When the Germans migrated to the United States in the late 1800s, they brought along many food items new to Americans like sauerkraut and the all time favorite hot dogs. The first ever hot dog or wiener was sold by a German out of the food cart somewhere in New York. And before the 20th century, the hot dog in a bun became a staple at baseball parks and sporting events. Since then, the hot dog has become a favorite among tourists and Americans alike that they created countless ways to enjoy it. You can pour ketchup, cheese, chili sauce, eat it in a bun, wrap it in a strip of bacon or consume it without any condiments. Anyway you like it. And although it has been a long way, the process of making America’s favorite sausage hasn’t changed much. So how are hot dogs made?

What meat is used for hot dogs?

Like most comminuted meat products, hot dog is made from select meat trimmings of beef and/or pork. Most brands add a small percentage of chicken meat to reduce consumer cost.

Most of these trimmings are of lower grade, sadly. They come usually as leftover mostly from cutting steaks, roasts, tenderloins or similar cuts of meat. But do not get this wrong. They just do not pass certain requirements like size, or weight to make a good steak.

These meat trimmings are further cut, and shredded into smaller pieces using high-speed blades or choppers.

The ingredients

The meat is mixed with the curing ingredients, spices, and flavorings in a huge vat until they form a fine emulsion. Imagine a paste-like mixture or a batter. Most hot dogs contain corn syrup for sweetness, spices, flavorings like paprika, garlic powder, salt, and yeast extract.

During mixing, some water is added to help the machine in mixing. The water also makes the hot dog juicer or sometimes ice chips.

Ice chips? Why?

Like any meat processing environments, the area should remain cool (at least 12°C or below). When the processing area is warmer, bacteria multiply faster, and the risk of product contamination is more likely. When the hot dog mixture is warmer, ice chips are added to the mixture.

Some franks or wieners contain different meat fillers like the snout, heart, liver, etc. This is okay as long as they do not compose 20% of the product. Some non-meat fillers are sometimes added too to keep the cost down. These ingredients are carefully checked and approved by the USDA and FDA before manufacturers use them.

(Did I spill the beans?)

Check your favorite hot dog brand’s ingredient list to see what goes in your hot dog. It’s funny because most Americans are terrified to know everything in their hot dog. This fear was intensified by the “Pink Slime” controversy that broke out a decade ago. This started in 2011 when a TV show revealed that McDonald’s allegedly used ammonia-treated lean beef trimmings in their meat products, something McDonald’s keeps shutting down since.

(Okay, I’m not telling more.)

Cured or uncured?

When it comes to making hot dogs, sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate are commonly used for curing. They are responsible for that appealing pink color and cured taste. Not only that, they also help prevent food poisoning by inhibiting bacterial growth especially the fatal botulism-causing Clostridium botulinum.

However cured product by nature, there are makers of “uncured hot dogs”. What’s the difference?

Unlike cured hot dogs, “uncured” hot dogs do not contain artificial nitrates or nitrates. You can easily tell if it is uncured by reading the package. It should say “uncured” or “No nitrates or nitrites added except for that which naturally occurs in celery powder“. Although such product is technically cured, USDA requires manufacturers to declare it on the package.

Be a vigilant consumer! Read the types of food frauds.

Over the years, hot dog brands have developed varieties of hot dogs in order to appeal to the masses. Some have added cheese or bacon inside to for kids.

What makes the shape?

After the meat and the ingredients are mixed, the puree or mixture is stuffed in long tubes or cellulose tubing using a stuffing machine. These casings are twisted by machine to make links and create hot dogs of equal size. Huge companies use cellulose casings (skinless). But some small-scale enterprises still use natural casings (usually pig or lamb intestine) which stay on and eaten with the hot dog.

Are you planning to start a small-scale sausage making business? Check this starter guide from the Food and Agriculture Organization

Hot dogs are smoked and cooked

The hot dogs are placed on racks and transferred to the smokehouse. In their casings, the hot dogs are fully cooked under well monitored temperature and humidity. Through the use of various smoke sources like hardwood, the hot dogs get better flavor and color.

After cooking, they are chilled and showered with cold water to prepare them for packing.

Remember the cellulose casings? After the hot dogs cool down, the casings are cut by a peeler machine which uses a small knife. And then a hot air is blown to remove the casings easily. To ensure all the casings are removed, an inspector checks them.

All the individual links are then transferred to the packaging line via conveyor for weigh check. Every hot dog that passes the weight check gets packed and vacuum-sealed ready for distribution.

Ahh..so it is cooked, can we eat it right out of the package?

No. it is not advisable to eat it cold. I’ve seen a few questions like this in Quora. Some said it is fine to eat it without cooking.

But no.

“Keep hot food hot and cold food cold.”

Further read: Can You Really Eat Raw Hot Dogs?

When we buy a pack of hot dogs, we refrigerate it immediately to keep it from spoiling. And before you consume one, reheat it first. Yes, hot dogs are pre-cooked. But Listeria monocytogenes can withstand refrigerator temperature and contaminate ready-to-eat foods like unpasteurized milk, cheese, and hot dog. If you get infected with Listeria, you may experience fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea or even more serious illnesses.

Do not risk it.

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