National Hot Dog Day - Recipes & Reviews

I raise a glass and toast the Hot Dog with all it's toppings on National Hot Dog Day!

 You can't get much cheaper than a Hot Dog meal, even with all your favorite condiments. If you have some leftover Cavier, then dress it up for a Haute Doggie Day.

 So let's begin with a recipe that is literally a hot mess, the L.A. Street Dog. The wiener is bacon-wrapped and topped with mayo, ketchup, mustard, and a grilled fajita mix of bell peppers, onions, and finally, a spicy jalapeno. Whew, that's a mouthful. Check out my version below. And click on any Restaurant or Recipe name to see the original blog post with all the yummy photos and tasty prose.

My latest Hot Dog recipe is a Baltimore Baloney Dog. This Great Depression era invention is a cheap$kate's dream, or nightmare if you are averse to processed meat.

The premier tube steak purveyor in town may be Fab's Hot Dogs. Chef-owner Joe Fabrocini has brought virtually all of America to the San Fernando Valley, offering a menu of beautifully crafted dogs from every region worth its mustard. The selection of hot dogs is head-swimming, but go ahead and dive into my video, where I show you a few favorites.



Summertime is Hot Dog Season, and nothing beats making your own. I always have mustard and pickle relish in the fridge, and tube steaks and hot dog buns in the freezer. I make 'em this way more than any other - sweet pickle relish, sour mustard, and a meaty weenie on a bun, so good, and below is my simple recipe for a Relish Dog.



Pink's, L.A.'s most popular hot dog stand (the place can't put up all its celebrity headshots of visiting movie, television, and rock stars), was started in 1939 with just a pushcart and has the longest lines of any wiener stand, and deservedly so. It has been filmed and reviewed by every media outlet in L.A., so I won't repeat it all here. 

However, I did notice one special hot dog that was not covered, and that is the "Dude," named after the conductor of the L.A. Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel (he is moving on to the NY Phil). It's the most extravagant of hot dogs - get an eyeful of it in my video below.



I like a Chili Dog anytime. Where does this cheap$kate, lazy Chef get his chili? From the can, of course! 

I do have a Homemade Chili recipe if you want to indulge. Just watch my Chili Dog recipe and make your own, the 99 Cent Chef way.



Let's Be Frank, serves up wieners with compassion. No factory farm beef, pork, or turkey is used in their franks. All the animals are 100% grass-fed and humanely raised locally in California. Hormones, antibiotics, nitrates, and nitrites are not added to the production of meat.

I often gild the lily, that is, I lay it on thick, like my next Hot Dog recipe, a Chili & Sauerkraut Dog. 

I find sauerkraut from the jar, and chili from a can is tasty enough -- no need to complicate things.

If chili and sauerkraut are not your cup of tea then leave out the heaviness of chili and go with a simply delicious Kraut Dog. I've left a jar of sauerkraut in the fridge for weeks at a time and it keeps on giving mouth-pukering, sour-flavored hot dogs.



Carney's dining train car once hosted the cheapest Hot Dog Happy Hour on L.A.'s notorious and famed Sunset Strip, serving a trifecta of beer, hot dog, and fries for $4.75! Alas, no more since COVID changed the price structure of most restaurants in L.A. But their Hot Dogs are just as delicious, Happy Hour or not. Below is a flashback video of dining at Carney's Happy Hour of Hot Dogs, Fries, and Beer...oh man, those were the days. 

Your Boys of Summer have to try my Ohtani Dog, made in honor of the Los Angeles Dodgers home run phenom, Shohei Ohtani. Mustard and pickle relish, check, plus dried seaweed? Hey, give it a shot - seaweed adds a salty kick. 

I use Seaweed Snacks that cost a buck per 10-sheet package, so the price is right. I found 10-inch Dodger Dog wieners on sale once, but you can use any favorite tube steak.

Come on down to Crenshaw Boulevard in South L.A. for soulful hot dogz served by Earlez Grill. These wieners are split and grilled on a flattop for max flavor. Check out my video below to hang with the boyz and girlz in the hood.



I like a Chili Dog with a sweet relish. Hot, meaty chili cut through with sweet relish is satisfying on so many levels. Just watch my Chili & Relish Dog recipe...be still my heartburn!



A culinary car crash of cultures, the Oki Dog is a true representative of diverse Los Angeles. Combining the all-American fast food standbys of hot dogs, chili, and American cheese with the Jewish deli classic pastrami, all wrapped in a Mexican blanket flour tortilla. I dare you to try and finish one. Well, if you want to see what I'm talking about, look no further than the video below.

