How best to prepare a Nathans

I do not want to get a thread started about how best to cook a dog.  Be it roller grill, steamer, boiling or grilling.  That horse has been beat to death on here many times and it is really personal preference.  However, I know certain brands are produced to be best prepared a certain way (steamed, boiled, grilled).  What I would like to know is the best way to cook a Nathans 4-1.  Is it steaming, grilling or boiling or does it make any difference.
 
Please let's don't get a thread started with the typical "Anybody that doesn't (whatever) a dog is a communist.  LOL.  Thanks.
 
Mike S.

most of the nathans dogs that are available to the public are the skinless..and i suggest simmering,,,,NOT boiling.
i have used hathans at LUCYS HOT DOGS for 3 years....and this is the way i like them.

I just had two for lunch, fried in a pan with butter. In the Restaurant I use some grill oil and grill on a flat top. I have also deep fried, but they have to be served right out of the fryer.............I like a snap with a tender center using 5-1 Nathans......................Bill
                               

I steamed mine on my test runs and they plumped up to epic proportions without exploding. Was great.

I'm using Ball Park dogs now since I can't find Nathan's in bulk except 4/1 which I don't really wanna mess with, and they don't plump up hardly at all, I hate them :(

Quick hijack: Anyone know where you can get 8/1 Nathan's in bulk for a price that won't kill me?

I think the Nathans are best split down the center and fried. Butter frying is heavenly. I don't like rollers because people tend to let them sit there all day rendering out fat.

As to accusations of communism, we're all capitalists here. Unless you are giving away dogs to the proletariat masses to strengthen them to overthrow their capitalist overlords I'd say you are on pretty safe territory.

Long time lurker...first post

Around my place the "bigger than the bun" 8-1 skinless Nathan's are available.  I like to bring a pot of water almost to the boil, take the pot off the fire, put the dogs in and let sit covered for about 10 minutes.  Then, I put them in a preheated panini press for about 10 minutes (on medium) to grill them a bit and give them some nice marks. 

They're also pretty good as a Sonoran dog, wrapped in bacon and cooked in a cast iron pan and then topped with the Sonoran fixins including jalepeno sauce.

i have both the 8-1 natural casing and the skinless variety and i steam both.   i don't have a flat top but if i did i would try the butter thing that was suggested.

We simmer then finish on the flat top.

konnie


I do not want to get a thread started about how best to cook a dog.  Be it roller grill, steamer, boiling or grilling.  That horse has been beat to death on here many times and it is really personal preference.  However, I know certain brands are produced to be best prepared a certain way (steamed, boiled, grilled).  What I would like to know is the best way to cook a Nathans 4-1.  Is it steaming, grilling or boiling or does it make any difference.
 
Please let's don't get a thread started with the typical "Anybody that doesn't (whatever) a dog is a communist.  LOL.  Thanks.
 
Mike S.

I don't have the option to grill here in Maryland (HD RULE) but when I do sell Nathans I bring to temp quickly in water and then move to steam pan to hold. It works well for me and I assume others who do not OR can not grill does the same or something close to it. Kinda hard to screw up Nathans.

That'sMyDawg

konnie


I do not want to get a thread started about how best to cook a dog.  Be it roller grill, steamer, boiling or grilling.  That horse has been beat to death on here many times and it is really personal preference.  However, I know certain brands are produced to be best prepared a certain way (steamed, boiled, grilled).  What I would like to know is the best way to cook a Nathans 4-1.  Is it steaming, grilling or boiling or does it make any difference.

Please let's don't get a thread started with the typical "Anybody that doesn't (whatever) a dog is a communist.  LOL.  Thanks.

Mike S.

I don't have the option to grill here in Maryland (HD RULE) but when I do sell Nathans I bring to temp quickly in water and then move to steam pan to hold. It works well for me and I assume others who do not OR can not grill does the same or something close to it. Kinda hard to screw up Nathans.

