Creative Hot Dogs

By Food & Wine
Who says a hot dog can't be a revelatory dining experience? Here are five creative hot dog recipes that are perfect for a game day get-together, a cookout party or a fast weeknight dinner.
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Crosshatch Hot Dogs on Grilled Croissants
These sweet-savory glazed hot dogs were inspired by a dish Food & Wine's Marcia Kiesel discovered at a Manhattan Chinatown restaurant. They're cut in a crosshatch pattern, which makes the franks cook even faster, and served in a grilled mustard-brushed croissant.
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
6 cups finely shredded green cabbage (from 1/2 small head)
3 fresh red chiles such as Fresno, seeded and thinly sliced
Salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 croissants, split but still attached on one side
4 large hot dogs
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 large garlic clove, minced

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, stir the honey with the sherry vinegar until the honey is dissolved. Add the shredded cabbage and red chiles, season with salt and toss. Let stand until the cabbage is slightly softened, tossing a few times, about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, blend the butter and the mustard. Gently spread the cut sides of the croissants with the butter.
3. Light a grill. Thread each hot dog lengthwise onto a thick metal or wooden skewer. With a small, sharp knife, make cuts at an angle in 3 rows down each hot dog, about 1/2 inch apart, cutting partway into the hot dog. The cuts should look like rounded half circles. Lightly run the knife down the center of the cuts to halve the half circles.
4. On a large plate, mix the ketchup with the soy sauce, oil and garlic. Turn to coat each hot dog with the mixture.
5. Grill the croissants over high heat, cut side down, until toasted, about 30 seconds. Turn and grill the other side for about 10 seconds. Grill the hot dogs over high heat all over, until nicely charred and the cuts open up, about 2 minutes total; the hot dogs should resemble pine cones. Mound the cabbage salad on one half of each croissant, set the hot dogs on top and serve.
MAKE AHEAD The cabbage salad can be refrigerated overnight. The cut hot dogs can marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
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Hot Dog Melts
Wolfgang Puck of Spago may be the ultimate L.A. chef, but he grew up in Vienna, and the food there is one of his touchstones. These sausages, called Wiener Würstchen, are a favorite from his childhood. He splits the dogs, fills them with cheese and wraps them in bacon. Once they've been roasted, he serves them on a bun with a spicy horseradish mustard. Although they may seem over the top, they're irresistible.
View recipe.
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Hot Dogs with Cheddar and Sautéed Apples
Matt Neal's sister, Madeline, is a big hot dog fan who constantly comes up with ideas for toppings. She suggested this terrific, if unlikely, combination of cinnamony sautéed apples with slices of sharp cheddar cheese, served on top of hot dogs tucked into pretzel rolls. View recipe.
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Kogi Dogs
When Kogi's truck first Tweeted its stops last November, no one had heard of Korean short rib tacos. Now hundreds of people line up for them, and for kimchi hot dogs. Credit Roy Choi, who cooked at NYC's Le Bernardin and recently opened a Kogi counter at L.A.'s Alibi Room. View recipe.
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Pastrami-and-Mushroom "Hot Dogs"
In this distinctive high-low recipe, Joe Beef co-chef and co-owner Frédéric Morin wanted to combine girolles (chanterelle mushrooms) with something less highbrow. "As a good chef, you can't mix all expensive things in one dish," he says. So he stuffed the mushrooms inside hot dog buns with Montreal's famous smoked meat. View recipe.

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