Potato Salad on a Hot Dog? Don't knock it till you try it! My Homemade Potato Salad recipe follows the Potato Salad Dog video.

You don't have to go far these days to bring Coney Island to your town. 

I used to get a famous East Coast Nathan's Hot Dog from the frozen deli case of my local Dollar Tree, when I want an easy, microwavable, quickie lunch. They do the job and I even wrote a Cheap$kate Deal of the Day you can read here.

They come naked so I dress the dogs with just mustard and sweet pickle relish. What are your fave toppings?

The Best 4th of July Recipes

This holiday is smokin' at Cheapskate HQ, and that includes getting out the BBQ grill for a backyard blowout. So read on as I light up the sky with recipes, selected especially for America's 250 Birthday Independence Day Celebration!

Smoking Pastrami

 Click on any Recipe Name and you'll be directed to my original blog post of eats illustrated with yummy photos and tasty text.

And great grocery deals are happening this week, too. Steak, hamburger, chicken, corn, watermelon, and ribs are all on sale right now. Be sure to check out your local grocery fliers for all the holiday deals.

Pretzels with mustard with breakfast coffee? Only in Pennsylvania, or Pretzelvania, as it's known as.I'm going with the locals on this one - instead of a donut, savory and sour is on the menu in the video below.

In my Baldwin Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, there is quite a show of fireworks. I don't set them off like I did as a kid -- now I light up the kitchen with my own culinary fireworks!

I am always ready for a 4th of July picnic, so read on to see how I do it deliciously cheap.

Let's start with the main meat course. This Chintzy Chef cooks with chicken the most because it's the cheapest.

And dark meat is the best bargain. I can even get boneless and skinless chicken leg quarters on sale at my local Latin market that's owned by Koreans. Ready, aim, and fire a 21-gun salute to ethnic groceries!

Use your favorite BBQ sauce for traditional red, white, and blue backyard poultry broiling. I just season cheap chicken pieces with salt and pepper and slather on the BBQ sauce. Before serving, slice into the thickest part of the chicken piece to make sure the juices run clean - no pink or red is allowed!

Time for a little red, white and blueberry, yum.

Next to chicken, pork is one cheap protein, and I like to smoke it. Smoking thick, meaty Country-style Pork Ribs is my favorite. 

I boil the ribs until tender (you can also wrap them in foil and oven roast), then throw them on the gas grill for an hour of smoking. This is a tasty shortcut to using traditional all-day smokers. My blog post shows you how to smoke pork ribs 2 ways on a gas grill.

A Classic Potato Salad is my cool preferred side dish for grilled protein. I use a whole lotta mayo and boiled eggs, but it's easily vegan by leaving out eggs and using a tasty mayo substitute.



During BBQ offseason on cold winter days when I'm hunkered down in my bunker, like George Washington at Valley Forge, I bake Spare Ribs until the porcine flesh surrenders moist and tender. If you don't like smoke in your eyes, then this is a great way to go.



What makes America great is our mosaic of cultures, so why not get multiculti and try my recipe for a Thai-style Chicken Satay with a Peanut Dipping Sauce? The Japanese version of grilled Shish Kababs is called Yakitori. And Japanese chefs like to grill it all, even chicken livers. If that is too pungent for you, it's okay to substitute liver with pieces of regular chicken fillets. Everything tastes better when served on a skewer.

Chicken Satay - ready for the grill.

Los Angeles has a bustling Koreatown, and I have had the pleasure of trying a few Korean BBQ joints. Enter, and you are enveloped in smoke from the tabletop grills, loaded down with marinated beef and chicken. I have my own cheap$kate version of Korean BBQ you can make for your next backyard gathering.

It's all about the marinade that mainly consists of garlic, soy sauce, and brown sugar. It's a potent combination you should try out sometime. Just click here for my Korean-style BBQ Chicken recipe. The photo below shows grilled boneless and skinless dark meat leg quarters.

Beef hamburger is just too darn expensive for the Tightwad Cuisinier. But I do find deals in the meat bargain bin of my local grocer, Ralphs, like below. But, burger condiments like mayo, mustard, and pickles are still cheap enough.

I stuff my crumb-catcher with grilled hamburger slathered in BBQ sauce, sauteed mushrooms, and melty cheese.

My latest mouth-watering hamburger recipe video features pungent Swiss Cheese.

