Simplify Burnt Ends at Your BBQ This Summer by Swapping Hot Dogs

Summer barbecues are the perfect way to stock up on all sorts of smoky meats, hearty side dishes, and maybe even a healthy veggie or two. If you’re looking for a way to mix up your meat offerings, try a fun alternative to pork burnt ends that swaps out the usual protein for a substitute that contains beef—and sometimes more. Slice up hot dogs for a tasty twist on traditional burnt ends. This incredibly simple swap is a hot dog hack you wish you knew about sooner, and it can be translated from a grill to a broiler oven for even more convenient cooking or when you’re stuck indoors. Playing around with different styles of hot dogs and your preferred heat and char levels allows you to completely customize how you want to sear your ends.

While they may not pass for Kansas City’s beloved burnt ends, hot dogs are a simple and economical substitution. For one, the hot dogs are already fully cooked, meaning you only need to heat the franks to your ideal temperature and texture. Rather than cutting fatty pork belly or belly, cutting hot dogs into rounds or cylinders for cooking is also much less labor intensive. The flavor of your favorite hot dogs is also more reliable than betting on a more expensive cut of meat. That just leaves the variable of how you want to season and sauce your hot dog pieces, for which there are tons of fun options.

Read more: Common Mistakes Everyone Makes With Hot Dogs

Making the burnt ends of your hot dog seriously fantastic

This wonderfully simple style of hot dog burnt ends will have your backyard party rocking in no time. First, select a brand of hot dog you already enjoy, especially one that will taste great with a little extra char and sauce. All-beef franks are recommended because they can handle a good charring while still maintaining a robust flavor. Cutting your hot dogs into rounds will make them more chip-like, while cutting them into larger pieces will give the burnt ends more shape with each bite. While some recipes recommend dipping your hot dogs first, a lighter option is to toss the hot dogs in a marinade or barbecue sauce after cooking.

First, choose a good smoky dry rub to season your hot dogs, or make your own three-ingredient dry rub from scratch. If you want to cut down on some of the added sweetness, skip the pre-sauce and load your seasoned hot dog pieces either into the grill or into a foil pouch on your grill to get them nice and charred. Keep an eye on the dogs to make sure they don’t burn beyond your desired taste. How you prepare your franks is a matter of personal preference, but no matter how you slice them, these hot dog burnt ends are sure to become a staple at all your summer cookouts.

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