Topping Off Those Doggies.

“Take me out to the ball game,

Take me out with the crowd.

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks,

I don’t care if I never get back.

Let me root, root, root for the home team,

If they don’t win, it’s a shame.

For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out,

At the old ball game.”

Written in 1908 by Jack Norworth (“Shine on Harvest Moon” fame) and Albert Von Tilzer, this became an iconic anthem sung at every baseball game in North America.  Its popularity became immortalized in the 1949 film, of the same name, when Hollywood idols Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra crooned to captive audiences.

While the song does mention peanuts and Cracker Jacks (yeah, I still eat them too), what food item, that is still served to this day, is not mentioned…the hot dog!  Oh, I remember going to my first ball game, Yankees vs. Mets at, where else, Yankee Stadium.  Footlong hotdogs, spicy brown mustard and choice of sauerkraut or spicy onion sauce.  We would all get two, so we could have one with sauerkraut and one with onion sauce, as who could choose only one?  At that time, the dogs were $2 each, not the $8 “gourmet” ones they serve now.  Depending on the area the games are at, the brand of dogs used might be geared to that area.  Traditionally, Nathan’s Famous are used by most of the teams of the leagues, however, some stadiums serve Ballpark Franks instead.  In Boston, Fenway Franks and New England style top split buns are used.  Many stadiums also serve brats and sausages as game-goers want more hardy fare. 

 

Spicy Onion Sauce or Pickle Relish?  Don't forget the Baked Beans.

 

Across America, there are hundreds of brands of the dog; Angus beef, all beef, chicken/turkey/pork mix, turkey, plant based (Sorry, but Roy and I are very much anti-spooge; except for Twinkies), and the list goes on.  So, what I am going to be focusing on is not the dog, but its coating, in other words, toppings.

First let me get to the first two I have already mentioned, sauerkraut and spicy onion sauce.  Sauerkraut, in German, means "sour cabbage" or "sour vegetable." and is essentially chopped cabbage plus salt that is fermented by naturally occurring bacteria.  Now get ready for a “Wow, had no idea” moment.  Once the cabbage becomes sauerkraut, it was found that it also converted into a healthy addition to the diet, good for the heart, digestive system and bone health.  Sauerkraut contains fiber, probiotics, vitamins A, B, C, and K, and get ready for the mineral list: iron, potassium, iodine, calcium, magnesium, manganese and sodium along with trace amounts of phosphorus, chlorine, cobalt, fluorine, silicon, boron, copper, zinc, sulfur and selenium.  Sauerkraut is basically one of the best health foods around, and its origin is not Germany.  The origin can be traced back 2000 years to China, and the Korean version, Kimchi, is just as healthy, just spiced up to give more heat to the taste buds.

Spicy onion sauce is known by a variety of names: New York Hotdog Cart onion sauce, Spanish onion sauce, Vidalia onion sauce, Red onion sauce…are you seeing the trend?  The two major characteristics are onions and sauce.  Two brands, if you can find them, that are classic and very tasty are Boar's Head Sweet Vidalia Onions in Sauce, or the Sabrett brand (I recommend their spicy brown mustard as well).  Health benefits?  Well, ummm, yeah, not too much. Onions contain organic sulfur compounds that can help reduce the level of cholesterol, and may help break down blood clots, lowering your risk for heart disease and stroke.  But once they become part of a sauce mixture, that healthy component basically goes out the window, like baby with the bath water.

 

Spicy Onion Sauce

 

Ingredients:

1 and ½ tsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced thin and chopped

1 cup water

1 tsp. cornstarch

1 Tbsp. corn syrup

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

¼ cup white vinegar

Preparation:

In a large sauce pan, heat oil on medium heat; sauté onions till softened, but do not brown.

Dissolve the cornstarch in the water; add to the onions with rest of ingredients, except the vinegar. Mix together and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add vinegar and continue to simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until sauce has thickened.

Makes 1 ½ cups.

Now you may have heard about the Coney Island hot dog aka Coney, but have you tried one?  Sonic Drive-In often advertises them, and while mainly associated with New York, they are a very big deal in Michigan…the Coney, not Sonic.  The Coney has toppings of an all meat (ground beef) no beans chili, diced white onions, and yellow mustard.

 

Coney Island Hotdog aka The Coney

 

Coney Island Chili Sauce

 

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 small onion, minced

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

1 cup tomato puree

1 cup water

1 Tbsp. each dry mustard and chili powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp. each of celery seed, cumin and ground black pepper

Preparation:

In a large sauce pan, on medium-high heat, brown ground beef; halfway through, add onion and garlic; drain excess oil.

Add all remaining ingredients; mix and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for one hour; stirring occasionally.

Makes 2 ½ cups.

Last, but not least, is relish, and for hot dogs it is pickle relish that hits the sweet and tangy spots of the tongue.  Relish is a condiment made from chopped vegetables, fruits, or a mixture of, and mixed with vinegar, sugar and salt.  While relishes of all types have been around for eons, and a basic condiment in most countries round the world, it was the Heinz company that created pickle relish in 1889.

This condiment can be found, from the smallest local market, to the hugest supermarket chain.  Recipe wise, while the main vegetable used is the cucumber, red or green bell pepper, hot peppers, garlic and onions can be added for more texture and taste.

 

Cheesy Baked Beans and Hotdogs Ready for the Oven.

After 30 Minutes at 350F.

So, grill up those dogs, top with as many condiments and sauces as you desire, and root, root, root for the home team!