The Gourmet Mama

Photo by thebusybrain

You can hardly have summer without chowing down on a hotdog at least once, especially if you have children.  But most of us don’t really enjoy the cardboard tasting buns, bland wieners and ketchup that make up the regular hotdog. So how do we make that summer favorite into a gourmet treat that kids and adults alike will love and come back for seconds and thirds?

First, you want to start with the wiener itself. Try and choose a higher quality meat rather than the regular bulk ones. Find a package that says “100% beef” to make sure that you aren’t getting any mystery meats in there. When you do find a wiener that you like, then you want to grill it rather than boil it. Grilling gives it more of a smoked taste and fills them with a lot more flavor.

As for the bun, try and find some good buns at your local bakery instead of the highly processed ones that you get in the grocery store. I like to get whole wheat buns for a bit of extra fibre and flavor. Cut them in half and spread them with just a little bit of butter and toast them open faced in the oven or on the grill.

Now what you need is condiments and toppings that truely make this a gourmet hotdog! Here are a few suggestions that you can pick and choose from to find a hotdog that is truely a perfect summer meal.

Dijon mustard

carmalized onions

chopped bacon

sprouts

Terriaki sauce

Wasabi Mayo (1/2 cup mayonaise mixed with 1/2 teaspoon wasabi paste)

Chopped dill pickle

Blue Cheese

Grated cheese

Grated Ginger root (sounds wierd but is really quite tasty)

chopped red and green peppers

Ground black pepper

Diced pineapple

The possibilities are endless so play around with different flavors until you find one that suites you. Of course the little ones usually just like plain ketchup on their dogs but at least they will have a gourmet bun right?