Grill Hacker: You've Been Cooking Hot Dogs Wrong Your Entire Life — Learn from a Master

You've Been Cooking Hot Dogs Wrong Your Entire Life — Learn from a Master

Everyone enjoys summers more than I do. At least, that's how it seems. While I take pleasure in the decline of clothing covering up my lady friends, I could definitely pass on the heat and absurd air conditioning costs. However, one summer staple that balls above all else is cooking on the grill.

Now, I know most of you think you're Gordon Ramsay when it comes to cooking out, but it never hurts to learn a few new tricks — even when it comes to just throwing some hot dogs on the grill. I like my hot dogs crispy, but crispy on the outside just isn't enough. In order for them to taste even better and more evenly cooked, the secret is to spiralize them before cooking.

Step 1: Materials

You'll need skewers (wooden or metal), a knife, and of course, your hot dogs.

Step 2: Skewer Your Dog

What you want to do is skewer the dog(s) right up the middle.

Image by Chowhound/YouTube

Step 3: Make Your Cuts

Then either make individual cuts along the hot dog or roll the hot dog with the knife placed inside the meat.

Image by Chowhound/YouTube

Step 4: Grill to Perfection

Once that's done, you can take your spiral dogs and place them on the grill. Since the inside of the dogs are exposed, the meat will cook more quickly, so be sure to keep an eye out for them. Remove from heat once they're charred to your liking.

Image by Chowhound/YouTube

Step 5: Add Your Condiments

The spiral design makes for a great condiment catcher, allowing the relish, mustard, and ketchup to settle inside of the hot dog itself, instead of sitting on top and sliding all over the place.

Image by Chowhound/YouTube

Watch the Video!

The spiral hot dog is perfect for the summer, so make sure to impress your crowd with this super cool and easy technique. For more visual instructions, check out the short video guide from Blake Smith of Chow.

Do you have any other grilling tips for the summer? Let us know in the comments section.

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Cover image via Chowhound/YouTube

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