ON THE GRILL
Memorial Day Weekend
Starts Summer
Byjohn Clarke
While the calendar tells us that the official first day of summer arrives on June
21, most folks start their summer on Memorial Day weekend. The remembrance
was set up to honor our servicemen and women who were killed in battle, and
those should indeed be remembered and thanked for their sacrifice while we
enjoy time at the beach or by the grill.
While some do enjoy chicken, hot dogs and hamburgers are always a crowd
favorite for Memorial Day grilling. Your local markets offer several brands and
types of hot dogs, and if you wish, you can always opt for bratwurst.
North Carolina is home to the Bright Leaf hot dog or, as some call them, red
dogs. They are not all over the South and are rarely seen elsewhere in the coun
try. Their distinctive fully red color is unique in the hot dog world. The red color
comes from the addition of sodium nitrite, which is found in pickling salt. They
got their name. Bright Leaf, from the number of tobacco warehouses along the
road where their hog business was located. You can buy them in a pack of eight
or even in a bag of one or two pounds. While perhaps not the most nutritious
hot dog (is there one?), they are quite tasty and keto-friendly. Bright Leaf also
offers a larger sausage-type dog called Red Hots, which is spicier than a regular
dog. You should try them and gauge them for yourself Many places here that
serve hot dogs have them on their menu. They are favorites at some gas station
eateries and are available at Beach Burgers in Atlantic Beach and Flip Flops on
Highway 58 in Emerald Isle. Some places refer to them as Southern hot dogs.
To top your hot dog, you can come up with concoctions of all varieties that go
beyond just mustard and ketchup. I recommend trying out the chili that is avail
able in small cans at Food Lion. My favorite is Pattersons, and Food Lion and
other markets here offer several choices, including store brands. Along with the
mustard, ketchup and chili, you might want to add onions and coleslaw. Your
bun may start to come apart with all these toppings, but they are all good. Have
fun and experiment.
Over in the deli section of some markets, you can find specialty hot dogs
made by Boar’s Head and Dietz and Watson. They are more expensive—but not
necessarily any better, but you be the judge. Nathans Colossal dogs are eight to a
package and weigh out at two full pounds, unlike the more expensive ones at 14
ounces or thereabouts. Does size or taste matter? It is up to you, but you might
as well try them and eliminate those that are not up to your standards or choos
ing. If you are a Costco member, you can get their Dinner Franks, which come
in a 14-dog pack weighing in at 3.81 lbs. They are very good and filling—and are
just over 1/4 pound each.
Regardless of your choice, be it the old favorite Ball Park, Bright Leaf large
Dinner Franks or the delicatessen quality frank, make sure you grill yours and
steer clear of boiling them as my mom often did. If you cannot get to the grill,
try cooking them stove top in a cast iron skillet.
The choices you make may end up being a combination of flavor, size, mix of
products (beef pork, turkey, chicken) and bun size. I still have never understood
why bun makers and hot dog manufacturers frequently have a mismatch in
quantities in each package. I guess these are first-world problems.
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Up next, hamburgers. Again, as my son loves to say, “always a crowd favorite,”
and on the grill, superb. Now we get into so many choices and considerations
that it boggles the mind. Hamburger comes in lump status, rolls (like sausage),
pre-made patties, deli patties, deli grade hamburgers, hamburgers made with
onions and other seasonings, and if you can ever find them on sale, Wagyu burg
ers. Wagyu meats come from the Japanese art of feeding the cow to get the most
marbling in the meat. Wagyu-style steaks are very expensive, and the ground
counterparts for hamburgers are equally so. Infrequently, you can find them on
sale near their “sell-by” date. Talk to the butcher at the respective markets to see
how and when they decide to price down based on sell-by dates.
Almost all chefs will tell you to use 80/20 ground meat (20% fat) for hamburg
ers on the grill. The fat makes the
meat juicier, and if you choose lean
versions, you will have less flavorful
meat. If you have a flat grill surface to
place on your grill you can make the
smash burgers that are very popular
now.
Marry recipes are out there on
YouTube cooking channels for some
thing fun to do with ground beef
ranging from plain old burgers to
meatloaf to crazy stuff like wrapping
a hot dog in ground beef and then
rolling in bacon. That one combines
the best of Memorial Day fixings.
Corn on the cob is coming in
season at most of the markets now,
and it makes an excellent side dish
steamed in a foil wrap or cooked
indirectly over the coals. Since we are
at the coast, shrimp on the grill can
be another great appetizer for family
and friends.
Enjoy your holiday cook and
remember the fallen.
A OMSION OF CARTERET HEATING S COaiNG, INC.
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May 2022 i The Shoreline 9