Matlock Hot Dog?

I saw a Matlock show on TV, where he raved about the best hot dog which was served with chopped onion and little hot green peppers. What where the peppers?

I also have some very basic questions on how to cook hot dogs in an electic skillet. What temp, how long to cook? What temp to keep hot?

I've been volunteering serving food for a weekly Bingo game.
I have been re-warming pre-prepared hotdogs. Now I want to cook:
Hebrew National 1/4 lb hot dogs: "All Beef" and "Beef Polish Sausage"

I want to arrive, get hot dogs ready. then continue to have the hot dogs ready 2 hours before Bingo. I also serve food at a break, after another 1.5 hours, but think the same dogs shouldn't cook that long. I seem to get burning on the Polish Sausage even at 275 F.

For hot dog buns: seedless jumbo; sesame seeded Hoogie; sprouted whole wheat (I'm in the San Francisco Bay area).
I notice that naked, or at least minimal bun, mustard, onion, brings out the flavor of the dog. The Beef Polish have more zesty flavor, and grilling brings out much more flavor than steamed "all beef" hot dogs I had been buying prepared, and serving re-warmed.

I have French's Yellow mustard, Ketchup, I'm adding chopped yellow onions, and relish. Reading the comments here, I'm considering a yellow onion saute in olive oil.

I watched a Matlock show where he raved about "the best hot dogs" served with some little hot peppers. How do I make these "Matlock" hot dogs? What type of pepper? They were little and green, and might have had stems on.

What other garnishes, touches, would make for a more complete Hot Dog offering?
I'm shopping at CostCo and a United Market (normal grocery store in California) for supplies so far.
I did see some Sabrett pepper sauce on the web, but $5/lb seems a bit high.

I want to have a healthy gross margin charging $2.50

Thank you all in advance, for your helpful suggestions,
WildWalker

Westerners eat more poultry dogs than anyone else in the nation. Southerners are a close 2nd. In the Mid West they eat more pork and beef dogs. In the East they eat more all beef dogs. In Chicago yellow mustard, dark green (neon) relish (or pickle spears), chopped raw onions, tomato slices, and celery salt on a poppy seed bun is the way to dress a dog. In New York: steamed onions and pale yellow mustard sauce. In the South: slaw dogs that they term "dragged through the garden" are topped with coleslaw. Kansas City: sauerkraut and melted Swiss on a sesame bun.

As far as cooking, there's deep frying. A lot of people (who really know what a good dog should taste like) prefer their dogs boiled first then grilled. There's a reason why most hot dog stands boil their dogs: they're fast, they're good, and there's few left overs.

I think that the problem is this: once the dogs are grilled you cannot store them hot without significant (and unappealling) shrinkage. Nobody wants a hot dog that looks and tastes like a shriveled pencil eraser. I think (but I don't know for sure) that both the deep fry and grilled cooking methods are made to order.

Perhaps Matlock enjoyed a Chicago style hot dog, (similar to Fluky's), which would imply the peppers would have been:
1. serrano
2. sport peppers

I found some links:
Sport Peppers & Giardiniera
http://www.firebreath.com/s.nl/c.ACCT89406/ck.QI4cwFiJALtmUuOf/cktime.5160/sc.2/category.6/it.A/id.557/.f;jsessionid=b0c4a93692db4ba09dbed90c195bc90d
----------------------------------
http://www.guidelive.com/profile/176220/
The hot dog ($2.50) and Polish sausage ($3) are served Chicago-style, topped with neon-green sweet relish, chunks of white onion, tomato slices, a slice of dill pickle, and a Chi-town original: "sport" peppers. Similar in shape to serrano peppers (yet with a flavor more like banana peppers) they are 1- to 2-inch hot peppers pickled in vinegar. A Chicago-style dog will always be topped with at least two of them.

The Polish sausage was more like a big, fat hot dog with a flavor to match, moist and meaty with a nice hint of spice.
-------------------
Fresh serrano peppers are often diced and mixed with chopped tomato, onion, and cilantro for salsa.
---------
http://www.thebestofchicago.com/shop/flukys.htm
Fluky's Condiment 4 Pack
$29.50
This package includes 4-8oz Jars of Fluky's Hot Dog stand condiments. Choose from our Yellow Mustard, the "Fluky's Blend" Flourescent Green Sweet Relish, Our Serrano Peppers and our Extraordinary Chicago Style Giardiniera .
-----------------------

quote:

Originally posted by clothier

Why would you want to eat a hot dog, or go to this much trouble to find out info about a hot dog, that was mentioned in a TV show?

Matlock was just an actor. Name's Andy Griffith. Seems like a nice enough fella, but what does he, or more importantly, the writer who wrote that line, know about hotdogs?

Clothier, I am shocked at you. If this site is not a safe haven for those with unnatural food obsessions, where else can they find comfort? And why pop his bubble about Matlock? Next thing you'll be telling me there is no Santa Claus.

quote:

Originally posted by Brahma Bob

In the Mid West they eat more pork and beef dogs. In the East they eat more all beef dogs.

