Grilling Hot Dogs Recipe and Hot Dog Ideas 18222 120th Ave NE, Bothell, WA 98011

1. Grilling Hot Dogs Recipe and Hot Dog Ideas
Most hot dog vendors rely on getting some level of repeat business from their customers. The
ability to attract regulars is what can make the difference between an average cart and one that
makes a killing on a daily basis. This is where your menu comes in. Your menu must be just
right if people are to enjoy your food, go away happy and spread the word.
In the following article we look at the importance of hot dog cart menus and how to put them
together. We also offer some ideas on what to include in your menu.
Menu Design
The best menus offer customers enough variety to satisfy them while still being simple enough to
avoid complications. A simple menu is easier to understand and it can help you to avoid errors
and wasted time as people ask questions. A simple menu also means that you won't have
complications when ordering the stock that you need.
Marketing with Menus
Don't forget that your menu can do much more than simply convey information. It should also be
an advertisement for your products. Having some 'mouthwatering' images on your menu can
really boost sales, especially if they have been done by a professional photographer.
You may want to offer 'combo' deals whereby customers can get a full meal for a special price.
The most common deal is to offer a hot dog, a bag of chips and a soda for a price that is much
more attractive than if the items were ordered individually.
Research
Tastes can vary from state to state so you may want to do some research at the local level to find
out what is popular. You will also have to check the provisions of your license as these may
restrict your menu to some degree.
The Main Attraction
Your hot dogs are obviously your main attraction so you must do all that you can to ensure that
you have a five star product. Here are some things to consider.
1) The common frankfurter is your key ingredient, although you can also offer variations like
Polish or Italian sausages. You can also get Kosher hot dogs or even vegetarian hot dogs if you
think that there will be sufficient demand in your area.

2. 2) Look for a local supplier and do some taste testing. In general, you can't go wrong by using a
national brand like 'Nathans'.
3) Some people may want to order 'double' dogs with two frankfurters instead of one. Others
may order a hot dog without the bun, especially if they are trying to limit their carbohydrates
intake.
4) There are many regional variations in the US. A 'Chicago Style' for example never contains
ketchup and in New York they often use a special 'brown onion' sauce.
5) Hot dogs can be boiled or grilled. In the Northern states grilling is more popular while boiling
is common in the south.
6) Always use quality, fresh buns. Some vendors simply steam their buns while others toast
them. Some regional specialties have specific bun requirements such as the 'Chicago Style'
which typically comes served on a poppy seed bun.
7) The sauces and toppings that you can put on hot dogs are endless so you should look for
recipes online to get some inspiration. You may be limited by your license though and you may
not be permitted to use toppings like cheese or mayonnaise that require refrigeration.
Other Common Menu Items
Apart from hot dogs you will want to sell beverages. Soda, diet soda and bottled water offer
excellent profit margins and require little effort to serve on the part of the vendor. Chips and
candy bars are even better as they won't take up your valuable refrigeration space.
Hot dog stands often also sell salads, coleslaws, French fries and nachos to name just a few
common hot and cold food items. You may decide that it is not worth complicating things by
adding too many other products. Your license will also limit you to some extent. However, if you
have a busy location then you may as well test as many products as you can within reason to see
what sells well.

3. I think if you could ask 100 different vendors their opinion on grilling, boiling or steaming you
would find that boiling is most preferred. I will expand on this to help you decide your method of
attack.
Steaming
This is the process of using a spillage pan with the bottom filled with water. Inset into this pan is
a perforated pan that allows the boiling hot water below to steam through onto the food.
Pros: Steam is attractive coming from a cart and allows for quick cooking of frozen foods and
steaming buns. Many of the long time doggers use this method with great success.
Cons: Steaming can change the color of the hot dogs. It also doesn't allow for long holding
periods. Too much steam and your dog will shrivel and some dogs, all depending on the type of
casing and meat, will split and turn grey.
Boiling
This method requires no explanation. Boil water, drop in hot dogs.
Pros: Quickly boil 30 or 40 dogs at a time. Turn off heat when done and they can sit in hot water
while awaiting their fates. Tip: Add in a beef bouillon cube or a can of beer to the boiling water
prior to cooking the first batch. This will saturate the water with flavor and prevent the water
from sapping out the flavor of the dogs. A garlic clove is a great addition also.
Cons: Often referred to dirty water dogs, it holds no negatives for me. I love to boil my dogs and
find that I have less waste and great looking and tasting hot dogs, no matter the brand. However,
dogs can split and bust if boiled too long. 6 minutes from frozen to done is my rule, practice on
your cart to get the timing down.
Grilling

4. Grilling dogs is the most attractive and customer friendly way to serve dogs and involves
cooking your dogs over an open flame.
Pros: They seem to taste better. They are more appealing with grill marks. Grilling creates smoke
from the drippings hitting the hot interior of the grill body, this often has an attractive smell and
can bring folks a running.
Cons: Grilling frozen dogs is difficult, this means you have to have more open and thawed stock.
Grilled dogs do not hold long. If you aren't serving them immediately, the skins get tough and
start to shrivel. Grilling requires more space as you cannot stack hot dogs on a grill like can be
done when boiling or steaming.
A grill either brought with you or attached to a cart makes for great eye candy to customers. I
know I just explained that boiling and steaming would be better, but if you are boiling and
steaming and then using the grill to create the aroma and ambiance that customers love. When
customers start lining up, I often will throw my soaking wet dogs from the boiling pan onto that
super-hot grill, steam and smoke rise and it all smells so good.