People are always surprised when I tell them I like hot dogs. It started when I was a teenager and people would be like, “Ew, you’re eating that??” And it’s true, some hot dogs are super gross (we shan’t talk about those bright red specimens), but there are really delicious hot dogs out there. If there’s ever a food product to spend a little extra money on, this is it. All-beef hot dogs are a great start, and kosher is even better. If you’re gonna do the dogs, I recommend Hebrew National, Nathan’s, or Oscar Mayer Selects Angus Hot Dogs. These Food Truck Hot Dogs are old school, like something your grandma would make, but in a good way, not like in a Meat Jello Mold kind of way. They remind me a lot of J-Dawgs in Utah. If you’re feeding a crowd, this is an easy way to feed a ton of people–you can pop them in a Crock Pot and have them ready for a party later or you can simmer these in less than 30 minutes for a quick dinner on the run (plus you can add 2-3 more packages of hot dogs to one batch of sauce than the recipe calls for). I once had a party where I made these for the kids and Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches (which are always a huge hit) for the grown-ups, Guess what everybody ate? The hot dogs.
The awesome news is that these are super easy. For the sauce, you’ll need apple juice, an onion, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar. See this chili sauce?
That’s what you want–it’s usually near the ketchup in the grocery store; it’s not spicy at all. Yes, people have emailed us before and said that they’ve used Sriracha or other Asian chili sauces in recipes that call for this kind of chili sauce. And they were sad.
instructions
In a large skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat until the bacon is crisp. Drain the bacon on a paper towel, leaving the drippings in the pan. Add the onion and garlicto the drippings and saute until the onions are tender and fragrant. Side note: onions and garlic cooking in bacon drippings is one of the most swoon-worthy smells ever. Place the chili sauce, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, crumbled bacon, and apple juice in the pan and bring to a boil. Add the hot dogs and cook for 5-10 minutes until the sauce is thickened and the hot dogs are hot. Either serve immediately or transfer to a slow cooker set to the low setting. Serve with shredded cheese and chopped onions, drizzled with extra sauce..
