The Cooking Method To Turn To For Better Hot Dogs

Hot dogs and buns have a long history as a duo, and while some recipes do separate them, the two are forever linked in our minds (and stomachs). Making the perfect hot dog usually involves grilling in summer, or popping the sausages in the microwave for a truly quick bite. But, there is another way to cook hot dogs, and it's actually one of the best: You can cook them on the griddle.

If you think about it, cooking your hot dogs on the griddle (or in a cast-iron skillet) increases the touchpoints. This means the skin of the dogs comes into contact with the cooking surface more than it does when grilling. This gives the meat a delicious char and allows you to turn the sausages so that each side gets some sear marks. (You can actually cut your hot dogs in half so that both the outside and the inside hit that hot griddle surface.) Another reason the griddle is great for hot dogs is that, because the sausages aren't coming into direct contact with any actual flames, it's a lot harder to burn them.

Before you go ahead and plop your hot dogs on a hot griddle, you might want to either slice them in half, or butterfly them, or score the skin with a diamond or spiral pattern using a sharp knife. If you're going to season your hot dogs, this will allow all your spices to fully penetrate the meat and give a juicy, outer crisp to the whole dog. Set your griddle to medium-high heat and let it come up to temperature, which you can gauge by tossing a pat of butter on and watching to see if it sizzles.

Next, you put your hot dogs on the griddle surface and then add seasonings (if you plan to), rolling the wieners around until they're coated. Let them cook for 5-7 minutes, turning every couple of minutes until each side has reached your desired level of char. To make your hot dogs next-level, you can simultaneously butter or oil a portion of your griddle and toast your opened buns on it.