In this installment
Bacon bits
About Cherrywood Smoked Bacon
Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs Recipe
Bacon bits
Maker: Tanya Nueske in Wittenberg, Wisconsin
Cure: Wet cured for twenty-four hours in a brine mixture with celery juice, sugar and spices
Smoke: Smoked over Cherrywood for 24 hours
Taste: Subtle, yet meaty. Pleasantly sweet and smoky.
About Cherrywood Smoked Bacon
For their Cherrywood bacon Nueske’s uses fresh-cut cherrywood logs. It’s sweeter than the Nueske’s famous applewood smoked bacon (which you received in the first installment). The smoke is just a tad heavier than the applewood. It’s surprisingly subtle and really meaty.
Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs Recipe
On the streets of San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, hot-dogueros set up their carts as the sun goes down. They pop up on every corner, even across the street from each other. Competition isn’t a problem. There’s plenty of customers for everyone.
The dish is the same at nearly every stand: a grilled hot dog wrapped in a barber’s pole of bacon, topped with chiles, crema, mustard and more. This scene plays out in different towns across Mexico every night. The bacon wrapped hot dog has become a national street food dish, taking its place next to the tamale and the taco. It’s even made its way across the border into America. In the New York Times last year John T. Edge noted, “in Tucson more than 100 vendors…peddle Sonoran-style hot dogs.”
Wrap a slice of bacon around each hot dog like the stripes on a candy cane or barber’s pole. Lay the wrapped dogs in a plastic bag or container. Chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. You want the bacon to stiffen up a little bit to hold its shape. Thinly sliced bacon is easier to use and adheres better than thicker slices.
I prefer grilling (the traditional approach, since they’re street food). The dogs can be cooked on the stovetop as well. Place a cooking sheet or aluminum foil on top of the grate of your grill and use this as your cooking surface. Lay the dogs on the sheet. Cook for a few minutes on each side until the bacon is as crisp as you’d like.
The sweeter the bun you can find, the better. If you’re lucky enough to have a Mexican bakery in your area, shop there. Bun toasting is optional.
Standard toppings: yellow mustard, ketchup, crema (like sour cream) chopped jalapenos–either roasted or grilled
Optional toppings: chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, relish, mayonnaise, mango, pineapple, salt