Copy Nathan's Famous' Hot Dog Cooking Method For The Best Sausages Ever

There are plenty of ways to cook hot dogs, from boiling to steaming to pan frying, but for the absolute best results you need to turn to Nathan's Famous, the old-school Coney Island hot dog company that's been around for more than a century. Nathan Handwerker first opened his stand in 1916 and today you can still dine at the original location on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in this Brooklyn neighborhood. With that kind of pedigree you know they have a handle on cooking up a good dog. The secret is a two-temperature cooking that slowly heats up the meat before finishing it off with a higher heat that splits the casing and gives it a crispy, snappy bite.

At Nathan's, they use a flat-top grill, but you can achieve similar results at home with a grill. Be sure to get hot dogs with natural casings, like Nathan's Famous Natural Casing Beef Frankfurters. If it's a charcoal grill, pile up one side with more briquettes (the hotter side). If you have a gas grill, adjust the temperature controls to achieve two temperature zones. Once the dogs have heated up, place them on the hotter side and roll them back and forth until nicely seared. You can also use a cast-iron pan or griddle. Once the hot dogs have been heated through, turn up the heat and roll them around until you hear the skins pop. This approach has been part of Nathan's cooking process for decades.

When Nathan Handwerker started his business back in 1916, he put in a carbon steel gas grill where the dogs would be cooked 16 deep. The unheated dogs made their way further up the grill as they were sold off. This meant that as the dogs moved up they would cook more with the skin popping as the workers turned them. You could actually order your frankfurter medium or well done. The cooking method has only changed slightly over the decades, with the designated hot spot on the grill where the dogs are finished off before being stuffed into buns and sold.

Surprisingly, Handwerker didn't eat his dogs this way. He preferred them boiled, with the skins removed and without a bun, but with plenty of mustard. He was said to eat at least two dogs a day for years. Similarly, Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest champion Joey Chestnut prefers his hot dogs a different way. He slow cooks them in a pan with a little water before turning up the heat to finish them off. Still, if you're looking for an unbeatable sausage, stick with Nathan's Famous' old-school method.