How I tastedEach dog was simmered in water for 10 minutes, and left to rest at room temp for about one minute before I tasted them without a bun or condiments. I tasted the franks in elimination rounds of five each flight. Then I tasted the 10 best in two flights of five in head-to-head competition. Then the top five went head-to-head. In the first round, I simmered them in water. Then the top 10 were cooked on a clean gas grill. I chose simmering for the first round because I could control time and temp better and because the flavor of the frank is not masked by the cooking method as much as when grilled. Grilling changes the flavors more, extracting more spice flavors and creating Maillard reaction and carmelization flavors. Because I prefer grilled, this was my final determinant. The cooking was handled by an assistant so I would not know which was which. She kept them straight by using a new chrome coated car key inserted into the end of each weiner. Each keyblank had a different head shape. Only my assistant knew which key corresponded to which brand. I tasted with friends to get their feedback and input but the final judgments were mine alone. I scored them on the following criteria: Smell: Meatiness, spice, smoke, other Here is the 10 point hedonic scale I used for each of the above criteria: 0-4: Unpleasant All the brands I tasted were purchased in groceries in the Chicagoland area with three exceptions. Because David Berg and Red Hot Chicago are sold only to restaurants, I contacted them and arranged to get them direct from the manufacturer. I ordered the Sabretts direct from their website. They arrived packed in ice, and well past their sell-by date. As the song goes, "ate it anyway, ate it anyway," and, boy was I glad I did. For the fun of it, I purchased two "homemade" pups from local butchers. Joe and Franks' franks were among the best, and surprisingly, the hot dog from Bobak's, a sausage maker of great repute, ranked near the bottom. |
Oh where oh where has
|
The best of the wurst:
Rating all-beef frankfurters
Technically, hot dog is the name of the sandwich and frankfurter is the meat in the sandwich. Now that we've got the jargon straight, let it be said that I prefer all-beef franks, and here are my ratings of more than 30 all-beef franks. All were tastinged double-blind, which means I did not know what franks were being served to me.
I judged them on smell, taste, aftertaste, and the texture of the skin and filling. Some of the franks were skinless, so I did not rate those on snap. Size, price, ingredients, or other label info were not considered in this blind tasting.
So what is a good hot dog? If there are casings, they should have snap but not be tough, and the filling should be resilient but not be rubbery or crumbly. The meat should be juicy and taste like beef (doh!). Spices, especially garlic, should be pronounced, but not overwhelm the meat. Salt enhances flavor, but it should not taste briny. Smoke, if present at all, should not dominate. Balance is the key, but that does not mean blandness is to be praised. No rancidity, no bitterness, no greasiness, no mealiness, no egg flavors, no artificial undertones.
What about lowfat franks? I tasted the "healthier" reduced fat and fat free versions of several of my favorite franks, and all of them scored low. Perhaps, if you're loading them up with toppings their innate deficiencies may get buried, but all alone on their own, well, they just plain sucked.
What about organic franks? Made without preservatives, often from cattle that graze in pastures rather than gorging on antibiotic laced grains, organic hot dogs are starting to make their mark. Using such additives as celery juice, lactic acid, and sea salt to extend their shelf life and create the normal pink color, organic dogs typically are lower in fat and sell for 15-25¢ more per link in the grocery store. One producer, Applegate Farms, has to go all the way to Uruguay to get meat that meets their specs. So far, the results have been unremarkable tastewise.
Below are my ratings in four groupings and listed alphabetically within groupings.
Killer Dogs: The Best of the Best
Hebrew National Beef Franks
Sabrett Beef Frankfurters
Highly Recommended
Hans' All Natural Uncured Beef Hot Dogs
Joe and Franks Beef Franks
Nathan's Famous Beef Franks
Original Chicago Style Hot Dog
Oscar Mayer XXL Premium Beef Franks
Red Hot Chicago
Scott Peterson Beef Franks
Average
Applegate Farms Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dogs
Ball Park Beef Franks
Bar S Beef Franks
Boar's Head Beef Frankfurters
Daisy Brand Beef Wieners
Skinless
Oscar Mayer Beef Franks and Oscar Mayer XXL Deli Style Beef Franks
Safeway Select Beef Franks
Usinger's Beef Frankfurters
Vienna Beef Franks
Not Recommended
Bobak's Chicago Style Beef Wieners
Eckrich Beef Franks
Jewel Beef Franks
Wellshire Farms All Natural Premium Uncured Beef Frank
This page was revised 6/19/2009
About this website
AmazingRibs.com is all about the science of barbecue, grilling, and outdoor cooking, with great BBQ recipes and tips on technique. Learn how to set up your grills and smokers properly, the thermodynamics of what happens when heat hits meat, as well as hundreds of excellent tested recipes including all the classics: Baby back ribs, spareribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, burgers, chicken, smoked turkey, lamb, steaks, barbecue sauces, rubs, and side dishes, with the world's best buying guide to barbecue smokers, grills, and accessories, all edited by Meathead.
Advertising on this site
AmazingRibs.com is far the most popular barbecue website in the world and one of the 50 most popular food websites in the US according to comScore and Quantcast. Visitors and pageviews increase rapidly every year. Click here for analytics and advertising info.
| Weights, Measures, Conversions | Tips & Techniques | Recipes | Equipment Reviews | BBQ Culture & History |
| My Ingredients | BBQ Joints | About Us | Blog | Links | Newsletter | BBQ Tunes |
| Privacy Promise, Code of Ethics, Other Legal Terms | Advertising & Sponsorship Opportunities |


GrillGrates amplify heat, eliminate hot spots, and block flareups. This is the concept behind the expensive new infrared grills. A must add-on for all gas grills.














Please please please read this before posting a comment or question:
1) Please use the table of contents or the search box at the top of every page before you ask for help.
2) Please click the "Follow Conversation" button or the "Email" button below your comment so you will be alerted when we reply.
3) Please don't ask any questions that involve temperature unless you tell us that you are using a digital thermometer! Dial thermometers are often off by as much as 50°F! If you are not using a good digital you have no idea what the temp really is so we can't help you. Please read this article about thermometers, then buy one of our recommendations, and then, if the problem persists (chances are it won't), hit us with your questions.
4) Please tell us everything we need to know to answer your question like the type of cooker you are using.
5) If you are shopping for a grill or smoker and need help, tell us your budget!