Photo: Kowalski’s Market
Hot dogs might not require much in the way of my culinary expertise, but they’re fun; and sometimes, I’m all about food just for the fun of it. Still, I have high expectations. In my estimation, the best tasting dogs start with the best meat. For me, that’s Akaushi, an exclusive Kobe-style waygu beef that’s tender, rich and buttery—and lately I’ve been loving a bánh mì-inspired dog. Here’s the recipe, with a few other suggestions for taking your dogs over-the-top.
Bánh Mì Dogs: A homemade sweet-and-spicy mayo, quick pickled radishes, cukes and carrots, fresh jalapeño slices, quick asian pickles and fresh cilantro leaves
Barbecue Dogs: Barbecue-basted dogs with crisp bacon strips, Dijon mustard, sweet relish, herby-sweet coleslaw and celery seeds
Chicago Dogs: Yellow mustard, Chicago-style sweet relish, finely diced white onions, dill pickle spears, sport peppers, tomato slices and a dash of celery salt on a poppy seed bun
Coney Dogs: Warm beef chili without beans, diced white onions and finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
New York Dogs: Sauerkraut or sautéed onions with spicy brown mustard
Bánh Mì Hot Dogs
Serves 4
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 3 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp. Sriracha sauce
- 4 Market Sausages Gourmet Akaushi All-Beef Hot Dogs
- 4 Kowalski’s hot dog buns, sliced lengthwise ⅔ through the top, lightly toasted
- Quick Asian Pickles, for garnish
- thinly sliced jalapeño peppers and cilantro leaves, for garnish
Preheat a grill to medium-high heat; clean grill grates. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together mayo, hoisin sauce and Sriracha; set aside. Grill hot dogs, covered, until dark grill marks form and dogs are thoroughly hot (about 10 minutes), turning 3–4 times. Spread mayo mixture on cut sides of buns. Place hot dogs in buns; garnish with pickles, jalapeños and cilantro.
Quick Asian Pickles
Makes 1 cup
- ½ English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ½ carrot, peeled and thinly sliced into matchsticks
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced
- 3 Tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
- 3 Tbsp. water
- 4 ½ tsp. sugar
- pinch crushed red pepper
In a small mixing bowl, toss cucumbers with salt. Pour cucumbers into a strainer set over a small bowl; let stand for 45 minutes. Squeeze cucumbers dry with paper towels. In a medium mixing bowl, toss dry cucumbers with carrots and radishes; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, water, sugar and crushed red pepper; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer until reduced to 2–3 Tbsp. (about 10 minutes). Pour sauce over vegetables in the mixing bowl; refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Rachael Perron is the culinary and branding director for Kowalski’s Markets, where she specializes in product development and selection, culinary education and communications. Find more recipes at kowalskis.com.
