It’s definitely that time of year when the bar-b-ques are working overtime in the neighborhood — especially in your own backyard. Hot Dogs seem to be on the grill as much as hamburgers, chicken and steak. But, as you can see from this picture it’s the cuts on the hot dogs of your choice that brings out the best tasting hot dog this side of heaven. And, you add some excellent sauce along with onion, cheese, or sauerkraut, banana peppers, even pickles or sweet pickle relish . . . getting hungry?
One neighbor swears by this sauce that has been handed down in his family. It’s important to allow people to talk . .. and talk they will. As it turned out, it’s not actually a secret family recipe, but a recipe his grandmother clipped out of the newspaper back in the 50’s. Now that I think about it, it may be a secret family recipe, because we don’t know the newspaper and don’t necessarily want to look through newspaper archives . . . and you never know what dear ol’ grandma added or deleted or substituted from the original recipe . . . or how it changed over time . . .
Hot Dog Heaven Sauce Recipe
This recipe makes approximately 1 and 1/2 cups of sauce
Sauce Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup of ketchup
- 3/4 cup of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce — that’s your choice since there are so very many on the market
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- dash of black pepper
Sauce Directions:
- Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and set over high heat.
- Stir occasionally until the mixture just starts to bubble.
- Remove from heat.
- Allow to cool completely.
- It’s up to you if you want to serve your sauce at room temperature or chilled.
Let’s get down to the hot dogs!!
- You’re going to want to set your grill to medium heat — that’s if you have one of those fancy pants bbqs. For the rest of us . . .
- Use a sharp serrated knife to make diagonal cuts into the hot dog. You’re going to have to cut deep into the hot dog, more than halfway through. You’re going to make large “V’s” or “W’s” all the way down the hot dog. Check out the picture at the top of this blog post.
- Grilling is up to you. Some like to grill the hot dogs to black, some just with some black spots.
- You will notice that the hot dogs will be curling up into happy faces. That’s because of the cuts.
Indulge me for a moment to talk about the buns you choose. Now, for this to be a Heavenly Hot Dog, not just any ol’ bargain bun will do. You want something soft, that truly hugs the hot dog and gives you a soft blend of flavor . . . not just the bun . . . you want it to compliment the hot dog, sauce and other stuff you may add inside the bun.
You’re going to butter your hot dog buns and place them on the grill just long enough to get them a bit toasted on the edges.
Now, you’re ready to put the hot dog in the bun, top with the delicious sauce and any other toppings you desire.
If you don’t plan to serve them right away, wrap them in aluminum foil to keep them warm.
That’s it!! Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by!!!