Not true in Chicago and the suburbs. Chicago hot dog stands out number the fast food giants serving Vienna Beef, Red Hot Chicago, and Best Kosher hot dogs which all are 100% pure beef. Vienna, Best Kosher, and Hebrew National are sold throughout southeastern Wisconsin retail food chains as: Piggly Wiggly, Pick & Save, Walmart, Sam's Club, and the Jewel. You'll find these brands at hot dog stands in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, and even in Mercer, which is in the northwoods. Vienna packages and sells a product in Wisconsin called Lambeau Field dogs, the official hot dog of the Green Bay Packers. The Lambeau Field Vienna hot dog has gained a reputation as a "starter brat" by the Packers.

The all beef hot dog is alive and well in the midwest!

Actually Andy Griffith IS a hot dog fan and HE writes alot of his stuff himself---or gives it direction anyway---and why wouldent an actor OR writer be just as likely to know all about hot dogs as anyone else! After all he is why i even know of the existance of the Snappy Cafe ande was a regular denizon there!

Move over Jimmy Dean, here's Andy. Personally, I prefer Otis's take on things. Say, what did he drink anyway?

quote:

Originally posted by clothier

Next thing you know, you are going to tell me Opie grew up to be movie producer, when we all know he was killed in Vietnam.

Andy Taylor, hot dog king.

ROFLMAO

Given this topic, I just had to do a Google search on Matlock. It seems that every script has some kind of hot dog vendor in it. But no recipies.

Say, I'm looking for the ingredients in the white bean chili so adored by Barnaby Jones. Can anyone help me? What about Mannix's favorite meatloaf dish?

quote:

Originally posted by Grampy

Personally, I prefer Otis's take on things. Say, what did he drink anyway?

Really Fine Dolcetto, of course.

How about McMillan & Wife's cheese fondue?

quote:

Originally posted by clothier

She was so hot. I loved to listen to her voice. And he was so gay. Not there's anything wrong with that.

You know, between this thread's topic and handles like "youngaussienurse," we have certainly confounded a number of web-surfing pornography auteurs today.

Which is good. Because if we don't keep this site lively, the pornographers win.

quote:

Originally posted by i95

quote:

Originally posted by Grampy

Personally, I prefer Otis's take on things. Say, what did he drink anyway?

Really Fine Dolcetto, of course.

EldeMayberry wine -- I'm not the son of a Brewster!

quote:

Originally posted by GordonW

Given this topic, I just had to do a Google search on Matlock. It seems that every script has some kind of hot dog vendor in it. But no recipies.

Correct about the continual apppearance of theme of hot dogs by street and court house vendors. Incorrect about script not ever having details of recipe.

In BRENNEN, the ritual of making the hot dog is in the script with details. The plot is based on the tension between the common bond between Matlock and Brennen grounded in sharing a love for the same style hot dog, and their roles as opposing sides in a legal battle where some lawyer is dirty.

Out here on the west coast, the only hot dog I have seen made with hot peppers is on the Matlock TV program.

WildWalker

BRENNEN; 160. [8-17] 2/17/94
http://www.tagsrwc.com/matlock/160.html

Matlock meets an assistant DA (Michael Brennen
played by George Dzundza) who's just like
him, but their friendship is hampered by the fact that they're
on opposite sides of a case.

The Matlock Brennen friendship is centered around their liking the same hot dog style.
The program talks about and even shows the preparation of the hot dog, the brand and city the hot dogs are bought from, and the type of hot little peppers placed on the dog.
The preparation shown includes:
hot dogs boiled
onions chopped not cooked
hot little peppers added.
I don't recall the relish or mustard.

If we want tv-themed food receipes, shouldn't we look for the Soup Nazi's Muligatawny, Granny Clampett's hog gizzards, Ralph Kramden's 'Delicious Mystery Apetizer', and any one of Cliff Huxtable's amazing colorful sweater-expanding sandwiches? Of course, we could wash it all down with a cup of Yemana's coffee.

Steve

I'd appreciate your comments on the draft of the menu I've planned for tomorrow. Bold condiments are those I expect to have ready tomorrow, non bold I'll be preparing this week for next Tuesday. Hope the formatting and fonts come through OK.

Thanks for constructive comments,
WildWalker

Menu:
1) Sliced Chicken Breast ¼ lb approx

Hot Dogs: Savory Hebrew National ¼ lb Kosher, USDA & rabbinical inspected and vouched to be completely free of, that is, No By-Products, No artificial colorings:
2) *Jumbo Beef Frank ¼ lb,
Only 1 gr carb! No fillers! No artificial flavorings.
3) *Beef Polish Sausage ¼ lb.
Only 7 gr carbs! More seasoned and tasty than the Jumbo Beef Frank from the added 6 grams of carbs.

