Sandwiches & Burgers: Roasted Hot Dogs

I love hot dogs, but I hate boiling them. They get all slimy and icky and are practically inedible. I also hate that even when I roast them, the insides are just...insides. Making the perfect crispy hot dog takes a little more work than boiling it or throwing it in the oven, but it's worth it.


The perfect roasted hot dog has to be sliced, but not all the way through, before it is cooked. You can buy a little plastic device, called a Curl-A-Dog, that will slice your hot dogs before cooking. I have these and they are excellent. If you don't have one, you can achieve the same effect using a skewer and a sharp knife. Details will be included below.


You can use any hot dogs you like. Beef, pork, chicken, or even veggie or soy hot dogs all work well.


Ingredients


1 recipe for Hamburger Buns
12 hot dogs
Various hot dog toppings


Preparation


Make your buns by following the directions in the Hamburger Bun recipe, but shape the buns into hot dog buns instead. You can use a mold, or you can shape them freehand. Either way, they'll have to rise and be baked and cooled before you can proceed. You could, alternatively, use store-bought buns.


Once you have your buns, you can cook your hot dogs. These are roasted, so there won't be any boiling or any other nonsense. But there will be slicing. If you have a Curl-A-Dog, use it to slice your hot dogs. I'm going to assume most people don't have a Curl-A-Dog in a drawer. If you don't, get a metal or wooden skewer. Thread your hot dog onto the skewer end to end (long end). Try to keep the skewer in the middle of the hot dog as you go. If you're going to be cooking the hot dog over an open flame, you can use a roasting stick as your skewer.


Once your hot dog is on the skewer, place the hot dog on a cutting board. Slice into the hot dog with a sharp knife, making deep gashes into the hot dog. You should slice at an angle, all the way down to the skewer. Keep the knife parallel to the cutting board so you don't end up slicing the hot dog to bits. I usually make 8 or 10 slashes in each hot dog.


Turn the hot dog over and repeat. Make sure you have turned the hot dog completely over or you might accidentally slice the hot dog to bits. Make your diagonal slashes, again only to the skewer. Even just shy of the skewer so the hot dog stays intact.


If you're cooking the hot dog on an open flame, you've probably used a roasting stick instead of a skewer. If so, you're ready to roast the hot dog. If you're cooking the hot dog in the oven, you'll want to heat your oven to 400°F and gently remove the hot dog from the skewer. There's no need to cook it on the skewer if you're using the oven. Pull it off, being careful not to tear it, and place it on a baking sheet. Roast or bake your hot dog until it's as done as you like it. I like mine almost black, which takes about 20 minutes in the oven. Most people are happy with a 10 or 15-minute hot dog.


As it cooks, the hot dog will expand and the insides will cook and get crispy. The longer the hot dog cooks, the crispier the sliced edges will become. It's actually quite easy to burn these, so do keep an eye on them.


Once the hot dog is cooked, slice your hot dog buns and place the hot dog inside. Top with mustard, cheese, onions, or anything else you like on your hot dog.


Serve immediately.