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See why.The Best All-Beef Hot Dogs
We ate hundreds of hot dogs to unlock the mystery of this classic summertime sausage.
Published June 1, 2016. Appears in Cook's Country April/May 2007, Cook's Country TV Season 1: Southern Regional Recipes
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See Everything We TestedWhat You Need To Know
From the “hot water” sausages of Coney Island to the pineapple-topped “puka dogs” of Kauai, you can find a hot dog in nearly every corner of America. While how you dress your dog varies with regional custom (like your hot dogs with ketchup? Don’t show your face in Chicago), the sausages themselves remain relatively constant across all 50 states—a mixture of meat trimmings, water, salt, and seasonings is stuffed into casings (sometimes natural but usually made from cellulose) and then smoked and cooked. Cellulose casings are stripped off after cooking, so most supermarket hot dogs are skinless.
Traditional frankfurters—the kind originally brought over by European immigrants in the mid-1800s—are primarily pork-based and can still be found in supermarkets nationwide. But nearly every hot dog manufacturer we talked to told us that all-beef hot dogs now vastly outsell traditional frankfurters because of their punchier meatiness and more straightforward ingredient list. (Pork frankfurters today are often bulked up with added poultry or soy.) With the goal of finding the best supermarket all-beef hot dogs, we cooked up the seven top-selling national varieties of skinless dogs for 21 America’s Test Kitchen staffers. To keep everything consistent, we locked away the condiments and served the hot dogs two ways: first boiled and bunless and then grilled and stuffed into buns.
Tasters immediately took issue with thin or skimpy dogs that practically disappeared when we nestled them into standard buns. Almost half the samples were deemed too petite by tasters, so we broke out a scale and calipers to measure the dogs. Top dogs were up to 12 percent plumper than lower-ranked ones, allowing for a higher meat-to-bun ratio in each bite. Our favorite hot dogs were also almost 20 percent heavier than low-scoring products—51 grams per dog versus 41 grams.
But bigger wasn’t always better, as some larger dogs had texture issues. Two products were downgraded for their off-putting textures: one was too dry, the other too wet and squishy. The ideal hot dog has a bouncy, snappy texture and a moderate moisture level; from our prior investigating in other sausage stories, we know that this ideal texture is achieved, in part, by a proper balance of fat and protein. So we scrutinized the ingredient labels and compared fat and protein levels. Though they all contained similar amounts of protein, the dog that tasters deemed dry was far too lean, with less than half the fat of our winner—about 7 grams of fat compared with 15 grams of fat in our top-ranked product. We preferred dogs with more fat, which were tender and juicy with just the right amount of boun...
Everything We Tested
Recommended
This product emerged as top dog for its “supersmoky” meatiness and “juicy,” “snappy” texture. Tasters thought these “plump” hot dogs were the “perfect size” and gave a “nice contrast to the bun.” “This is my ideal dog,” said one happy taster.
Another “big and substantial” dog, this “juicy” sausage was “meaty” and “tender,” with “just the right amount of smoke.” Tasters thought the “mild,” “subtle” spice blend used in this product was “classic” and “familiar.”
Recommended with reservations
These dogs were plenty “meaty” and “juicy,” with a “firm” texture, though a few tasters noted a “sour” aftertaste. While these dogs were slightly too “small” for some tasters, most agreed that they had a “salty” kick and a “hint of smoke” that stood up against the bun.
Tasters liked the “intensely savory” beefiness and “springy” texture of these dogs, but most thought these “slim,” “skinny” sausages weren’t big enough for a standard bun. Still, many praised this product for its “juicy” tenderness and “slightly spicy” flavor.
These “very skinny” sausages were among the smallest in our lineup, and while tasters liked their “smoky” meatiness, most thought they got “lost in the bun.” Some also thought these dogs, which list corn syrup as their third ingredient, were a little too sweet.
Not Recommended
“Mush mush mush!” said one taster, complaining about these “spongy,” “flabby” sausages, which were likened to “school cafeteria hot dogs.” The few tasters that could get past the “creepy soft” texture found these dogs dominated by a “sweet,” “bologna-y” flavor.
Tasters came up with a hodgepodge of descriptions for the “odd,” “tart” flavors in this hot dog, from “cabbage” and “broccoli” to “sea water” and “low tide.” “I have never had a hot dog with this taste,” remarked one unhappy taster. Equally unimpressive was this dog’s “crumbly,” “mealy” texture, which left a “cottony” dryness in tasters’ mouths.
Reviews you can trust
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