With hot dog season upon us, I thought that it might be a good time to talk about some of the best hot dog toppings available. There are so many ways to top the terrific tubular treat that it can be hard to narrow down the field. With that said, here are my picks for five of the best:
Mustard
At first blush, mustard may strike a few folks as a boring way to top a hot dog. For me, it’s one of my favorite toppings. Remember, mustard does come in several different varieties. Therefore, it is only as boring as you want to make it. There are hot mustards, yellow mustards, coarse ground mustards, Dijon style mustards and spicy brown style mustards to choose from. Personally, I am a big fan of the spicy brown style, the course ground style and the Dijon style mustards.
Onions
I don’t know about you, but I love topping my hot dogs with onions. There are quite a few ways to do it. For starters, you could choose a red onion, a white onion or a yellow onion. Personally, I like all three. Once you’ve narrowed down what type of onion you want, you get to choose how to prepare it. Options include sauteed onions, raw onions, fried onions or onions that have been smothered with a sauce. I like using raw red onions or sauteing the yellow and white onions as a hot dog topping.
Sauerkraut
Using sauerkraut as a hot dog topping also opens up a world of opportunities. After all, sauerkraut is merely cabbage that has been shredded and fermented. You can opt to make your own. There is an array of different cabbages that you can choose from like savory, Napa, green or red. You could also skip the muss and fuss by buying pre-made sauerkraut. If you ask me, the Andre Laurent Company makes some interesting varieties of pre-made sauerkraut that you may want to try. Each one has a unique flavor profile that is based on a distinct region.
When it comes to meat sauces as hot dog toppings there is a cavalcade of delicious options to choose from. You can go with chili sauce, Greek sauce, Texas sauce, Coney sauce or some other variation. Personally, I like all four. Texas sauce, however, is one of my favorites. It is traditionally made with hamburger, onions and garlic. The Coney sauce is similar only it also uses tomato sauce and chili powder. Greek sauce uses the same ingredients as the Texas and Coney sauces only with a twist. It also typically includes cumin powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, paprika and sweet basil.
Cheese
Depending on what mood you’re in, you may want to top your hot dog with provolone or feta cheese. I also like my hot dogs topped with cheddar or a pepper jack cheese sauce. You may prefer a different type of cheese. In my opinion, when it comes to great cheese toppings you are really only limited by your palate and your wallet.
Killeen Gonzalez enjoys summer sports and recreation with her family. She has also traveled extensively.
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