Enough with the globetrotting and history lessons. Let's eat!
ginger dog
sweet pickle powder
whipped chili
mustard creme
ginger mustard crisp
Hot dogs have been on my to-do list for a long time. Every now and then I would spot the bookmark signaling to me from between the pages of Michael Ruhlman's "Charcuterie" but for one reason or another, I've never gotten around to them. I think that they were waiting for ginger bread and ginger beer to draw them out. Some things are worth the wait.
ginger dogs
beef hot dog nuggets
Traditional hot dogs can be made by forcing the paste into sheep casings, which are then smoked, grilled, or roasted. Here, they are formed into bite-sized nuggets.
2 1/2 lbs meat and fat from about 5 lbs of beef short ribs
1 Tblsp salt
1 tsp pink curing salt
1 cup cold water
1 Tblsp dry mustard
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tblsp finely minced garlic
2 Tblsp light corn syrup
Cut meat into 1" cubes and grind through the small holes of a meat grinder. Add salt, pink salt, and water. Mix thoroughly, cover, and chill for at least 24 and up to 48 hours to cure.
After curing, add the remaining ingredients and toss. Regrind the meat through the small holes of a meat grinder. In 3 batches, process the meat in a food processor until it is reduced to a fine paste. To make nuggets, place a heaping Tablespoon of paste in the center of a square of plastic wrap. Gather up the ends and twist to form a ball. Tie with twine. Sous-vide at 65C for 30 minutes.
ginger batter
Finely ground (in a spice grinder) and toasted (300F oven for 8-10 minutes) ginger bread stands in for traditional cornmeal, lending the batter an alluring aroma. The yeast in the ginger beer, along with the baking powder transforms the thick batter into a light and crisp crust.
1/2 cup toasted ginger bread crumbs
1/2 cup flour
1 Tblsp sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tblsp melted butter
1/2 cup ginger beer
Stir together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, butter, and ginger beer and add to dry ingredients. Stir until well incorporated.
To make ginger dogs, impale each pre-cooked hot dog nugget onto the tip of a skewer. Dip in the batter, twirling to form an even coat. Deep-fry in 375F vegetable oil.
Playing with Fire and Water 
Looks great. How did you make the pickle powder? Blitz pickles and malto? Or did you (at least partially) dehydrate the pickles first?
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completely dehydrate (takes awhile because of the sugar) then blitz
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When you explore an ingredient… you REALLY explore an ingredient. This has been a great succession to follow.
I guess hot dogs are on many minds these days. I also loved reading Martin Lersch’s Khymos.com posting of Ben Roche’s ‘dessert version’ hot dog.
Pickle powder is also a great idea which could also be used as a flavoring salt. I love the nice hue of green that it retained.
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I had the same question. Did you dehydrate with a low oven or one of those Nesco jobbies?
Looks great as usual 🙂
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I did this batch in a dehydrator…but a 150F oven will work as well
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Very cool. I’ll definitely have to give this one a go.
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This is a really cute idea, they’d make great little appetizers! 🙂
I’d like to share your recipe with our readers, please let me know if you’re interested. Have a great week!
Sophie, Key Ingredient Chief Blogger
sophie@keyingredient.com
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