The Unconventional Way To Cook Hot Dogs With Way More Flavor

It's easy to look down on the hot dog and believe there's little more you can do with the pedestrian sausage than fry, grill, or boil it, slip in a bun, and pile on the condiments. In fact, you might not even think the humble wiener deserves the promotion to "haute dog", be it at fancy restaurants or on cooking shows. Tasting a hot dog from a griddle may change your mind, though, and even inspire a yelp of "hot dog!" in response. That's because the griddle cooks your hot dog in a way that boosts the flavor. 

Typically square in shape, solid in material, shallow in depth, and flat on the surface, griddles are different than skillets and grills. Firstly, they provide a more even and steadier cooking temperature. That's because flames in a grill dance haphazardly under the dog, especially from hot charcoal or wood sources, and flare when the emulsifying fat — up to 30% of the entire hot dog — drips onto them. This chars portions of the hot dog and creates an inconsistent or burned flavor. Next, because the grease stays on the griddle along with any oil, butter, bacon grease, or tallow added, the flavors in them transfer to the dog. That said, you can also dab it off while cooking or channel into grease catchers, a feature of high-end models or purchased separately.

Griddles come in many shapes and sizes, and the larger they are, the more opportunities to enhance hot dog flavor. That's because you can cook the hot dog alongside its BFFs — buns, toppings like peppers and onions, and side dishes like fries. This way, they all absorb the juices and aroma from the meat, butter, and oil and unite the flavors. Larger griddles make this easy with multiple cooking zones and precision temperature control, by adjusting the knobs on electric or induction versions or the flames beneath it on propane grills. While possible on a charcoal grill, it's far more difficult. The cast-iron that makes most griddles offers another opportunity to improve flavor, as the material imparts tasting notes for many cooks, especially after repeat seasonings — one of the top tips and tricks for using a griddle.

Griddles also welcome creative prepping of the hot dog itself. One favorite method "butterflies" the hot dog lengthwise, opening it like a book and increasing the surface area that comes in direct contact with the griddle. This ensures an even cook inside and out, increases the surface area for toppings, and improves the aesthetics with more browning. Other chefs cross-hatch cut the dog to both open the interior and make it flexible. These techniques get amplified further when combined with some of these hot dog hacks.