Take Pan-Seared Hot Dogs Up A Notch And Cook Them In This Flavorful Fat

Grilling hot dogs gives them a charred exterior, but when you don't have the energy to fire up that barbecue, pan-searing them is the next best option. Better yet, this technique gives you heaps of bandwidth to boost their texture, aroma, and taste with a flavorful fat like bacon grease.

This pale-amber colored liquid is simply the rendered fat that's collected at the base of the pan after frying strips of bacon. As bacon is a cured and smoked product, the seasoned fat has a distinctly smoky and salty flavor, which can be strained and reused for cooking anything from sautéed potatoes and fried eggs to cornbread and biscuits (you can even sub it for shortening in pie crusts).

Using bacon grease to pan-sear hot dogs is a baller move because it does three things. First, it imparts a rich smokiness to the frankfurters that underscores their existing flavor. Second, it encourages their surface to crisp up and develop a crust, creating a combination of textures, and finally, it accelerates the browning process, lending them a caramelized and complex taste. To pan-sear your hot dogs, you can either add them straight into a skillet of melted bacon grease, taking care to turn them regularly, or score them first to allow all that fat to seep into the slashes.

Along with elevating the flavor of your pan-seared hot dogs with bacon grease, you can boost their texture too. For instance, you should be spiraling your hot dogs instead of frying them as they are to allow the fat to get into every nook and cranny. This move encourages the 'furters to develop a moreish crispness and maximize their savory quality. The finished corkscrew shape of the hot dogs is also incredible for taking on all those classic toppings from mustard and relish to chili and onions.

Another way to give hot dogs maximum flavor with an unexpected ingredient is to add butter to your frying pan. The butter imbues the frankfurters with a savory flavor, giving them a richer quality and character (why not use a compound butter blended with verdant herbs, aromatic garlic, or warming spices to truly give your hot dogs a flavor injection?). However, as butter contains milk solids, bear in mind that it can brown and eventually burn due to its low smoke point of 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Using an animal fat, such as beef tallow or duck fat, eliminates this issue as they both have a far higher smoke point, allowing you to achieve a scrumptious caramelized sear on your hot dogs without smoking up your kitchen. Both these options are packed with umami flavor, and as they don't contain dairy, they're suitable for those with lactose-intolerance or dairy allergies.