Magnificent News: Eat Voraciously: Hot dog!

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Here's what's for dinner tonight.

By G. Daniela Galarza

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Hot dog!

Hello, happy Monday, and welcome to Picnic Week 2022! By popular demand — remember a few weeks back when you all voted? — we're celebrating all the foods that are best eaten outdoors in the summertime.

First up: hot dogs. I like them made from pork or beef or carrots or other plants. I like them off a cart in a city or singed on a grill in a backyard. I like them Chicago-style, because that's how I grew up eating them, in Chicago. But I also like them the way we'll be serving them tonight: alongside the flavors of another classic picnic food, the BLT.

It's not definitively known when Americans started calling German frankfurters "hot dogs," but "hot dog!" probably became an exclamation, expressing delight or enthusiasm, by around 1906. (Though, this is debated.)

What we know for sure is that a great many people like to argue about whether a hot dog is a sandwich. In 2015, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council ruled that a hot dog is not a sandwich. Hot dog eating contest champions Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi both concur. Still, today's recipe, for BLT hot dogs, throws the issue into starker relief.

Here are all of the flavors of a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. Except that they're built around a snappy hot dog and stuffed inside a partially split bun. Does that make it a sandwich with a hot dog in it? A hot dog-sandwich? I will let you argue this amongst yourselves while I serve myself seconds.

A note about last Thursday's newsletter: I used a metaphor in the first line that some read to be making light of violence. I regret using this metaphor. The column online has been updated. Additionally, the recipe should have been labeled Quesotacos, not Costras de Queso. The recipe has been updated online.

Today's recipe

Photos by Scott Suchman for The Washington Post; food styling by Nicola Davis for The Washington Post

BLT Hot Dogs

Instead of hot dogs >> try these with roasted carrots or plant-based sausages.
Mixing everything into the mayo ensures you get all of that flavor in every bite >> but to save time, squirt, spread and sprinkle the toppings on each hot dog before serving — especially if you, like me, want to get to the good stuff while it's fresh.
Grilling the hot dog buns gives the hot dogs a slightly smoky flavor, which can be nice >> But skip it if you're pressed for time.

Storage Notes: Refrigerate leftover mayonnaise dressing for up to 4 days.

For easy printing and scaling, view this recipe in our Recipe Finder.

Servings: 4 to 6
Total time: 30 mins

Ingredients

For the mayo

1 cup mayonnaise, preferably Duke's brand
4 ounces sliced bacon, cooked then drained and chopped
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 tablespoon minced chives
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon minced or finely grated garlic
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
Juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon
Fine salt (optional)

For the hot dogs

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered; or 1 large tomato, sliced
Fine salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 head iceberg lettuce, shredded or torn
2 to 3 teaspoons red wine vinegar
4 to 6 good-quality hot dogs, preferably Red Apron's Baconwurst variety
Buns, preferably grilled, for serving

Steps

1. Make the mayo: In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, bacon, buttermilk, chives, onion powder, garlic, powdered mustard and pepper until combined. Season with the lemon juice and, if desired, salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Make the hot dogs: In a large bowl, season the tomatoes to taste with salt and pepper and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the lettuce and vinegar (to taste), tossing to incorporate. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

3. Cook the hot dogs on the grill or in a grill pan over medium-high heat on the stove top to your liking.

4. To assemble, spread a generous amount of the flavored mayo on the buns. Place a warm hot dog in each one, then top with equal amounts of the tomato and lettuce mixture, or with sliced tomato and torn lettuce leaves. Serve right away.

From chef Nathan Anda of Red Apron. Tested by Jeff Donald.

Nutrition information per serving (based on 6, using low-fat buttermilk and half the dressing, without the buns): Calories: 350; Total Fat: 34 g; Saturated Fat: 9 g; Cholesterol: 65 mg; Sodium: 800 mg; Carbohydrates: 3 g; Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Sugar: 1 g; Protein: 11 g.