Chili Dog, Spradlin's Dairy Delight (Arkansas)

By: Sara Ventiera

Chili Dog, Spradlin's Dairy Delight (Arkansas) 

One of those dishes of unknown origin, the Frito Chili Pie — corn chips topped with bold chili, cheese and crisp onion — is claimed by many places throughout the South and Southwest. This 1957 England, Arkansas, dairy is one. Owner Claude Spradlin claims that infamous dish has been on the menu for more than a half-century. And while he still serves plenty of chili-topped Fritos, he sells a lot more hot dogs coated in that same sauce. Spradlin's chili dogs follow the Arkansas ethos, its footlong dog topped with mustard, chili and slaw with optional additions of American cheese, pickled jalapenos and raw onions. And, of course, Fritos are available on the side.

Reindeer Dog, International House of Hot Dogs (Alaska)

By: Sara Ventiera

Reindeer Dog, International House of Hot Dogs (Alaska)

Long before the wild game sausage trend took over gastropub menus across the United States, Anchorage residents where noshing on dogs showcasing one locally ubiquitous, otherwise rare ingredient: reindeer. Reindeer has been a summertime street cart specialty in the Last Frontier for more than two decades. But International House of Hot Dogs serves its McKinley Dog throughout the year - sleigh-pulling season included. It starts with a hearty and heavily spiced Polish-style reindeer sausage in a bun with a simple combination of sauteed onions and a sweet and smoky homemade chipotle sauce.

Sonoran Hot Dog, Aqui con el Nene (Arizona)

By Sara Ventiera

Sonoran Hot Dog, Aqui con el Nene (Arizona)

Peddled by hundreds of restaurants and street cart-pushing hotdogueros throughout Tucson and Phoenix, Sonoran hot dogs are so common in Arizona, they might as well be called Grand Canyon wieners. Beef franks are swaddled in bacon and griddled until they fuse together like a carnivorous candy cane. Those flavorful franks are cradled in a fluffy Mexican baguette, then topped with a whole shebang of toppings like pinto beans, onions, tomatoes, mayonnaise, mustard and spicy salsa. At Aqui con el Nene in Tucson, those exceptional dogs are served chilipon-style with a toasted bun and melted cheese with all the old reliables and a world-class jalapeno sauce.

Birmingham Hot Dog, Gus's Hot Dogs (Alabama)

By Sara Ventiera

One of the oldest hot dog stands in a city that was once home to countless frank purveyors, Gus’s is the place to try the Birmingham hot dog developed by the city’s early Greek immigrants. Both the regular and the "special" dogs feature a half pork-half beef weenie charred on the 70-year-old grill and served in a steamed standard issue bun with yellow mustard, chopped white onion, sauerkraut and spice-scented special sauce that’s like a sweeter, tangier version of New York pushcart-style onions. The special, with the addition of ground beef, is city’s storied hot dog claim to fame, as owner Lee Pantazis sees it. "A small piece of history wedged in a bun covered in sauce," he says.

Copycat Whistle Dog

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Author: Tara Noland

This Copycat Whistle Dog is taken from A&W who no longer have this on their menu. You can now make your own at home!

Hot dogs, all beef, sliced down the middle but not all the way through

Hot dog bun, toasted

Cheddar Cheese, grated

Bacon, cooked crisp

Sweet Relish

White onion, finely chopped

Add toppings to your personal preference

To Make

Heat up the bbq to medium and grill the hot dogs on both sides until nice grill marks appear. Toast the buns on the grill, open side down. Place one hot dog in each bun and fill the hot dog with cheese. Run it under a broiler to melt. Top with crisp bacon, relish and onion if desired. Serve immediately.

The Classic Dog

When Pat and Gina Neely went on a hunt for some of the best eats around Kansas City on Road Tasted with the Neelys, they stopped by Fritz' s Meat & Superior Sausage for a taste of its prized smoked bacon. But this small Leawood, Kansas, butcher shop is known for way more than its luscious cured pork belly. As one of Kansas Cityâ s oldest smokehouses, established in 1927, all of the meats and sausages sold from this butcher are top notch - including its hot dogs. During lunch, locals lineup for housemade all-beef dogs simply served with mustard and sauerkraut or dressed up with a bacon wrap, deep-fried and gussied up like a BLT in the HDBLT.

Grilled Link Hot Dogs with Homemade Pickle Relish

Recipe courtesy of

Bobby Flay

Ingredients

8 link hot dogs

Assorted mustards (brown, horseradish, sweet and hot, Dijon, etc.)

Ketchup

Best-quality hot dog buns

Homemade Pickle Relish, recipe follows

Homemade Pickle Relish:

1 1/2 cups cider vinegar

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

2 tablespoons sugar

8 large dill pickles (sour, not half-sour), finely diced

1 small red pepper, grilled, peeled, seeded, and finely diced

1 small yellow pepper, grilled, peeled, seeded, and finely diced

1 small white onion, finely diced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

To Make

Heat grill to high. Grill the hot dogs until golden brown on all sides. Place in buns and top with your favorite mustard and the Homemade Pickle Relish.

Homemade Pickle Relish:

Bring vinegar, mustard seeds, and coriander seeds to a boil in a medium non-reactive saucepan on the grates of the grill; cook until reduced to by half and slightly syrupy. Remove from the heat, add the remaining ingredients, and gently toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Show: Boy Meets Grill

Episode: Take Me Out to the Ballgame

West Virginia-Style Hot Dog

Directions

Grilled or Boiled Hot Dog

Cook on hot oiled grates, turning, until charred, about 5 minutes. Or cook in boiling water or beer, 4 to 6 minutes.

Chili

Combine 1 pound ground beef, 1/2 grated onion, 1 cup tomato sauce and one 6-ounce can tomato paste in a large pot. Stir in 1 tablespoon each chili powder and sugar, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon each pepper and garlic salt and 1 cup water. Add 1 bay leaf, then cover and simmer over medium-low heat until thick, about 2 hours. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar and simmer 30 more minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

Coleslaw

Yellow Mustard

Photograph by Levi Brown

Recipe courtesy of Katie Lee for Food Network Magazine

From: Food Network Magazine

Spicy Bacon Hot Dog

Directions

Pan-Fried Hot Dog

Cook in a hot cast-iron skillet with a little oil, butter or bacon fat, about 5 minutes.

Bacon and Onions

Cook 4 chopped bacon slices in a skillet over medium-high heat until the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 thinly sliced onion; cook, stirring, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon each soy sauce and lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.

Mayonnaise

Spicy Chips

Spread 1 cup lightly crushed tortilla chips on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chili-lime powder (such as Tajen brand) and toss to coat. Bake at 350 degrees F until lightly toasted, 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool.

Ketchup

Yellow Mustard

Photograph by Levi Brown

Recipe courtesy of Marcela Valladolid for Food Network Magazine

From: Food Network Magazine

New York Street-Cart Dog

Cook in boiling water or beer, 4 to 6 minutes.

Onion Sauce

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 thinly sliced onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons honey and 1/2 teaspoon each ground cinnamon and chili powder; cook 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Simmer until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.

Spicy Brown Mustard

Sauerkraut

Photograph by Levi Brown

Recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay for Food Network Magazine

From: Food Network Magazine