Twirly Weenies

Yesterday I learned what I am sure will prove to be a life skill – how to make spiral hot dogs.  And given that today is National Hot Dog Day, it is serendipity to have learned this new skill yesterday.  (More on serendipity tomorrow, by the way).

To make a spiral hot dog, or a twirly weenie as you might choose to call them, you need a hot dog, a skewer, a knife, and a love of hot dogs.  If you’re only in like with hot dogs, the whimsy and added caramelized char achieved by spiraling the dog will likely be lost on you.  Though, one could argue that it might push you over the line from like to love, so if that seems like a likely outcome, by all means spiral away.

With your fondness of hot dogs now established, it’s time to get down to business.  Simply slide the skewer down the center of the hot dog (the long way) and using a paring knife carefully slice the hot dog partially through on an angle all the way around.  Remove the skewer and grill.  As the hot dog expands the spiral becomes more pronounced, and the inside of the dog gets that extra caramelized char I mentioned which really kicks up the flavor that much more.  

Here’s a picture of the twirly weenies that my friend Carrie made:

She cut them in half to make cocktail sized spiral dogs for our book club on Sunday and they were a hit!

So Happy National Hot Dog Day to everyone who is currently salivating over that picture!