The Hot Dog Party is all about the toppings—like Gochujang Bacon Jam
PLUS Miso Honey Butter belongs w/ corn on the cob
I know Alison Roman has already done the Hot Dog Party thing. It’s great! Everything she recommends for it is great. Except that I don’t like mustard. And I don’t want to be the only one grilling if it’s something as simple as hot dogs.
I recently did my own version of a hot dog party—which was wildly successful in my opinion—and I think you should do this for your 4th of July gatherings. Firstly, have veggie dogs on hand for the vegans/vegetarians. They deserve hot dogs, too. Secondly, you should treat the hot dogs like a savory s’more, and let everyone cook their own, whenever they want, over an open fire. This allows more opportunity for you as a host to enjoy your party while also giving your guests a fun activity.
The Tools:
A fire pit. I am obsessed with my Solo stove because it’s easy and great but also because I got a great deal for it on FB Marketplace (not sponsored I swear).
Extra long skewers. Something like this. Don’t worry about having one for every person at the party—people will roast at different times.
The Toppings:
Since this party is so easy during the actual hosting of it, you can afford to spend a little more time prepping mind-blowing toppings. Namely, Gochujang Bacon Jam. It’s a wildly indulgent flavor bomb that would absolutely clog your arteries if you had it on a consistent basis. But how often do you really have a hot dog party? It’s perfect for this once-a-year occasion.
Gochujang Bacon Jam
Ingredients:
1 pack high-quality bacon
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp (or more if you like spicy) gochujang paste
1 tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves
Water
Start by chopping the bacon into 1/2 inch pieces. Fry until crisp in a high-sided skillet or a Dutch oven — either will help control the splatter.
Turn off the heat. Remove the bacon bits and place on a paper towel to drain. Pour out most of the bacon fat, making sure you leave a little bit to coat the bottom of the pan.
Mince the garlic and fry in the pan along with 1 tbsp butter. Make sure to keep the pan off of the heat, just using the residual heat, or cook on low so the garlic doesn’t burn.
Deglaze the pan with apple cider vinegar, stirring and scraping up all the bits that may have stuck to the pan. Keeping the heat on low, add back bacon pieces along with brown sugar and gochujang paste. Mix so that the ingredients are well incorporated and the bacon is coated by everything.
If you want a ‘jammier’ consistency, add water and simmer until it is reduced to your liking. Taste for seasoning: you can add more gochujang if you want it spicier.
Let cool before serving.
Other toppings I recommend:
Caramelized onions
Ketchup (note from Katie: IT MUST BE HEINZ)
Cabbage slaw
And on the side… corn on the cob.
A fantastic hot dog accompaniment is the classic corn on the cob. I grew up with my mom using the boil method. It does the job. But I’ve recently been grilling them with the husks on. This method requires zero shucking and steams the corn perfectly every time. I just kinda throw ‘em on the grill when I start grilling whatever else I’m grilling, and take ‘em off when everything else is done. Or in the case of our Solo stove hot dog party, you can just grill the corn alone for 15-20 minutes, with a few rotations (and keep an eye out for fire). So humble. So easy. Serving with Miso Honey butter brings it to the next level (heaven).
Miso Honey Butter
Ingredients:
1 stick of good softened butter
1 tbsp white miso paste
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp rice wine vinegar (optional)
If your butter isn’t already softened, soften it with the hot bowl method: Cut the butter into cubes. Microwave a large bowl with water in it until it’s really hot. Pour the water out. Place bowl upside-down over the butter cubes. The radiant heat will gently soften the butter. Check after 10ish minutes.
Whisk all ingredients together. Taste for seasonings—add more honey if needed. It shouldn’t need salt if you’re using salted butter (the miso brings enough salty umami), but add salt if needed.
Serve with corn or biscuits or pancakes or really anything.
I hope you’re able to enjoy some time with friends and family this Independence Day, in spite of everything happening in our country. A hot dog might not solve everything, but it’ll probably make you feel really great for at LEAST 5-10 minutes.
Happy eating!
xx,
Mary