong hot dog on a french baguette smothered in cheese. I forget what I ordered, but after taking a bite of my wife's hot dog, I had to order one.

They probably get them from a butcher.

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Better brands work well, I sometimes splurge for Kayem or Deutschmacher (formerly a separate company, now owned by Kayem) franks. Made 6 to a pound they are definitely meatier than your standard 8 or 10 to pound hotdogs.

Cooking - some brands cook up well on a grill or in a fry pan. But others work better done in simmering water. Takes a bit of experimentation. Natural casing franks usually do better in water.

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rz
Then you've never been to Paris. Or at least haven't had a hot dog there. The best I've ever had was at a little place close to Notre Dame cathedral. Footlong hot dog on a french baguette smothered in cheese. I forget what I ordered, but after taking a bite of my wife's hot dog, I had to order one.

I haven't, was it the dog, or the toppings? sounds yum.

I miss the costco polish dog...

we have a local "Weiner" place, been there a few times, mostly about the toppings.

[www.weinerworksmadison.com]

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Edited 999 time(s). Last edit at 12:08PM by jdc.

The word snap and hot dog shouldn't be used in the same sentence. I know, I know, but the I prefer not to know 'how the sausage is made'.

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jdc

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rz
Then you've never been to Paris. Or at least haven't had a hot dog there. The best I've ever had was at a little place close to Notre Dame cathedral. Footlong hot dog on a french baguette smothered in cheese. I forget what I ordered, but after taking a bite of my wife's hot dog, I had to order one.

I haven't, was it the dog, or the toppings? sounds yum.

I miss the costco polish dog...

we have a local "Weiner" place, been there a few times, mostly about the toppings.

[www.weinerworksmadison.com]

I found excuses to run errands near Costco just for the Polish dogs loaded with onions and a modest amount of mustard. Granted I burped all the way home.

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“A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand.” Seneca the Younger

The police have no duty to respond. See Castle Rock v. Gonzales, 545 U.S. 748 (2005) or Warren v. District of Columbia[1] (444 A.2d. 1, D.C. Ct. of Ap. 1981)

Judge Lee wrote that “we cannot jettison our constitutional rights, even if the goal behind a law is laudable." 9th Circuit Court of Appeals

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/12/2022 04:58PM by Racer X.

Is there a TRUE butcher and / or meat shop anywhere close by? In the NY Metro area, there was a line of Karl Ehmer Meat Shops that emoployed REAL butchers who were happy to talk with customers. YES, it WAS more expensive than a supermarket or wholesale club but, ANY meat I purchased there was FANTASTIC. If you're lucky enough to have a Karl Ehmer (or other PROFESSIONAL butcher shop) go and talk to a REAL butcher. You'll probably be amazed at what such a professional can do for you.

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JoeH
Better brands work well, I sometimes splurge for Kayem or Deutschmacher (formerly a separate company, now owned by Kayem) franks. Made 6 to a pound they are definitely meatier than your standard 8 or 10 to pound hotdogs.

Cooking - some brands cook up well on a grill or in a fry pan. But others work better done in simmering water. Takes a bit of experimentation. Natural casing franks usually do better in water.

Make a few slices on the dogs when grilling to prevent bursting. But yeah, some dogs are better boiled. Nothing like getting that lunchtime dog from the steamer tin at the back of the "roach coach."

I've never seen a gourmet hotdog so I don't know how big they are.

So I'm guessing they're bigger than the typical 1/4lb dog in supermarkets.

But I like Miller's larger hotdogs (1/4ln, I think) and Safeway's signature brand.

I was extremely disappointed with Hebrew National pack I got at Costco.

Yes, 100& beef, but no taste, zero.

The taste test started with a dog alone, then with mayonnaise and bread, then with all the fixin's.

Zero taste.

Oscar Mayer Beef Bologna tastes much better, probably because of 'impurities'.

I'll give Nathan's a try, and maybe Casper's as well.

Traveling to a Casper's for a couple 1/4lb Casper Dogs uses to be a treat, but the flavor of the dog has been fairly inconsistent of late, from iconic to bland.

Wrapping the National dogs in bacon is a help.

Confidence is not high.


Safeway has some butchers, but I don't think they could do custom orders for hotdogs.

But finding a real butcher shop that could do that would be great.

A 1/3lb dog that was only a little longer than a slice of bread would be awesome.

I don't use buns, they go bad too quick.

Stale, then science project.

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I haven't had a hot dog in literally over a decade.

Are they still as bad for you as has been claimed? Last I heard, they were saying that each dog takes 36 minutes off your lifespan.

I'm also wondering if the veggie (healthier?) options are any good... I've heard they are, but no personal experience.

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jdc

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rz
Then you've never been to Paris. Or at least haven't had a hot dog there. The best I've ever had was at a little place close to Notre Dame cathedral. Footlong hot dog on a french baguette smothered in cheese. I forget what I ordered, but after taking a bite of my wife's hot dog, I had to order one.

I haven't, was it the dog, or the toppings? sounds yum.

Probably mostly the cheese and bread, but I definitely tasted the hot dog.

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mattkime
They probably get them from a butcher.

Yep. Old (hot) dog + old trick = plump.
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the big name hot dog brands are now subs of multinational corps:
Hebrew National is ConAgra.
Nathan's is Smithfield Foods a sub. of the WH Group (China).
Oscar Mayer is owned by Kraft-Heinz (Berkshire Hathaway).

imho, you need to find an all beef sausage produced by an independent
packer like Vienna Beef or Manger's.

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MrNoBody
the big name hot dog brands are now subs of multinational corps:
...
Oscar Mayer is owned by Kraft-Heinz (Berkshire Hathaway).

My guess is Oscar Mayer never had anything remotely resembling "gourmet."

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PeterB
I haven't had a hot dog in literally over a decade.

Same here but I occasionally have bratwurst.

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Speedy

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PeterB
I haven't had a hot dog in literally over a decade.

Same here but I occasionally have bratwurst.

I haven't paid for a hot dog in over a decade--and quite possibly never--but I will eat one occasionally (maybe once or twice a year) when it's free.

I'm also definitely in the "prefer brats" camp.

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