By Emma Driban, Editor
—
It may not be the first thing that pops into your head when you think of “Jewish food,” but there is something undeniably Jewish about hot dogs.
You may be thinking, “Emma, are you crazy? Hot dogs?!” But the hot dog’s rise in America is deeply tied to Jewish immigration, adaptation, and identity. Like many of our favorite American classics, the story of how hot dogs rose to prevalence in the States begins with an immigrant.
In 1867, Charles Feltman—a German immigrant and baker by trade—invented the first hot dog on Coney Island. These frankfurter sausages nestled into long sliced buns presented beachgoers with
a convenient meal without the hassle of plates or silverware. While Feltman’s Coney Island Red Hots were made of pork and beef, it didn’t take long for another immigrant to give this rising sensation a kosher twist.
Just a few years later, in 1872, husband and wife team Isaac and Sarah Gellis opened one of the Lower East Side’s first kosher butcher shops. Jewish immigrants from Russia themselves, they saw and experienced the need for a kosher market that would be accessible to everyone in the neighborhood. Soon after, the butcher shop developed into a family-run delicatessen, becoming one of New York’s largest suppliers of cold cuts, smoked fish, and—you guessed it—all-beef hot dogs!
As Jewish immigrants continued to integrate into American society, the hot dog followed.
Hebrew National, a brand still widely eaten today, began production in 1905, advertising their high production standards with their famous slogan, “We Answer to a Higher Authority.” Despite the effort, many Orthodox and even Conservative Jews rejected the brand, not accepting the hot dogs as kosher.
Then, 1916 saw Polish-Jewish immigrant Nathan Handwerker open a hot dog stand in direct competition with his former employer—the aforementioned Charles Feltman. While Feltman’s had grown into a sit-down restaurant, Handwerker kept prices low by operating as a sort of precursor to a fast-food institution.
Now, Nathan’s Famous is a titan of the hot dog world, considered one of the best in the country, and even the world. Handwerker reached his success while underscoring the quality of his ingredients, calling them “kosher-style” to highlight the purity of the meat used.
This designation, “kosher-style,” has played a significant role in normalizing Jewish culture to a secular populace.
By 1954, yet another purveyor of pork-free franks, Abeles & Heymann, rose to meet the stricter kashrut needs of the Orthodox community, creating glatt kosher hot dogs with no filler.
Today, people enjoy hot dogs with all kinds of toppings from all around the world. Like bagels, another inherently Jewish classic, people’s preferences and—let’s face it—VERY strong opinions differ regionally and culturally.
As you begin to fire up your grill for the summer, travel around the country—and the world—by trying out one or all of these internationally-inspired hot dog combinations. And remember, the next time you bite into a hot dog, you’re not just tasting an American classic—you’re tasting a story shaped by immigrants, tradition, and the evolving definition of what it means to belong.
New York Street Cart Dog (FoodNetwork.com)
A lot of people consider these the true classic, but like most things with a Jewish twist, there are plenty of opinions out there! It’s simple: boiled hot dog, sauerkraut, spicy brown mustard, onion sauce. Period.
Ingredients
For the onion sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 medium onions, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
For Assembly
- 8 kosher hot dogs
- 8 hot dog buns
- Spicy brown mustard, as needed (recommended: Gulden’s)
- Onion Sauce
- Cooked sauerkraut, as needed
Instructions
- Make the onion sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until they are soft. Stir in the honey, cinnamon, and chili powder and cook for one minute. Add the ketchup, water, hot sauce, salt, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it cool to room temperature before serving.
- Assemble your dog. Spread the bottom half of each bun with spicy brown mustard. Put the boiled hot dog onto the bun and top with the onion sauce, sauerkraut, or both!
Chicago-style “Dragged through the Garden” Dog
Travel to Wrigley Field with this vegetable-laden classic. Piled high with colorful toppings, this hot dog offers many variations. The following instructions represent one of the more widely accepted recipes.
On a poppy seed bun, place your hot dog and top with yellow mustard, chopped white onions, bright green sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato slices, pickled sport peppers, and a dash of celery salt.
Korean Corn Dog (Maangchi.com)
Korean Corn Dogs have become quite the craze! Served on a stick, these potato battered dogs are slightly sweet, crispy, and satisfying.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 2 tablespoons white or brown sugar
- 1 package dry yeast (about 2 teaspoons)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1¾ cup all purpose flour
For the hotdog and potatoes
- 4 beef hot dogs, pat dried
- 4 disposable wooden chopsticks
- 1 pound peeled potato, cut into ¼ inch small cubes, rinsed and soaked in cold water
- 2 tablespoons all purpose wheat flour
- ½ cup Korean bread crumbs or Japanese panko breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Combine the warm water and sugar in a bowl and stir well.
- Add the active dry yeast and let it sit for a few minutes, until the yeast melts.
- Add salt and flour. Mix well with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes, until it turns smooth without any lumps.
- Cover and let it sit until the volume doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Prepare the potato and skewers
- Boil a quart of water in a pan. Drain the potato and add it to the boiling water. Blanch for 2 minutes.
- Drain the potato and rinse in cold running water to remove any excess starch.
- Dry out the pieces with a cotton cloth or paper towel.
- Put the potato pieces into a bowl and mix with 2 tablespoons flour. Set aside.
- Skewer the hot dogs on skewers or wooden chopsticks.
Shaping and frying
- Heat 4 inches of oil in a large frying pan or wok to 320°F– 330°F. The pan should be deep and wide enough to immerse at least one hot dog plus the stick. If you don’t have kitchen thermometer, use a wooden chopstick to dip a bit of dough into the oil. If it bubbles vigorously, it’s ready to fry!
- Place the diced potatoes on your cutting board next to your bread crumbs and your batter, all in a row. Coat a hot dog skewer with the batter, turning the skewer around so it’s fully covered. You can use your hands to shape it a bit, if you need to! Then roll it in the potato bits, and pack them into the batter a bit with your hands, until they stick. Then roll it in the breadcrumbs until it’s completely covered before dropping the battered dog into the hot oil.
- Fry for 6 to 7 minutes and use tongs to take it out. Repeat with all of your hot dog skewers.
Garnish and serve
- You can garnish as you like, but Korean street vendors lightly dust each hot dog in sugar, and then drizzle both ketchup and yellow mustard over top.
Danish Rød Pølse (True-North-Kitchen.com)
Creamy, tangy, and crunchy. The Danish Rød Pølse really knows how to party!
Ingredients
- 4–6 hot dogs
- Crispy fried onions
- Dill pickle slices
- Danish Remoulade Sauce
- 4–6 hot dog buns for serving
For the Danish Remoulade Sauce
- ½ cup prepared mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons plant-based sour cream or Greek yogurt substitute (like Tofutti or Silk)
- 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon capers coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons dill pickles finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
Instructions
- Make the Danish Remoulade: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until fully combined.
- Heat grill. Grill hot dogs over medium heat until heated through and nicely browned, about 7–10 minutes
- Place one hot dog inside of each bun. Spoon Danish Remoulade over the length of the hot dog, followed by pickled cucumbers and a sprinkle of crispy onions. Serve immediately.
