Although 90% of the time we eat a vegetarian diet, on holidays we feast on traditional meat-centered meals.
In the fall, we eat turkey and Eldon's Steak and Dressing. For Christmas, we usually eat chili that my family makes with hamburger. Once in a while, I will crave chicken strips or we will go out for a ribeye steak. And for Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day, we grill meat like most Americans.
Usually when we fire up the grill, we decide to make either steaks or beef short ribs. Then, since it is such a rare event (excuse the pun) for us to cook out, we decide to add some hamburgers and beef hot dogs. We might as well while we have the grill hot, right?
The next thing we know, my husband and I are sick from eating so much.
For the Independence Day holiday, we seem to get through without overeating. Part of the reason is because my husband's birthday falls on the fifth of July. Instead of trying to feast for one meal, we spread the festivities out over three or four days. We don't eat as much at each sitting since we know we need to save room for feasting the next day.
On the fourth of July this year, we decided to have beef hot dogs for lunch. Until last year, we always cooked wieners like everyone else, just opening the package and dropping them on the fiery grill.
Then, I read about how to spiral cut a wiener. Since it makes the best hot dog for grilling, we always take the extra few minutes to prep and spiral each one. The cut makes the entire wiener crispy, instead of just on the outside. They fit the bun better since they are stretched out. And, since we like to top our dogs with *ketchup, yellow mustard, and sweet pickle relish, the spiraled design keeps all those goodies from sliding off.
The directions are after my photos!
1. Using a thin metal or wooden skewer, insert the skewer lengthwise through the hot dog. It's okay if the end pokes through a little off center. If you happen to poke through the side, just pull the skewer out a little, realign it, and push it through again so it comes out the end.
2. While rolling the skewer and wiener with one hand, use a sharp knife to cut half-way through the hot dog, stopping the blade on the skewer. Continue rolling the hot dog until spiraled all the way to the end.
3. Grill and enjoy!
Do you allow yourself to feast on holidays?
What is your favorite summer food to grill?
*My husband, ever the St. Louis Cardinals fan, refuses to eat ketchup on his hot dog, insisting on mustard and relish only. He refers to everyone who puts ketchup on a hot dog as a "Chicago fan."
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