The Evolution of Hot Doug (Cooking Demo at Bloomingdales)

The Evolution of Hot Doug

The overnight sensation is really a myth, a pleasant musing and always far from the truth. Doug graduated from Kendall College ten years ago this week with no aspirations of owning a restaurant or even working in one. He simply wanted to know how to cook. This experience under his belt, Doug began a 5-year career editing cookbooks.

The divine intervention, which brought Doug where he is today as Hot Doug: his friend had gone to a hot dog stand and had a bad dog. Simple. A bad dog. He wondered to Doug, "How can anyone make a bad dog?" So Doug and his friend conducted a tour of 30 hot dog stands to find most of them were just good in the B-/C+ kind of way. In their survey they picked up a few great ideas: at one hot dog stand they deep fat fried their hot dog, then finished it on the grill making the natural casing pop just a bit more exquisitely. At another they learned the joys of mating hot dog with caramelized onions. One can almost feel the clouds breaking with the sun streaming through and a rainbow glowing, when Doug said, "I can make a better hot dog myself!" then test drove his ideas on a six month trial basis to see if there was interest.

Hot Doug invoked his culinary training to enhance flavor and taste by contrasting sweet with salty, mild with tangy, spicy and sour (sounds like Thai sensibilities, doesn't it?) in his suggested combinations of sauces and sausages:
- 3-chili wild boar with a blue cheese Dijonaise
- Garlic knockwurst with a horseradish and bacon cream sauce
- Chipotle Buffalo sausage with honey, pepper and mustard sauce finished with dried cherries
- Alligator with remoulade (A piquant cold sauce made with mayonnaise, chopped pickles, capers, anchovies, and herbs) and blue cheese
- Thai Chicken Sausage with Thai peanut sauce
- Garlic beef sausage with Cajun dijonaise
- Andouille (Madonna) with red pepper sauce and goat cheese
- Irish Bangers with a horseradish and bacon cream sauce available St. Patrick's Day through the weekend.
- Inspired by a trip to France, a special soon will be foie gras with truffles sausage which will be topped with an appropriate sauce and cracklins.



Hot Doug's sausages come from a variety of sources, as he aptly pointed out with dry ice and overnight shipping everything is possible. He has sausages shipped to him from: France; New Orleans; from Colorado come the elk, buffalo and venison sausages; he buys stock product from Johnsonville (though he admitted there are differences between retail and commercial products); his chicken-based sausages come from Hans All Natural at Harlem and Irving (he wasn't sure they sell retail, though Hans is at Costco next to Sausages by Amy); as G Wiv reported earlier specialty brats, such as the Cajun from Sheboygan Brat Company in Wisconsin; his hot dogs are from Vienna and he commissions sausages made to his recipes. He emphasized he likes to work especially with local vendors, which allowed me to inquire if he works with Joe The Sausage King. He is in contact with Joe The Sausage King, whom he pointed out works with dried sausages and salamis principally, and hopes to work with him someday soon. As for making the sausages himself, Doug said that is a very involved process approaching the effort its takes to run his business. From the very fine publicity generated by NYT and Gourmet magazine articles, Hot Doug is frequently shipped sausages from vendors hoping to attract his interest.

Hot Doug showed us a one pound hot dog provided to him by Vienna Sausage as a sample. He ventured to guess they may sell it through their factory store. I was at the Vienna Factory on Saturday and saw nothing approaching this embarrassing long and thick hot dog, which can be an impotent man's dream and every woman's nightmare.



Hot Doug did advise there was one exotic sausage offering he actively discouraged patrons from buying: Andouillette, which inspired a very infamous post on another board. When customers ordered it Doug asked if they ever had it before. If they did not, then he declined to serve it to them. Doug very diplomatically described Andouillette as intestines stuffed inside intestines then grimaced. A wee voice from the audience, ahem mine, said, "Yeah, it tastes like pooh."

