ginger dog

Enough with the globetrotting and history lessons.  Let's eat!

ginger dog

sweet pickle powder

whipped chili

mustard creme

ginger mustard crisp

Hot dogs have been on my to-do list for a long time. Every now and then I would spot the bookmark signaling to me from between the pages of Michael Ruhlman's "Charcuterie" but for one reason or another, I've never gotten around to them. I think that they were waiting for ginger bread and ginger beer to draw them out. Some things are worth the wait.

ginger dogs

beef hot dog nuggets

Traditional hot dogs can be made by forcing the paste into sheep casings, which are then smoked,  grilled, or roasted. Here, they are formed into bite-sized nuggets.

2 1/2 lbs meat and fat from about 5 lbs of beef short ribs

1 Tblsp salt

1 tsp pink curing salt

1 cup cold water

1 Tblsp dry mustard

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp black pepper

1 Tblsp finely minced garlic

2 Tblsp light corn syrup

Cut meat into 1" cubes and grind through the small holes of a meat grinder. Add salt, pink salt, and water. Mix thoroughly, cover, and chill for at least 24 and up to 48 hours to cure. 

After curing, add the remaining ingredients and toss. Regrind the meat through the small holes of a meat grinder. In 3 batches, process the meat in a food processor until it is reduced to a fine paste. To make nuggets, place a heaping Tablespoon of paste in the center of a square of plastic wrap. Gather up the ends and twist to form a ball. Tie with twine. Sous-vide at 65C for 30 minutes.

ginger batter

Finely ground (in a spice grinder) and toasted (300F oven for 8-10 minutes) ginger bread stands in for traditional cornmeal, lending the batter an alluring aroma. The yeast in the ginger beer, along with the baking powder transforms the thick batter into a light and crisp crust.

1/2 cup toasted ginger bread crumbs

1/2 cup flour

1 Tblsp sugar

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 Tblsp melted butter

1/2 cup ginger beer

Stir together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, butter, and ginger beer and add to dry ingredients. Stir until well incorporated.

To make ginger dogs, impale each pre-cooked hot dog nugget onto the tip of a skewer. Dip in the batter, twirling to form an even coat. Deep-fry in 375F vegetable oil.