American · Free recipe
Ballpark Hot Dogs
All-beef franks simmer gently in water spiked with a little beer, then finish on a hot griddle for a snappy, blistered casing. Steamed buns stay pillowy, and a quick sweet onion relish cooked down with mustard and a pinch of sugar tastes exactly like the seventh inning stretch.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- 8
- Level
- Easy
Method
-
Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the onions with the salt for 12 minutes, stirring often, until soft and light gold.
-
Stir in the mustard, sugar, and water and cook 2 minutes more until the onions look glossy and saucy; keep warm.
-
Bring the beer and 2 cups of water to a bare simmer in a wide pan and add the hot dogs for 5 minutes, keeping the liquid below a boil so the casings do not split.
-
Transfer the hot dogs to a hot griddle or grill pan over medium-high heat and roll them for 3 to 4 minutes until blistered and marked.
-
Steam the buns by setting them in a colander over the simmering beer for 30 seconds, until warm and soft.
-
Tuck each dog into a bun and top with the mustard onions, sweet relish, and an extra zigzag of mustard.
Zest note from the test kitchen
Cut a few shallow diagonal slits along each hot dog before griddling; the cuts curl and crisp, catching more of the toppings.