Hot Doug's sells encased meats exclusively. No Gyros. No Hamburgers. Well, there will be a slight addition to the menu, he has commissioned a hamburger sausage: garlicky ground beef stuffed into a pig intestine, which is as close to a hamburger as you will ever see in Hot Doug's. He has also sworn off desserts, though he will have Haagen-Daz ice cream available when the weather warms.

During the course of this demo with Hot Doug making sauces and his friend cooking up hot dogs and sausages, which included samples for the audience, we discussed his business rising from the ashes. Two weeks after the NYT article featuring Hot Doug's, a period when Doug quipped to friends "Just my luck the place burns down," the restaurant caught fire. The fire's source was an apartment remodeling where they were welding inside the building. "Who welds anything inside a building?" In the fire, his prized Madonna posters were consumed as well as some of his equipment. He also learned the dynamics of collecting a settlement from your insurance company: you hire an insurance adjuster to counter their claims for a lower replacement value.

Doug confirmed he almost choose not to reopen the business. It was the drumbeats of an anxious and interested public which called him back, his two favorite instances: 1) A convertible going down the street with a disembodied voice yelling, "Doug when are you opening again?" 2) When someone participating in a ball game across from the new location reported on a website of seeing a gas line permit notice on behalf of Hot Doug's. I recollected there were many rumors of his re-opening as early as Labor Day. In fact, that is when Doug had hoped repairs on the original location would be finished. This deadline passed as well as his lease, which allowed him to seek a new location. It was a tremendous effort to reopen. He vowed if a fire consumes the new location, then any dreams of Hot Doug rising again are simply dreams.

Are there any thoughts of franchising Hot Doug's? The answer is a resounding no especially since cloning of Doug is a major obstacle. Doug advised often people are pressing him to expand his hours, which are presently Monday through Saturday: 10:30 AM to 4:00 PM - not 4:01 PM. He advised there is considerable prep work and paperwork, which is often done at home. Doug is often at work by 7:15 and out the door by 5:30 PM. He is considering sometime in the future closing Monday as well.

When people offer suggestions for additional menu items, the first test to pass: will it increase his workload? If the answer is yes, then it is less likely to happen. You want a private party? It extends his already very long hours, which for now he is not considering. Yet a fresh made corn dog is closer to happening at the new location; which could never be consider at the old. It requires a dedicated fryer and special handling equipment, though it's obvious there has been some thoughtful consideration already given to it. Will Hot Doug ever come to Taste of Chicago? Does it pass the increased workload test? No!!!!!

Hot Doug's menu changes every 6-8 months, though it really is simply changing the names divined to sausages. Naming sausage combinations after celebrities was originally designed to get extra press; which worked beautifully. Jackie Bange is actually one of the few honored celebrities to visit. Presently, he offers <your name here> Celebrity Sausage, which he does gratis. Someone suggested charging a fee for <your name here> and donating it to his favorite charity. Doug quipped his favorite charity is Hot Doug's. On his website is the genuine Hot Doug theme song, which he declined to sing though he recited some of the lyrics. You may purchase this song on a CD at the store: all funds go to Tsunami relief.

The real question: What does Hot Doug eat at home? Doug still retains his affection for encased meats, though he does not go out for any when he can make his own. Bacon fat and Duck fat are high in his preferred list of foods to cook with at home. Otherwise, he claims to be a regular guy. Does Hot Doug go to McDonald's? Yes! Maybe not as often as he did when he was younger, though he is not averse to going either. He said the taste is quite the same as when he was younger. He thinks they've branched out food-wise a bit too far trying to please everybody.



During the course of Hot Doug's two hour demonstration at Bloomingdales, there was a discussion of ingredients and techniques:

For his "Classic Chicago Hot Dog:" Vienna Hot Dog (8 to 1 is shorthand for 8 hot dogs per pound) French's Mustard, tomato slices, caramelized onions, bright green relish, celery salt and pickle spear on a Rosen's poppy seed bun. Sport peppers are available upon request. Ketchup, if requested, is Heinz. Doug will not prohibit anyone from putting Ketchup on their hot dog. Doug personally has only mustard and pickle spear on his hot dog.

Caramelized Onions: he cooks his onions slowly in butter, salt and pepper for several hours.

