July 4th Cooking Tips

Prepare for 4th of July with some great hot dog cooking tips. And have a happy Independence Day from SupermarketGuru!

Happy Independence Day America! July 4th is just a few days away, and what better way to celebrate than to serve up one of Americas favorite foods, the hot dog… so get ready to fire up the grill and cook!

Below you’ll find SupermarketGuru’s fool proof cooking tips and delicious recipe suggestions that will ensure your hot dogs, whatever style you choose, are true crowd pleasers.

First things first, read the nutrition information and ingredient list, look for franks with few ingredients, ideally 100% beef (or meat of your choice), and no fillers, byproducts, artificial flavors, or ingredients.

Quick Cooking Tips
Hot dogs can be grilled, steamed, boiled, micro-waved, or baked. If you’re grilling your dogs, make sure to control the heat to a medium or medium low heat, charcoal is best. Use tongs to handle the franks as they cook instead of a fork. This way you won’t pierce holes in the franks allowing for the delicious juices to remain inside- this is sure to satisfy your guests!

Chili Dogs (fun to make with the kids!)

Ingredients:
Hot Dogs
2 ½ cup Corn Meal
1 ¼ cup Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Salt
1 tbsp Sugar
1 ¼ cup Buttermilk
1 cup Water
1 egg

Directions:
1. Skewer the franks- leaving at least an inch of the skewer for easily handling
2. Mix all of the ingredients until smooth. Use a cake pan or bowl that will allow for easy dipping
3. Dip skewered franks in the batter
4. Deep fry until golden brown (canola oil works best)
5. Enjoy!

Kebab Dogs
This is another fun recipe for kids and also a great way to include vegetables

Ingredients:
Hot Dogs (cut into bite size chunks)
Bell Peppers- you choose your favorite colors!
Red Onion
Or Your Favorite Vegetables

Directions:
Lightly brush the cut veggies in olive oil- and skewer, alternating the franks and veggies! Grill until veggies are tender and franks are cooked
Dip in mustard, ketchup, bbq sauce or your favorite condiment
Enjoy!

And if you still need more suggestions… Take a look at the list below, and why not set up a condiment bar so your guests can choose the toppings of their choice and celebrate some of America’s cities and tastes while taking a trip on a hot dog bun!

There’s no going wrong here… they choose it… and are sure to be satisfied! And to make it easier on the chef, choose one method of cooking (grilling, steaming, or boiling) and stick to it!

Chicago Dogs: Yellow mustard, dark green relish, chopped raw onions, tomato slices, celery salt and a poppy seed bun

Carolina Dogs: steamed with sauerkraut or coleslaw

Kansas City Dogs: sauerkraut and melted Swiss cheese on a sesame seed bun.

New York City Dogs: boiled with grilled onions and deli mustard

Coney Island Dogs: boiled and topped with a spicy meat chili.

Tex-Mex Dogs: topped with salsa, Monterey Jack cheese, and chopped jalapenos.

Boston Dogs: boiled, then grilled topped with mustard and relish in a potato bun or lobster roll.

And of course SupermarketGuru's favorite? Hebrew National franks grilled on a soft whole wheat bun with NY Joe's onions and Gulden's mustard!