Tag along with The Patriotic Cheap$kate and his wife, Linda, for a quick tour of the Birthplace of American democracy, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We visit Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitutions were hashed out. And it only cost $1 to get in! We eat our way across Philly noshing a Cheesesteak to hitting an old school Happy Hour.

You can't go wrong with grilled hot dogs, and I have a couple of unusual recipes I think you will enjoy (it's easy enough to substitute hot dogs with your favorite specialty sausages - if you're the artisan type).

Here in Los Angeles, we have a uniquely constructed wiener sold by sidewalk purveyors called the L.A. Street Dog. It's a crazy combination of sauteed onion and bell pepper that's strewn over a bacon-wrapped wiener, then topped with mayo, mustard, ketchup, and finally crowned with a spicy jalapeño!

You've never had a hot dog like this - it's the Roman candle of finger foods. In my video below, I grill the bacon-wrapped wiener on the stovetop, but it's even better sizzling on your BBQ grill.



Allow me to introduce you to a Currywurst, which is a sausage or hot dog that's grilled and topped with a spicy sauce consisting of ketchup, Worcestershire Sauce, cayenne pepper, and curry powder (dried cumin). This Berlin, Germany delicacy started just after WWII as street food for British and American soldiers stationed there. It sounds like a weird combination of ingredients, but it works and it's easy to make, so give it a go - it makes a great appetizer served with toothpicks.

Currywurst

Another Eastern European entree is made with grilled Sausages, Sauerkraut, and Beer. Now that's a combination I can get behind! Again, I cooked this dish on a stovetop, but you can cook the sausages over an open fire for extra charred flavor and finish with a bath of beer and sauerkraut.

I like plain hot dogs with just relish and mustard. To add some veggie crunch, try my traitorish Benedict Arnold version of a Chicago Dog. I can't get Day-Glo green relish out here in LA, so I tweaked the Windy City's fast food classic by adding some chopped lettuce along with traditional sliced tomato. Check out my wacky video below, where my Chicago Dog is the punchline.

I steam my buns, how about you? I first noticed this technique while waiting in line for a Hot Dog from our most famous L.A. purveyor of tube steaks at Pink's Hot Dogs. They pulled out a bun from the steamer and built if from there.

I went home and tried it by just adding a couple of buns for a minute in the steamer along with cooking hot dog wieners. The buns become supple, and any stale bun will rejuvenate this way. Check out how I do it in the video below.

And click here to see all my Hot Dogs of Summer, including a Chili Dog and a Kraut Dog.

If you have traveled the South, then you've run across BBQ Pulled Pork. Mainly served between buns and topped with BBQ sauce, this crowd-pleasing self-serve sandwich has it all: smokey, tender pork that's seasoned with a dry rub of sugar and spice.

Pulled Pork Dry Rub

Click on photos to see larger.

Just set out a tub of Pulled Pork along with hamburger buns, BBQ sauce, sliced onion, pickles, and Easy Coleslaw, and get out of the way as the line forms. And I have an easy gas grill smoking method you can see in my video below.



Pork Carnitas are my favorite tacos.  This version is a less oily gringo version than what's served at a taco truck, but I add citrus juices and Mexican Cola for extra flavor.

While not done on a BBQ grill, it's still one of my go-to backyard holiday foods, so I gotta give you the recipe anyway. You can always give it a quick smoke pass to kick it up a notch. It really is the perfect party food because you sit back and let your friends build each taco their way. Go to the following blog post to see some tasty Homemade Salsas to serve with any tacos you like to make.

Carnitas Taco

And pork is still cheap these days, especially when it comes on sale at my local Latin market, Superior Grocers. So you won't break the bank feeding your lovers of all things porcine.

I seldom cook with beef because it's just too darn expensive, but when I splurge, it's for ribeye steak. I just season it with salt and pepper, that's it. Sometimes I'll finish it with a little BBQ sauce. But if you want to impress your guests, then try out my Carne Asada recipe. Ribeye (or any favorite tender cut) is marinated in cilantro, green onion, garlic, lime juice, and a little ground cumin. When done, chop the meat for Carne Asada Tacos or a Warm Steak Salad.

 

Carne Asada Marinade

Whew, I'm beat. Man, that's a lot of recipes. Excuse me while I indulge in a sip of Red, White, and Brew!

Long may it pour, and thank you for your servings.

If you are smoking meat, then throw on a slab of corned beef brisket for Easy Homemade Pastrami. 

I always freeze 2 or 3 corned beef briskets when they are around 2 dollars per pound during St. Patrick's Day and week sales during the month of March.