Duck Fries: I inquired about the differences reported in the Duck Fries since the reopening. Amongst the faithful pieces of equipment damaged beyond repair was his mandoline for cutting potatoes for duck fries. The first few weeks fries were experiments in testing various thicknesses. They have since acquired a blade for cutting fries to the same geometries as before, allowing the duck fries to return to pre-fire standards.

Fat and Fries: Doug commented the Duck Fries oil is changed once a month, whereas the canola/vegetable oil for regular fries is once a week. He believes as the oils are used, their flavor blooms advising Thursday's vegetable oil is at peak flavor. Why vegetable oils over suet? Initially, they used a beef fat-vegetable oil combination, however they had problems maintaining a consistent product. The other advantage of the all vegetable oil French fries, it accommodates vegetarians.

Garlic: he uses quite a bit of roasted garlic (Foil packet with a bulb, some olive oil, salt and pepper for 45 minutes at 350 degrees). He indicated he has roast whole cloves available for the asking.
For his prep station, they chop fresh garlic adding olive oil and store in the refrigerator.

Hot Dog: For the entire demonstration, they were grilling hot dogs on a griddle. Hot dog butterflied some to allow a quicker penetration of heat and holds the condiments better. Another preferred method of cooking a hot dog is the aforementioned deep fat frying and finishing on the grill. Doug made an interesting aside a George Foreman grill can reproduce some styles of cooking sausage he uses.

Pickle Spear: He uses fully fermented pickles because they have a fuller flavor. Though he noted his pickles are from batches just concluding their fermentation.

Sauces: Hot Doug made or described the following prepared in a food processor:
- Thai peanut sauce: peanut butter, Thai Chili paste, coconut cream and roasted garlic.
- Chipotle Sauce: Dijon mustard, a few Chipotle peppers with some sauce from the can, chopped fresh garlic.
- Greek Sauce: Jarred Artichokes, Kalamato olives, Feta and Greek yogurt
- Horseradish & Bacon Cream sauce: sour cream, horseradish, bacon and roasted garlic.

LTHforum was represented by posters helen, roux, Sundevilpeg and yours truly. As much as we looked forward to dinner afterwards, we all returned home instead with our bellies full and our hearts warm from an afternoon well spent.

Hot Doug's
The Sausage Superstore and
Encased Meat Emporium
3324 North California, Chicago, IL 60618
Phone: (773) 279-9550
Fax: (773) 279-9553

Cathy2 wrote: He emphasized he likes to work especially with local vendors, which allowed me to inquire if he works with Joe The Sausage King. He is in contact with Joe The Sausage King, whom he pointed out works with dried sausages and salamis principally, and hopes to work with him someday soon.

How great would a char salami on doug's menu be? I can't make it to skokie for lunch, but if I stretch I can make it to hot doug's.

-ed

Great report.

I ordered andouillete in Paris once, thinking andouille but realizing my mistake while it was cooking. It did not taste like poo but it was one of those things that was only edible as long as it was hot off the grill and chewable; once it cooled a little it was like trying to eat chopped surgical tubing.

Cathy2 thank you for the excellent, detailed, article.

Cathy,

Thanks so much. It's like I was there!

Personally, I'm pleased by Doug's strict adherence to his personal rules of managing his time and his business. Many people consider him stubborn, but I personally think he's very smart. He doesn't compromise the quality of his products or his store's experience by trying to make a few extra bucks. I'm sure if he decided to stay open until the wee-hours (ala Weiner's Circle) and hired someone else to run the shop at night, he'd make a lot more money. Perhaps he's a bit of a control freak, but I'm glad that he runs a tight ship and keeps the quality and experience high, even if it means my only opportunity to enjoy his product is after waiting in a long line on a Saturday.

Best,
Michael / EC

Kman wrote:Cathy2 thank you for the excellent, detailed, article.

Kman,

I second the sentiment, thanks Cathy for the interesting, informative article.

Enjoy,
Gary

gleam wrote:How great would a char salami on doug's menu be?

In Doug's hands it would be divine. I hope that is what he's considering.

