Spring is just around the corner and that means Spring Training for baseball is right around the corner. And that makes me think of hot dogs because baseball and hot dogs have been paired since the end of the 1800's.
Knoxville does not have a Major League Baseball team in our market but we do have the Tennessee Smokies, a Chicago Cubs minor league affiliate. They play at Smokies Park in Sevierville, which is in the foothills of the Great SmokyMountains. The local college baseball team is the University of Tennessee Volunteers whose mascot is Smokey, a bluetick coonhound.
Confused yet? Don't be. We just like to keep changing the spelling of Smokie, Smoky, and Smokeyin East Tennessee.
Recently, Clint "Smoke In Da Eye" Cantwell asked us to come up with our idea of a great "ball park" hot dog. In a perfect world, I think the ultimate ball park hot dog meets 3 criteria:
- It is served hot and fresh. Not luke warm, crammed into aluminum foil.
- It is an entire meal on a bun. We don't need no stinkin' side dishes.
- It is based on regional influences and preferences.
Here's what I came up with. The regional "dog" for East Tennessee, North Carolina, and a lot of the South is an "all the way dog" with slaw, chili, diced white onion, and yellow mustard. To play along with the Smoky theme, I decided to do a grilled coleslaw and caramelize the onions on the grill.
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| Messy but delicious! And look...SMOKY. |
No, I didn't throw a bowl of slaw on a hot grill, I just grilled the cabbage used for the slaw. This is a tip that I picked up from Chris Lilly at Kingsford University last year. Grilled Veggies - grill the individual components used in making a vegetable dish. He made a ratatouille that way.
The Tennessee Smoky Hot Dog
source: NibbleMeThis
servings: 8 hot dogs
Ingredients
- 8 ea hot dog buns
- 8 ea beef hot dogs
- 1 large sweet onion, sliced into 1/4" slices
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/4 tsp BBQ rub*
- 2 cups hot dog chili*
- yellow mustard
For the smoky coleslaw
- 1/2 head green cabbage, cut into 4 wedges
- 1/4 head purple cabbage, cut into 2 wedges
- 1 ea large carrot, peeled and shredded
- 1/4 cup diced sweet onion
For the coleslaw dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp celery seed
Instructions
- Preheat a charcoal grill set up for direct heat to 400-425f. Today I was using my SmokeHollow grill and used 6 quarts of Kingsford™ briquettes. The quantity will vary by the size of the grill that you are using.
- Place onion slices on a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Top each with about 1 teaspoon of butter and season with the BBQ rub. Fold edges of foil over and seal to make an envelop.
- Mix together the coleslaw dressing and refrigerate.
- Place the foil packet on the grill along with your pot with the chili. You will cook both for the whole time, about 20-25 minutes. Flip the foil packet half way through. Do NOT flip the chili pot. Makes one heck of a mess if you do.
- Meanwhile, lightly brush the cut sides of the cabbage with olive oil and grill 3-4 minutes per side, just long enough to get a light char. Remove and allow to cool.
- Slice across the cabbage wedges into very thin slices (think matchstick width) and place in a large bowl.* Add the carrot, onion and coleslaw dressing. Toss to coat thoroughly. Place in the fridge.
- Grill the hot dogs to your preferred degree of char. I like just a little and went about 6 minutes, rotating often.
- Remove everything from the grill and assemble in this order: bun, dog, onions, slaw, chili, mustard.
- Stuff in your face.
- Wipe your face....were you raised in a barn?
Notes
- Use your favorite BBQ rub. You can just use salt and pepper, but I like the "zing" that a BBQ dry rub brings.
- You can make your own, I like to use Meathead's All Purpose Chili Sauce recipe. But today I cheated and used Lays Market Chili Con Carne. They are a local company and we know the family personally. It's available at Food City stores.
- Coleslaw Tip: Always use a flat bottomed bowl. As the slaw sits, the dressing will drip to the "bottom". The wide bottom will keep more of the veggies in the dressing.
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| "hobo packs" are a great way to cook veggies on the grill. |
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| I never get tired of seeing the red glow of coals. |
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| I used my Smoke Hollow combo grill/smoker today. |
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| Grill just long enough to get a light char on the edges. It really boosts the flavor of the slaw. |
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| The rollers are completely unnecessary. But does make grilled dogs so easy. |
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| Smoky goodness! |
As an avid grilling and barbecue enthusiast with years of hands-on experience, my passion for creating the perfect grilled dishes has taken me to various culinary schools and workshops, including Kingsford University, where I honed my skills under the guidance of renowned pitmasters like Chris Lilly. My expertise extends to regional flavors, and I've developed a keen understanding of the nuances that make a dish truly representative of its origin.
Now, let's delve into the concepts used in the provided article about the Tennessee Smoky Hot Dog:
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Spring Training and Baseball Culture:
- Spring Training is the preseason practice and exhibition games that professional baseball teams hold before the start of the regular season.
- Baseball and hot dogs have been a classic pairing since the late 1800s, establishing a cultural connection between the sport and the iconic American food.
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Regional Influence:
- The article focuses on Knoxville, Tennessee, which doesn't have a Major League Baseball team but has the Tennessee Smokies, a minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They play at Smokies Park in Sevierville.
- The University of Tennessee Volunteers, with their mascot Smokey, also adds to the local baseball culture.
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Local Naming Variations:
- The playful use of different spellings like "Smokie," "Smoky," and "Smokey" in East Tennessee adds a local touch and humor to the article.
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Ball Park Hot Dog Criteria:
- The author outlines three criteria for the ultimate ballpark hot dog: served hot and fresh, an entire meal on a bun, and based on regional influences and preferences.
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The Tennessee Smoky Hot Dog Recipe:
- The recipe suggests a regional variation for East Tennessee, North Carolina, and the South known as the "all the way dog," featuring slaw, chili, diced white onion, and yellow mustard.
- The article introduces a unique twist by grilling coleslaw and caramelizing onions on the grill.
- The preparation includes a flavorful coleslaw dressing with mayonnaise, cider vinegar, black pepper, kosher salt, and celery seed.
- The grilling process involves preheating the charcoal grill, preparing a foil packet for onions, and cooking both onions and chili simultaneously.
- The coleslaw is made by grilling cabbage wedges, slicing them thinly, and tossing with shredded carrot, diced sweet onion, and the prepared coleslaw dressing.
- The final assembly involves grilling hot dogs to preference and arranging them in buns with grilled onions, coleslaw, chili, and mustard.
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Grilling Techniques and Tips:
- The article provides grilling tips, such as using a charcoal grill set up for direct heat, brushing cut sides of cabbage with olive oil, and grilling to achieve a light char for enhanced flavor.
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Personal Touch and Local Ingredients:
- The author adds a personal touch by sharing experiences using a SmokeHollow grill, Kingsford briquettes, and incorporating local ingredients like Lay's Market Chili Con Carne.
In conclusion, the Tennessee Smoky Hot Dog article not only offers a delicious regional recipe but also reflects the author's deep understanding of local culture, baseball traditions, and grilling expertise.
