Hot Dog on the Rocks

A hot dog, clarified all the way down to a crystal-clear consommé and poured over ice like a good whiskey. Ballpark flavor in a rocks glass, smoky and mustard-bright, garnished like a proper cocktail.

Serves 6 · as served on Bluesky ↗

There's a trick chefs use called a consommé — you simmer a broth down rich, then clarify it with egg whites till it runs clear as a whiskey neat, and the second I heard "on the rocks" my mind went straight to that stockpot instead of the grill grates. So we're taking the whole ballpark flavor, beef franks, charred onion, a good hit of mustard, a little sauerkraut tang, simmering it down, clarifying it clean, and pouring it cold over a big rock of ice just like you'd pour a good bourbon. Rimmed the glass in celery salt because that's what a proper Chicago dog demands, cocktail or not. I made something close to this once for my brother-in-law's poker night after he dared me to "make a hot dog fancy," and the fellas about fell out of their chairs when it showed up clear as water and tasted exactly like a ballgame anyhow. It's a sipper, not a supper, so pour it small and let folks be surprised twice, once by the look of it and once by the taste.

Ingredients

Fresh

• 1 piece yellow onion (quartered)

Fridge

• 6 piece all-beef hot dogs (sliced)
• ½ cup sauerkraut (drained)
• 2 piece egg whites (lightly beaten)
• ¼ cup dill pickle brine (for the rim)
• 6 piece cornichons (for garnish)
• 6 piece cocktail onions (for garnish)

Freezer

• 12 piece large ice cubes

Pantry

• 8 cup low-sodium beef stock
• 3 tbsp yellow mustard
• ½ tsp liquid smoke

Spice rack

• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 piece bay leaves
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp celery salt (for the rim)

Directions

1. Char the yellow onion quarters in a dry skillet over high heat until blackened in spots, about 5 minutes. ⏱ 5 min
2. Combine the charred onion, the all-beef hot dogs, low-sodium beef stock, sauerkraut, yellow mustard, black peppercorns, bay leaves, and liquid smoke in a large stockpot and simmer uncovered, 45 minutes, to build a smoky, franks-forward broth. ⏱ 45 min
3. Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve, discard the solids, return the broth to the pot, and stir in the kosher salt.
4. Whisk the egg whites into the warm broth, bring it to a bare simmer, and let it sit undisturbed as the whites rise into a raft that pulls the cloudiness up with it, about 10 minutes. ⏱ 10 min
5. Ladle the broth gently through a cheesecloth-lined strainer into a clean bowl, taking care not to break the raft, then chill the clarified consommé until fully cold, about 1 hour. ⏱ 1 hr
6. Dip the rim of each rocks glass into the dill pickle brine and then into the celery salt to coat the edge.
7. Fill each rimmed glass with large ice cubes and pour the chilled consommé over the top, filling each glass about two-thirds full.
8. Skewer a cornichons and a cocktail onions onto a pick for each glass, rest it across the rim, and serve immediately, sipped slow.

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