EC wrote:It's like I was there!

That was the idea! I have to thank jlawrence for alerting us to this opportunity. Though for all the interest in Hot Doug, I was surprised LTH was represented by only 4 ladies.

Sometimes I consider LTHforum posts a bit like TIVO, didn't have to be there, the information is all spelled out and you can go back again and again at your leisure.

EC wrote:Personally, I'm pleased by Doug's strict adherence to his personal rules of managing his time and his business. Many people consider him stubborn, but I personally think he's very smart.

Doug's tight ship is himself and three cooks with an extra cook on Saturday. He probably has a turn-around and take-out business which would be the envy of many in his league. You will never find a television with a sports game or Wi-Fi at Hot Doug's. Both have been suggested and declined because it encourages lingering; which is not in his best interests.

When you work for yourself you can really run yourself ragged; squeezing all the joy out of your life. When Doug commented he may consider closing Monday's as well, I supported it. A happy, rested Doug is less likely to get burned out.

Cathy2 wrote:You will never find a television with a sports game or Wi-Fi at Hot Doug's. Both have been suggested and declined because it encourages lingering; which is not in his best interests.

Actually, there was a TV at the former Hot Doug's location.

Giallo wrote:Actually, there was a TV at the former Hot Doug's location.

Probably he learned from the experience, because Sunday he said there will be no television.

Cathy2 wrote:
Sometimes I consider LTHforum posts a bit like TIVO, didn't have to be there, the information is all spelled out and you can go back again and again at your leisure.

Yes!

And the irony of this post on the day of the Trib's Eating section. Better written, more informative and truer to the spirit than anything there (and not just this week). Not to be so self-congragulatory, but LTH IS the place to go to for food news.

Rob

Cathy2 wrote: Though for all the interest in Hot Doug, I was surprised LTH was represented by only 4 ladies.

Doug is a babe magnet...or was it the sausages?

Bravo for Doug. But let me offer a modest, countervailing observation.

First, let me be clear: Doug's cool. He offers a lot of choice in terms of the way in which you can have your sausage prepared and condimented. He has brought some much-deserved attention to a fact that has always been true, that Chicago is a great sausage town. The lines at Doug's, even more so at the new, expanded location, are remarkable. But they move fast. The fries are really good, if you are able to eat them right away, especially. Doug has earned his success.

Now then, here are my gentle skepticisms about the way in which Chicago and the world go bonkers over Doug.

At its heart, hot Doug's is a Chicago Vienna Beef stand. His Chicago dogs are pretty standard stuff, which is to say pretty darn good. There are several better, including the almost-as-publicized Wiener's Circle. The sassy ladies at the WC make a better char dog than Doug's guys any day. And you can get them any time.

So what's next? Polish and Italian. I had the Italian the other day. Really not up to Chicago Italian beef/sausage stand standards. I'd go so far as to say it was pretty bad. The starting product was weird. Mealy, overly-fine grind, little spice. Boiled first, maybe, then thrown on the gas grill rather than long-cooked to a deep ebony on charcoal a la Al's or Johnnie's. The bread was all wrong for the sausage as well. Italian sausage calls for good, sweet peppers. N/A. Now maybe a hot dog stand should not be held to the Italian beef stand's standards for sausage. But I think Doug's should be better, and that it should aim for the ideal "type" that people know and understand here.

Polish was better, but really, not getting close to Jim's (onions are worlds away) or the smattering of remaining charcoal Maxwell St. places.

So, I'm not too excited by the classical repertoire. That's not what makes Doug's noteworthy anyway. Hot Doug's is like a fine little wine shop, selecting and showcasing rare and unusual examples from the prime sausage regions, right? Problem is, for me, I have only rarely enjoyed the more exotic cuts at Doug's. The game sausages are often dry, or include stuff that seems like a tacit admission that the meat's nothing to write home about: cheese, berries, etc. How's about some chunks of fat if the lean game needs lubrication? This is in some ways out of Doug's control, I know, since he doesn't make the stuff. But he chooses it.