Hey Dawg, Whats the reason the HD gives for no grilling...........You should go up to the HD and open a package of Nathans and start eating them right out of the package.

Simmered slowly until just before they split.

BillyB



I don't have the option to grill here in Maryland (HD RULE) but when I do sell Nathans I bring to temp quickly in water and then move to steam pan to hold. It works well for me and I assume others who do not OR can not grill does the same or something close to it. Kinda hard to screw up Nathans

Hey Dawg, Whats the reason the HD gives for no grilling...........You should go up to the HD and open a package of Nathans and start eating them right out of the package.

BillyB- I don't remember exactly but they don't like the idea of any grills on the hd carts here, something about them considering it open area cooking (even though the food is pre-cooked-and even though you can get grill with a cover) they only allow grills in trailers OR fully enclosed units. No matter to me though, I honestly would not want the added hastle of a grill no matter how much better a dawg may come out. I wanted a grill on my unit before I got started just because I liked the idea of a grill back from my BBQ days at home, after I saw what the HD would and would not allow on a cart I decided it was not worth it. Plus I don't want any extra areas to clean or scrub,  clean enough ha ha.

Being from a non-hotdog culture, I have never understood boiling vs. grilling.  I personally like grilled dogs, but don't really know if they are better (by brand) than boiled dogs.

Is there really a difference, and if so, why?

cy

konnie

What I would like to know is the best way to cook a Nathans 4-1.   
Mike S.

A little industrial espionage here. The Nathan's franchisees who use 8-1 skinless franks grill them.

cy_dugas


Being from a non-hotdog culture, I have never understood boiling vs. grilling.  I personally like grilled dogs, but don't really know if they are better (by brand) than boiled dogs.

Is there really a difference, and if so, why?

cy

Its just personal choice, some will say with great conviction that the only "real" way to prepare a Nathans or any brand for that matter is "this way" or "that way" and that somehow doing it any other way than how they do it is somehow less than correct or not a "true hot dog", blah, blah. Although I do not think I have seen any post like that in this thread, many have seen that kinda post before. Same thing with Carts, drinks, buns, soda, etc, etc. It all comes down to either how you like it OR how your customers like it, nothing more, nothing less. I have yet to see on a package of dawgs under preperartion instructions say Grill required or only grill or only boi or steam only. I have seen some that say to boil do XY & Z AND for grilling do X Y & Z.

If I could grill in my area would I? Probably, because I would be using the grill for other food items already so adding dawgs would not be much more work. Personally I do not like the taste of a grilled dawg, (let me clarify- flat top grill I do not care for, BBQ type grill like at your house I like) I think the flat top grill changes the taste completely to a non hotdawg kinda taste. I love a grilled burger, steak, chicken, shrimp, etc, etc but not a dawg. I know MANY people personally who love, love love grilled dawgs and rave about them. You ever been to a tail gate?
Grilling makes most food smell great and the sizzle you get will catch the ear and eyes of most walking past you, toss a few onions on the grill and well, you probably gotta fight people back. For the most part grilling works well with almost any food and I say if you can grill than go for it because probably more will like it then any who wont. Now, there are customers out there who will only eat a boiled, steamed or simmered dawg so you gotta walk the line. Either way the few customers who want it the way you DO NOT serve them will be dwarfed by all the other customers who will like the way you do it UNLESS you are in a big grilling state and decide against it.

Just find what your customers want and do it, if you cant do it that way for what ever reason do it the best you can however you can. If you enjoy eating them a certain way continue on.

Thanks for the response.  I guess I take for granted lighting up the grill in rural LA.  My kids love hot dogs, preferably on the outdoor grill, w/chili & mustard.  One of these days, when the 4 kids are out of the house, I'd love to take the wife on a hotdog tour to see why they are one of the U.S.A.'s favorite foods!

cy

i use the 4-1 and do them completely on the flat top uncut with a little oil and amidst peppers and onions. delicious.

dom