Few foods are so loved yet so misunderstood.
Americans indeed love the homely hot dog. We consume more than 150 million of them on the Fourth of July alone, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council—yes, there is such a thing—and spent some $2.5 billion on grocery store 8-packs, just in 2013.
Chefs with great culinary reputations are now turning their attention to the workaday dog. In Dallas, Brian Luscher prepares his Post Oak Red Hots with local, hormone-free meat, and smokes them over oak. At Hot Doug”s in Chicago it”s possible to order duck dogs topped by foie gras mousse and sel gris. Absinthe in San Francisco serves a version made from Kobe beef and Berkshire pork.
In terms of hot dog consumption, San Francisco ranks in the top ten of all American cities.
“They”re part of the fabric of this nation,” explained Gary McAuley, owner of the hot dog cart parked on Main Street in Lakeport every workday. “It”s filling, it”s convenient, it”s mobile.”
Despite the association with ballparks and backyards, Americans first fell for hot dogs served from such carts. pushed along New York streets in the 1860s—long before Nathan”s in the Big Apple or Miller”s in Oakland gained fame.
McAuley offers both Nathan”s and Miller”s from his cart. His all beef dogs include a massive quarter pound beast from Nathan”s.
“It”s like biting into a regular piece of meat,” he said.
Confusion over the dog perhaps starts there. Some historians believe the name began as a slur over the source of meat used in the hot dog making process. The term “variety meats” or “leftover bits” creeps into almost every conversation about hot dogs. And the creamy texture leads to other questions, which opponents of the food say are best left unasked. Yet NHDSC insists the meat is table grade and the texture a result of the high speed chopping process, which creates an emulsion of meat and spices.
Some mass produced brands may seem suspicious, McAuley acknowledged. But, he added, “your old players have always had high quality meats.”
Then there”s the name itself. Franfurter, wiener, frank, dog, red hot, link—all can be substituted for the hot dog with reasonable accuracy. The Frankfurter, of course, refers to the German city of Frankfurt. Some claim the dish can be traced there. Wiener is an Americanization of a German word, identifying the dog with Vienna.
Naturally, the man behind Nathan”s—Nathan Handwerker—was an immigrant from Poland.
And few people agree on toppings. Although mustard is relatively common, in New York a mound of steamed onions is considered traditional. Chicagoans load theirs with relish, pickles, chopped onions and more, piled into a poppy seed bun. The versatile treat can be covered in chili, sauerkraut, grilled peppers or just about anything imaginable.
“A lot of people are surprised by the variety,” said McAuley, who carries grilled onions, peppers, chili, cheese, Siracha and six or seven other options every day. “But if you only like mustard, you only like mustard.”
Lakeport”s hot dog cart has been a fixture for three years. McAuley parks as close as possible to the corner of Second and Main on weekdays from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. He returns to the downtown streets Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 10 p.m.—remaining in place until 3 a.m.—to feed the bar crowds.
“He fills a niche,” customer Sue Bolander said.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