Boiled then Grilled: Combines the best of boiling and grilling.
Boiling gets the pre-cooked sausage hot and plumped with moisture. The boiled hot dog is moist and mild in flavor. Flavor is usually built up from condiments which often largly overpower milder flavor of boiled sausage.
Grilling develops the latent flavor among the sizling melting juices from within the sausage. The grilled sausage has a very good grilled flavor of it's own that may be enjoyed on it's own, with minimal added bun and condiments. Or condiments can be selected to stand up to or even conquor the flavor of the sausage.

Surved On:
0) Bed of Organic Mixed Salad Greens
1. *Seedless Jumbo Hot Dog Bun
2. *Poppy Seed Hot Dog Bun
3. *Sesame seed Hogie Roll
4. *Sprouted Whole Wheat Hot Dog Bun. Hearty, more a roll, holds minimal condiments

Condiments: *Salt to taste; *Refined Carbs: *Sugar; *Sweet Sour Base; Tomato: Chopped; *Ketchup; Tangy Tomato Sauce, Sabrett's; Salza; Pickle: Dill; *Green Sweet Relish.
Garlic: Crushed; Grilled; Onion: Chopped; Sauteed; Tangy Stewed, Flo's.
Mustard: *Yellow; Spicy Brown; (Have water ready before tasting any of the following) BBQ Ginger Mustard (WildWalkers). Hot Peppers: sliced Jalapeno strips; Jalapeno Sauce.

Styles:
Chicken on Greens,,
The Matlock, a Chicago 7-ingredient style: boiled Jumbo Beef Frank on a Poppy seed bun with yellow mustard; green sweet relish; chopped yellow onions, chopped red tomatoes, a dill pickle spear, hot peppers, and celery salt.
Chicago Maxwell Street: yellow mustard; grilled onions; & hot peppers.
Sauteed Onions (alone)
BBQ Ginger Mustard & Sauteed Onions; & grilled garlic

No Salt or Refined Carbs if avoid *items.

Directions to this Lucky Cafe:

On Hwy 101 in San Rafael, Marin County, California, USA

Take the Civic Center exit on N. San Pedro Pt Road, east past the Civic Center light, Jewish Community Center on Right Hand Side (RHS).

Open 5pm-8:30pm Tuesdays.

WildWalker

Well, I'm more than impressed Mr. WildWalker. Such planning and conscientousness is rare. Best wishes to ya!

I like the dogs steamed in beer then grilled rather then boiled, but i gotta admire a man that puts this much thought into a hot dog feast!!! Wish i was there to eat it with ya!!!

quote:

Originally posted by JimInKy

Well, I'm more than impressed Mr. WildWalker. Such planning and conscientousness is rare. Best wishes to ya!

I second that, WildWalker, and a belated welcome to you !

Sounds like you have a neat setup Wildwalker !! Welcome to Roadfood ! I like to boil my hot dogs in
water or beer and then drain the water and fry the dogs in the hot pan to put a singe on the outside !
I usually steam the buns over the fry pan while I am boiling the dogs !

I like yellow mustard, onions and chili on my hot dog !

As for the peppers used on Matlock .... I'm not sure which ones they were. I watched the show,
but do not remember that.

Good luck !

quote:

Originally posted by Grampy

quote:

Originally posted by i95

quote:

Originally posted by Grampy

Personally, I prefer Otis's take on things. Say, what did he drink anyway?

Really Fine Dolcetto, of course.

EldeMayberry wine -- I'm not the son of a Brewster!

But your mother was a hamster.

WildWalker - your menu sounds good, but I would like to suggest that in addition to the sport peppers, you add some sliced pickled jalapenos and perhaps some chow-chow to your condiments.

quote:

Originally posted by clothier

What was i thinking? Good thing he didn't ask about Luke and Laura's baked ziti, huh?

Luke and Laura? Is it any good?

quote:

Originally posted by clothier

Thank you Michael.

I just can't remember if it was served at the rape, the wedding or the divorce.

I believe that Dr. Noah Drake, er...Rick Springfield is available to play all three occassions.

First, you need to be funny. Secondly, you need to be cool with the lines. That's the way love's supposed to be.

Now, be the first to connect the "Six-Degrees-of-Kevin Bacon" via the following names mentioned on this thread and win an invitation to EliseT's New Orleans wedding:

Andy Griffith
Buddy Ebsen
Mike Connors
Jill St. John
Anthony Geary

and

Rick Springfield.

quote:

Originally posted by clothier

Thank you Michael.

I just can't remember if it was served at the rape, the wedding or the divorce.

Apparently I'm missing something here. Who are Luke and Laura and what would ziti have to do with a rape or a divorce? I have seen it at wedding receptions.

i95 is rousing our rabble! He's an instigator! Creating panic in the masses. We'll never figure out the six degrees!!!

What was this topic originally about, anyway?