I'd like to see fewer Cal-Ital sausages from out of state and more time-tested ethnic stuff from the neighborhood. A good cevapcici on the proper bread with avjar, rather than some mint and garlic Sonoma jack lamb thing on a hot dog bun. A Thai link, banh mi style. Moronga, morcilla, or chorizo on a telera, torta style. Hot links on Wonder Bread with Texas Pete. And more of the innumerable wursts hanging around town in the Polish, German (Paulina, esp.), Romanian, Hungarian, etc., etc., salumerie. And a Cozy Dog.

Part of Doug's success, as I perceive it, comes from his ability to draw the yuppie, the food tourist, the snob, the young family, everyone to the kind of business (the urban corner beef stand) that many of these folks would never consider visiting. On my last visit, the person in front of me was some kind of out-of-town food tourist or journalist. She asked lots of questions, including what giardiniera is. It's the Check Please effect in spades.

Doug is a funny, nice person who has a good thing going and a solid product. I just don't think that the wurst always lives up to the hype.

Oh, and let me say that the tater tots at Doug's are stellar. I wanted to ask whether he would consider frying a batch in the duck fat, but I didn't want to get back in line just to ask...

JeffB: I don't know, I don't eat Italian sausage on a bun generally, and I can see that maybe the one-bun-fits-all that he uses wouldn't be right for that, and with so many things on the menu he has to cook all of them pretty much the same way, where Al's or Johnnie's can have charcoal just for Italian sausage. So I could easily see that you're right about that one.

But, so try something else. The Thuringer is one of the great things in this city, and not readily found elsewhere, unlike Polish sausage. And while I agree that the specials are hit and miss, stick close to what's normal-- like a pork sausage if he has one-- and they're usually really, really good. I don't disagree that fewer designer dogs from California and more ethnic dogs from local places would be an interesting way to go, but I do disagree with any suggestion that Doug's is one of those places that just has yuppie fans because of location or sentiment (like the very ordinary Demon Dogs, say). Doug's has fans because in a city of mediocre hot dog stands serving straight-off-the-Sysco-truck grade C product, Doug's is a whole lot better.

By the way, I was in Hot Doug's a couple of weeks ago and the Cintas truck showed up with new floor mats right at 12:10 as the line stretched out the door. Doug just gave them a what-the-hell-were-you-thinking? look and sent them back out the door. I'm sure they were thinking, just another hot dog stand, high noon lunch time is hardly gonna be busier than any other time.

And Now the Wurst of It

JeffB wrote:Bravo for Doug. But let me offer a modest, countervailing observation...

Jeff:

Very interesting comments and observations presented in a reasonable and balanced way. I haven't been to HD's yet, still intend to go one day, and am glad to get a further perspective.

I'd like to see fewer Cal-Ital sausages from out of state and more time-tested ethnic stuff from the neighborhood. A good cevapcici on the proper bread with avjar, rather than some mint and garlic Sonoma jack lamb thing on a hot dog bun. A Thai link, banh mi style. Moronga, morcilla, or chorizo on a telera, torta style. Hot links on Wonder Bread with Texas Pete. And more of the innumerable wursts hanging around town in the Polish, German (Paulina, esp.), Romanian, Hungarian, etc., etc., salumerie. And a Cozy Dog.

Silly me; I had assumed that at least some of those more ethnic and less generally consumed things were an essential part of HD's menu. To be honest, that sort of stuff interests me more than the 'designer wurscht' (not that designer wurscht is necessarily not good -- I have faith in the opinions of some of the HD fans and will try some of the items I've read about with an open mind, insofar as that is possible).

Part of Doug's success, as I perceive it, comes from his ability to draw the yuppie, the food tourist, the snob, the young family, everyone to the kind of business (the urban corner beef stand) that many of these folks would never consider visiting. On my last visit, the person in front of me was some kind of out-of-town food tourist or journalist. She asked lots of questions, including what giardiniera is. It's the Check Please effect in spades.

What is giardiniera? Where was this food tourist from, the Yukon?

