How to Make Your Own Homemade Hot Dogs

pork fat

🥗Healthier: chicken fat

💰Cheaper: beef suet

Chicken fat can reduce calories while maintaining moisture.

hog casings

💰Cheaper: collagen casings

Collagen casings are easier to handle and more widely available.

mustard

🥗Healthier: honey mustard

💰Cheaper: yellow mustard

Honey mustard adds sweetness without extra cost.

ketchup

🥗Healthier: sugar-free ketchup

💰Cheaper: homemade ketchup

Homemade ketchup can be made with pantry staples.

Introduce the recipe and discuss the types of meat that can be used for hot dogs.

Start with a 25-pound meat block of 85% lean and 15% fat beef trim.

If possible, separate the fat from the lean meat for better emulsification; otherwise, mix everything at once.

Grind the meat three times: first through a 3/8 inch plate, then twice through a 1/8 inch plate.

Mix the sure gel into the ice cold water until dissolved, which may take a couple of minutes.

Using a Weston 44-pound meat mixer attached to a #22 Weston Meat Grinder, start mixing the meat.

Slowly add in the Walton's hot dog seasoning, then the sure cure, and lastly the water and sure gel mixture.

Mix for at least 8 minutes, reversing the mixing direction every minute to ensure proper protein extraction.

Once mixed, load the Walton's 26-pound sausage stuffer, avoiding air pockets while loading.

Stuff the casings carefully, ensuring they are firm but not overstuffed to prevent blowouts.

Twist link the sausages by pinching the casing and twisting every other link until the entire rope is linked.

Refrigerate the hot dogs for about 12 hours to allow flavors to develop and stabilize before cooking.

Cook the hot dogs in a smokehouse with the following cycle: 15 minutes at 120°F, 30 minutes at 130°F, 30 minutes at 140°F, 30 minutes at 150°F with high humidity, then increase to 175°F until the internal temperature reaches 150°F and hold for at least 4 minutes.

Shower the hot dogs for about 15 minutes to set the casing and cool them down after cooking.

Remove the cellulose casing from the hot dogs, noting the convenient black stripe for easy identification.

Compare the final product with hot dogs made in collagen casings, discussing the differences.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens