Cook Hot Dogs In This Decadent Fat For Next-Level Flavor

A hot dog is mighty tasty all on its own, but there is no denying that certain additions take one from good to great. What is better than a ballpark dog drenched in mustard and relish? How could anything compare to a weenie elevated by bánh mí toppings? And not only do the fixings and garnishes elevate a hot dog, but so do certain cooking methods. Obviously a grilled dog is top tier, but the pan-fry method is also popular for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that you can cook the franks in your choice of fat. You could be basic and choose an olive oil spray, or you could be brilliant and opt for bacon grease.

Salty, smoky, meaty bacon grease adds another savory dimension to your hot dogs that is out of this world (bacon literally makes everything better!), and it also helps create an absolutely delectable crust on the skin. To achieve this, you can cook some bacon off right before adding the hot dogs, or use saved bacon grease (about a tablespoon or two). Once your skillet has the grease hot and glistening, add your hot dogs and cook until seared on all sides. It's that simple.

Of course, searing the sides in bacon grease is a classic way to cook a hot dog that will create outrageous flavor, but you might also try a few less traditional methods to get that bacon-y essence into every nook and cranny of the frank. Try slicing the hot dog down the middle length-wise, making sure not to cut all the way through the skin (essentially butterflying it). It does minimize the number of hot dogs you can cook at once, but we think creating even more surface area for the flavorful grease to reach is a pretty reasonable trade-off.

If you'd prefer your dogs stay whole, you can also try scoring the outside of the hot dog. By creating criss-cross patterns in the skin, you'll allow the grease and its flavor to penetrate to the inside of the sausage (it also creates more edges to crisp up). Or you can go in the opposite direction and try shaving a hot dog into strips or slicing it into coins and frying it in bacon grease, which will undoubtedly bring the maximum amount of hot dog in contact with the decadent fat.