Antonius

P.S. In previewing this post I just saw MikeG's. I'd defintiely be happy to get a good Thuringer with well made fries.

JeffB wrote:Oh, and let me say that the tater tots at Doug's are stellar. I wanted to ask whether he would consider frying a batch in the duck fat, but I didn't want to get back in line just to ask...

Jeff,

Next time I'm at Doug's on a Fri or Sat you can bet your sweet bippy I'm asking

Tater tots fried in duck fat, the perfect food. Now if only Doug would serve oysters.

Enjoy,
Gary

Antonius:

Hot Doug's Menu
Hot Doug's Specials

I rarely order off the main doug's menu. I've never had an italian sausage or polish at his place, and only had a hot dog once. I don't really see the point of making the trip to HDs and not ordering something more unique.

My boss, a big fan of thuringer, had doug's the other day and found it very dry. I haven't had that problem before -- it's always been quite good and moist and fatty -- but I thought I would warn people.

Thought we needed some more pics:



Fig. 1-1. Thuringer, in front.



Fig. 1-2. Chipotle buffalo sausage with blue cheese sauce and sun dried tomatoes.

Ed:

Thanks for the links.

Mike:

The Thuringer looks good. Now I don't want to eat that tuna fish for lunch...

The buffalo-chipotle-bluecheese beast is definitely designer wurscht but it too looks darn good.

A

Mike G said, "I do disagree with any suggestion that Doug's is one of those places that just has yuppie fans because of location or sentiment"

Mike, I took pains not to suggest that Hot Doug's has business "just . . .because" of the factors you mentioned. But it is my observation that Hot Doug's has at least some business precisely because of the media attention.

Now, I have to disagree with this statement:

"a city of mediocre hot dog stands serving straight-off-the-Sysco-truck grade C product, Doug's is a whole lot better."

We can debate where Chicago stands (or should stand) among pizza destinations, but really, your suggestion about the general state of the Chicago hot dog relative to the rest of the world seems almost as iconoclastic as my perceived criticism of Doug's. Good food thinkers from coast (J. Gold) to coast (J. Apple) seem to agree that this is a good place to find a hot dog. Straight off the Vienna Beef truck (like the one in front of Doug's) is not the same as straight off the Sysco truck.

I like Doug's. I like the thuringer, though not as much as the one (maybe the same, for all I know) at Resi's. It's probably the beer.

And while I highlighted the fact that Doug's is notable for it's more unusual items, which I always try, I guess we can disagree about whether serious attention should be paid to some of the more basic sausages. I guess I'm one of those people who thinks that the spaghetti alla puttanesca should be excellent at Spiaggia, if they choose to serve it.

Let me reiterate: I really like Doug and his restaurant. For me, it falls short in a few areas. I do not suggest that the hyperbole and perhaps unreasonably high expectations heaped onto Hot Doug's by the food press are Doug's fault. To the contrary.

Where does doug get his current corn dogs???
Are they Vienna??

They are very good, but primarily b/c the corn batter has and excellent taste and texture. The dog inside is o.k. but lacks a snap of a quality casing.
Corn dogs, let alone decent one, are so hard to find. Everytime I go, the corn dog is the only thing I'm certain I going to get, and often a couple corn dogs is all I get (although I will be getting a fired-charred thuringer next time, because you sure can't that elsewhere).

JeffB, I must say I somewhat agree with you in the sense that if I'm getting a quality game sausage, what's the point of smothering it with rich, intensely flavored sauces and exotic condiments??
You could get the special sausages without those xtras, but a good portion of the $7 your paying for the special is from the labor and ingredients in those sauces that are admittedly tasty in their own right. His special sauces almost make more sense on a simple Vienna (which IMO is only a B+ quality dog in the first place).

That said, I think a glorious crusty, corny encasement even of game sausages would be a wonderful truly unique direction where the flavors of the sausage would still shine through.
If he gets his own equipment for making corn dogs, that would mean he could make any of his sausages into corn______.
Corn thuringer??? Oh, the possibilities!!!!!!!!!

Mmmm corn sai-krong issan.

