Photo by Erin Kincheloe
A hot dog condiment bar
Nostalgic and unfussy, hot dogs are an instant crowd pleaser, and among our favorite Twin Cities Cheap Eats. Plus, they’re hopelessly easy on the host—just cook up some dogs and offer a smorgasbord of local toppings so guests can gussy to their liking.
Nathan Beck, who runs the hot dog cart Natedogs, and whose easy Carolina Slaw recipe appears below, knows what we’re talking about: “Hot dogs really embody the nostalgic feeling you get when you eat your favorite foods.”
Hot dog condiments to try: (beyond the ketchup and mustard of your Minnesota youth):
- Sliced tomato
- Diced onion, white or green—raw, or, as Beck suggests, sauté the onions in butter and pair with a sweet/spicy mustard. Beck has his own Honey-Spiced mustard: it will be available at the Golden Fig,Electric Fetus, and GrassRoots Cooperative again this fall.
- Pickle spears
- Chili (vegetarian or meat-laden)
- Sliced jalapeño
- Sauerkraut
- Creamy horseradish
- Cheese, cheese, cheese
Hot dog condiments from the experts at Surdyk’s:
- Mother-in-Law’s Kimchi Gochujang: A fermented chile paste—the most popular pantry staple in Korea.
- Mr. Fuzz's Nuclear Nectar: A habanero hot sauce produced in Minneapolis.
- Mustard and Co. Mustards: Mustard and curry together = genius.
- Natedogs Carolina Slaw (recipe below)
As for those dogs, according to Beck:
- Buy a quality, skin-on hot dog. Check out your local butcher shop before a supermarket.
- For vegetarians: Bypass the store-bought, processed faux-meat and try a sausage from The Herbivorous Butcher—or really embrace the greens and fill your bun with seasonal vegetables.
NATEDOGS CAROLINA SLAW
by Nathan Beck
Ingredients
- 1 c. ketchup (Note: Nate doesn’t mind using ketchup in recipes, but he would never use it as a condiment.)
- 1/2 c. brown sugar
- 1/4 c. fresh cracked pepper (if possible use a spice grinder and avoid store bought ground pepper)
- 1/8 c. kosher salt
- 1/8-1/4 c. red chile flakes (to taste)
- 1 head each of red and green cabbage—finely shredded and packed into a food safe container (like a cambro or large Rubbermaid) with a tight lid.
- 3 c. cider vinegar
Instructions
- Stir the ketchup, brown sugar, pepper, salt, and chile flakes until combined and then slowly whisk in the cider vinegar until everything has dissolved.
- Once dissolved, pour slowly over the cabbage until the cabbage is just covered (you will need to occasionally stop and re-whisk the liquid to make sure the pepper and salt doesn’t settle to the bottom of the bowl).
- Let sit at least overnight and up to two months in the fridge. The longer it sits, the better it gets!
