Grote & Weigel Pork & Beef Frankfurters

Disclaimer: Today I have experienced disappointment unlike anything hitherto.

I have always loved Grote & Weigel Frankfurters in the past but today something just wasn't right. Actually, nothing was right.

My dear fans; fellow wiener lovers, prepare for a true tragedy. Brace yourselves for...

Slum Dog Take II

or How To Succeed At Complete Failure

I really looked forward to commenting on the special "breakfast-sausage-like" seasoning present in these franks, but all I could taste was a strong OTHER FACTOR. However, the blame for this atrocity may totally fall upon the chef. I am that chef.

So, what went wrong?

1. I cooked these hot dogs on a panini press with butter. Although the skin burst open and there were light grill marks, there was absolutely no char. The issue here is that the casing was rubbery. I also believe that the rubbery case was the source of the unfavorable OTHER flavor. Maybe this could have been fixed by cooking them longer.

2. Once I assumed the hot dogs were ready, I placed them into the rolls and pressed them. The rolls were compromised structurally and very soggy.

3. After the rolls were marked with grill lines I peeled them open, and topped them with the "Slum Dog" toppings (hot onion, tamarind chutneys). It was a soggy mess.

I think the major failing with this entire preparation is that it was a bit too grandiose. Also, my expectations were a little too high.

I was so grossed out that I only ate 1.5/2 wieners. I don't think I'll be using the panini press in any aspect of hot dog cooking ever again.

Next time I have Grote & Weigel's, I'll be sure to grill them.

We regret to inform you that you are not eligible for enrollment this year. 1/5!

Thumann's Premium Natural Casing Franks

My girlfriend picked these Thumann's wieners up for me at Roche Bros deli a few days ago. The night she gave them to me we had ordered takeout from Punjab Cafe and so I waited to try these weenies out. After finishing the meal we realized that we had neglected to use the delicious chutneys that came with our food. And the rest is history...

I ate one plain and two SLUM DOG style.

Slum Dog: A hot dog dressed with Indian Chutneys. In this case spicy onion and tamarind (I think?) chutneys were used.

I think I may have invented this killer condiment combo!

Appearance: I cooked these wieners to my typical grilling specs: uncut wiener skin grilled until sides are thoroughly split open with generous amounts of grill coloring. The hot dogs before and after cooking are orange-ish.

Smell: BUTTER. Opening the deli bag I was nearly knocked on the floor by an odd butter smell. Weird but not totally unsettling.

Taste: The wieners themselves have a strange buttery taste with a mild spiciness. The condiments are what blew me away here. The hotness of the spicy onion with the sweetness of the tamarind is a winning combo (that's why they always come on the side with Indian food). However, the butter taste didn't jive well with these condiments.

Texture: The natural skin on these wieners bites easily and is chewy in the mouth. The actual meat is nice and consistent and juicy.

Overall: The wieners weren't bad but the butter taste was a little odd. A buttered roll would probably push them over the edge. The Slum Dog dressing however was without rival. I will try it again with a more appropriate hot dog: something that doesn't taste like butter.

Thumann's Premium Natural Casing Franks get a 2/5!

Slum Dog gets a 5/5! Booyah!