Hi,

I brought my friend Helen to Hot Dougs for the first time today. Funny, she sat through the lecture, learned a lot, yet never been inside the original. She had the char polish with everything on it. I finally had the Thuringer with Doug's suggested condiments of sauerkraut and caramelized onions, which really hit the spot.

When corn dogs came up on Sunday, he was also thinking out loud about playing with the cornmeal coating. I told him about Cozy Dog in Springfield with the hot dog tasting not quite top quality. We also discussed in passing the controversy who originated the corndog. Or just a thought maybe a two cook process: char the sausage, coat it and fry it? Oh the possibilities!

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

I brought my friend Helen to Hot Dougs for the first time today. Funny, she sat through the lecture, learned a lot, yet never been inside the original. She had the char polish with everything on it.

Evidently, she didn't learn enough to get one of Doug's unique offerings instead of a char polish, which she could have gotten anywhere else (and done better, to boot.) I also had a char polish today...but mine was from Wiener's Circle.

SteveZ wrote:Evidently, she didn't learn enough to get one of Doug's unique offerings instead of a char polish, which she could have gotten anywhere else (and done better, to boot.) I also had a char polish today...but mine was from Wiener's Circle.

Au contraire! She tried quite a bit of Doug's offerings on Sunday, which included the special sausages for this week. So she had a Polish sausage, which from her experience it was the best she ever had. She then reminded me I have yet to take her to Jim's Original.

She was happy, I was happy, which is all that matters.

Another day! Another dog!

Cathy2 wrote:She was happy, I was happy, which is all that matters.

Another day! Another dog!

You are so correct!

Cathy2 wrote:When corn dogs came up on Sunday, he was also thinking out loud about playing with the cornmeal coating. I told him about Cozy Dog in Springfield with the hot dog tasting not quite top quality.... Or just a thought maybe a two cook process: char the sausage, coat it and fry it? Oh the possibilities!

When I tried the Cozy last November, I agree that the dog was not the best: it certainly wasn't a kosher-style dog (not to mention the first pair we got were stone cold in the middle).
Precooking is a tough prospect: you need your batter and substrate the same temp, or it's going to sweat one way or the other. A grilled dog is going to be greasy outside, another killer for the coating.

It's certainly a challenge, one I'll leave to professionals with fryolators, even though Alton Brown has a home recipe.

stevez wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

I brought my friend Helen to Hot Dougs for the first time today. Funny, she sat through the lecture, learned a lot, yet never been inside the original. She had the char polish with everything on it.

Evidently, she didn't learn enough to get one of Doug's unique offerings instead of a char polish, which she could have gotten anywhere else (and done better, to boot.) I also had a char polish today...but mine was from Wiener's Circle.

My first trip to Hot Doug's, I got a hot dog and a polish, exactly because you can get them anywhere. (Granted, this was before much was known about his sources.) Any first trip anywhere, I'm interested in comparing what they do to what I've had elsewhere.

Hi Joel,

I have to say I was more musing about the combination with hardly a clue what would be involved.

I just trotted over to foodtv.com to see the Alton Brown recipe, which is not on line this moment. Instead, Emeril chimes in with his corn dog recipe, which I promptly copied onto my harddrive.

BTW the aforementioned hamburger sausage is now available at Hot Dougs.

Regards,

Disclaimer: I first tried Dougs two weeks ago, and I haven't been to many of the other dog/polish/beef places in Chicago. Yet.

Dougs is great for the specialty offerings. One could expect to pay probably three times as much for a couple of the sausages, sauced and plated and served in a more upscale setting.
However, as JeffB points out, the regular offerings are not a significant step above other dedicated hotdog places.

Given Dougs dedication to encased meats, I will gladly go there again. And again. Especially for the nonstandard fare.
For a polish, I would go to the other places that are less of a drive.

The duck fat fries were great. But I forgot to get the regular fries so I could taste them side by side. Next time. Also DF-fried-tater tots. Mmm.

Corn Dogs from Alton Brown's Good Eats episode "The Man Food Show". note that it's a transcript of the episode, but the necessary info is there.