My Easy Homemade Pastrami recipe is as tasty as any Jewish Deli version - so says everyone I've served it to. I think it's because the smoky flavor is more intensely fresh off the grill than from a deli where the pastrami has been sitting in the cold case for a few days. Hey, don't take my word for it, give it a shot, and get ready for all the high fives sure to come your way!

Seafood and a BBQ grill go together. You have to have a delicate touch as fish is easy to overcook. But it should be done quickly so you won't smell too smoky slaving over the grill. This is how I grill fish over an open flame.

My Cajun nephew Zakk has put in his time as a line cook, and he gave me a Top Chef performance in his recipe video for Blackened Fish with Sweet Potato Hash.

Blackened Fish with Sweet Potato Hash

While he does his sauteing in the kitchen, you can grill the fish over an open flame, instead of the stovetop.

A bag of tortilla chips and a light Seafood Ceviche made with budget fake crab is a chill appetizer to greet the guests with.

Seafood Ceviche

Pack my classic Chicken, Tuna, or Egg Salad for a holiday picnic and watch fireworks from the comfort of your lawn chairs.

My Mom once took over my cheap$kate kitchen and set off a flavor M80 bomb: Cajun Potato Salad. It was so good I had to make a video to share her recipe with you.



For my vegetarian friends, the following recipes are for you. My sister Denise has a fav veggie Eggplant Burger (and easy enough to BBQ instead of frying pan sauteing).

 Eggplant Burger

Portabella Mushroom Burger 

I like a pot of beans on the stove simmering while I'm grilling. Cook them the day before, and they taste even better the next day. Be sure to set out a stack of bowls so your guests can help themselves. I like to have some grated cheese and minced onion on the side. My New Orleans friend, Miss Patty, has a delish Vegetarian Red Beans recipe for you, and I have my own Beef & Bean Chili. And it's "Viva Revolution!" with my Cuban Black Beans recipe.

There is nothing better at stoking appetites than walking past the kitchen and inhaling the savory perfume of seasoned legumes slow-cooking on the stovetop.

A tasty meat substitution is an earthy Portabella Mushroom Burger that's topped with grilled bell pepper and cheese (or a cheese substitute). Roast a few ears of corn to serve with the veggie burgers or go a little further and make my Roasted Cream Corn.

It's all about the veggie sides when you have a BBQ patio party, and boy, do I have the recipe for cherry (tomato) flavor bombs to prove it. You can simply drizzle a little olive oil and season any fave summer veggie to grill over an open flame.

 Braised Romain Heart

A new favorite veggie to grill is Sweet Potatoes and Yams. They are the cherry bomb of tubers. Grill until soft and sweet with an extra charred flavor. I like to slice them thick to get a creamy soft interior.

Now you do have to watch closely as the high sugar content will cause them to burn easily. But a little blackening is just extra flavor!

Russet and Sweet Potatoes

Click on any recipe name to get my recipe details for Russet and Sweet Potatoes, Yams, Grilled Bell Peppers, Zucchini with Herbs, and Braised Romain Hearts (originally done inside, but easy enough to do outside).

You gotta have chilled Potato or Macaroni Salads when you grill meat. I have a colorful Peanut Coleslaw made with red cabbage. But a regular Coleslaw is good enough for me.



The kernels pop with flavor, like a string of firecrackers, when you work your way around an ear of my Boiled Corn. And it goes with any type of picnic you pack. Click here to see how I do it.

While your guests await the main event, get them started with sparkling light salads such as a refreshing Watermelon, Mango and Spinach, hearty Black Bean & Corn, and an exotic, but simple, Korean-style Cucumber Salad, tangy Cuban Salad, or luscious Pears & Spinach with Herb Cream.

 

Watermelon, Mango & Spinach Salad

If you are doing burgers, then you want fries to go with it, and my double-fried French Fries do the trick.

Light up with fireworks of flavor for the 4th when you serve my Mango Salsa! Grab a bag of tortilla chips to go with my colorful Fresh Peach and Mango Salsa while you watch nighttime fireworks with a soundtrack of triggered car alarms and barking dogs.

Independence Day is fast approaching, so create your own 4th of July menu using any of the Patriotic Chef's recipes above. I guarantee your guests will need to chase down the flavorful culinary fireworks you serve with iced tea and a lemon slice, a glass of chilled Chardonnay, or a frosty mug of beer. Pop a cork and bring it on!

So, please rise while our National Anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, is played in my patriotic video below.

Have a Super Cool 4th of July!