Grill Maestro

In the June/July 2008 issue of Everyday with Rachel Ray, my parents-in-law gave me the issue, there’s a piece by Dorothy Krasowska in which they sampled dozens of hot dogs and chose their favorite. This, hot on the heels of a “hot dog battle” between Oscar Mayer and Ballpark, is certainly something that piques my interest as I am a fan of hot dogs.

So who was rated the best? A brand I’d never heard of, Bar-S Beef Franks. This is what they said of the dogs:

Tasters flipped for this all-beef hot dog. They raved about its “incredible juiciness” and “nice snap.” The judges were also grabbed by its “perfect smoky-and-sweet combination,” along with a “great saltiness.” No wonder Bar-S was the best-selling bargain brand in America last year — as one taster said, “It’s everything a hot dog should be.”

Having never tasted a Bar-S Beef Frank, I must say that beef hot dogs really do make the best hot dogs. There’s a meatiness that cannot be replicated by most pork dogs, which makes it not so surprising that #2 was the Kunzler Beef Frank out of PA’s Amish Country.

Did Oscar Mayer or Ball Park take any honors? Oscar Mayer Turkey Franks won the best turkey dogs and Ball Park took home the best classic hot dog category.

(Photo by ChicagoEye)