The international hot dog day celebrated on 23 July can be a great opportunity to organize a hot dog party at home and try the most unexpected combinations of flavors. The dish, although it is extremely easy and quick to prepare, is definitely not boring if we add a little imagination and choose the right ingredients, says “Mantinga” technologist Daiva Beržanskienė.

Hot dog is especially associated with summer, when onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes grow in the garden – the whole yard seems to invite you to cook. As D. Beržanskienė points out, if sausages and various toppings are a matter of taste, then the right bun is one of the most important ingredients of a successful hot dog.

“The most important criterion for choosing hot dog buns is their texture. When preparing the buns – heating, frying in the grill, oven or in a pan – they should keep their shape, not crumble, the fried buns should be covered with a crispy crust, but inside should be soft and melt in the mouth. Therefore, you should choose from those products that are strong enough on the outside, but fluffy and soft on the inside,” says the “Mantinga” technologist.

Also, according to her, when choosing hot dog buns, for convenience alone, you should first look for cut buns. “Most people who have made hot dogs at least once and had to cut a bun in the middle and then put condiments into it, probably noticed that sometimes it can be quite a difficult challenge, therefore the buns we make are already cut,” comments D. Beržanskienė.

An American hot dog rich in flavors

For 4 portions you will need:

4 strips of bacon

4 sausages of your choice

0.5 cup of mayonnaise

4 “Mantinga” hot dog buns “Cosmos”

1 handful chopped romaine lettuce

1 cup of chopped tomatoes

2 tablespoons of finely chopped chives

Wrap the sausages with strips of bacon, secure them with toothpicks at the ends during cooking In a large medium-heated pan (or grill), cook the sausages, turning them so that the bacon browns evenly. Cook until the bacon is crispy.

“While baking the sausages, heat the buns in the oven, heated to 180 degrees, on the grill or in another pan for a few minutes until the crust turns brown. Spread mayonnaise inside each bun, add romaine lettuce and tomatoes. Finally, add the fried sausage and sprinkle everything with chives,” comments D. Beržanskienė on the process.

The French version of an elegant hot dog

For 4 portions you will need:

4 sausages of your choice

4 “Mantinga” hot dog buns “Cosmos”

Hot mustard according to taste

Handfuls of finely grated “Gruyere” (or “Gouda”, “Emmental”) cheese

Heat the oven to 200 degrees, heat a small pot to boil the sausages. While the sausages are cooking (don’t overcook them under any circumstances), put the hot dog buns in the preheated oven for a minute.

Cover the insides of the buns taken out of the oven with mustard, add a sausage, add a little hard or semi-hard cheese of your choice. Put the hot dogs in the oven for a while to melt the cheese.

“Traditional French hot dog buns don’t hold as many ingredients as American hot dogs, but they can become a great dish for a hot dog fiesta at home. By the way, when making hot dogs with French buns, you can always experiment, for example, wrapping the bun with a strip of bacon or sprinkling it with your chosen cheese,” says D. Beržanskienė.