I'm not much on hot dogs (because who likes eating lips, colons, udders and other meat scraps) but someone I love is crazy about them. Since I bought a stuffer - I'm sure I'll end up there eventually.
I know most of you guys use an juicer or a processor to emulsify hot dog mixes, but I have seen on les internyets that decent hot dogs can be made with just a grinder and a number of passes though the fine plate. I think texturally I might prefer a hot dog that wasn't just solidified emulsified meat. Not chunky, not creamy either.
My other problem with hot dogs is nutmeg. I see plenty of recommendations to use mace (which I'll admit, I do not know what mace tastes like) rather than nutmeg. Nutmeg for me always leaves a very lingering aftertaste that I do not care for. If anyone knows what I mean - does mace do that same thing? My pallet is kind of weird. I am that one guy who can't stand cilantro, has a problem with WOF, and I hate the flavor of beer and most alcohol (and I say that as someone who could once outdrink any 2 people) and had to quit smoking because one day I woke up and discovered that cigarettes suddenly tasted terrible (which was about the same point in my life where I had to quit drinking just because I couldn't stand the taste any more)
There are pretty much only 3 hotdogs I'll eat. Nathans, Boars Head, and Dietz and Watson. I get zero aftertaste from them, and they aren't as........ I dunno how to say it any other way..... nearly as slimy in the mouth.
So gents and non-gents, after all that word salad above - can I make a less slimy hotdog without completely emulsifying but it still be a hot dog? And how similar to nutmeg is mace? I'll pick up some next time I'm in a store but if anyone knows what I meant as far as the aftertaste, does mace do the same thing?
Thinking I'll fire up the grinder and see just how far I can grind down a pound of chuck with multiple passes though a fine plate. I know I'll have to cool it down after each pass probably. I grind beef usually twice but often the first pass is though a wagon wheel plate (what I call it) and pass 2 though a coarse plate and I don't cool it down between passes. 5-6 lbs takes maybe 3-4 minutes with my #12 and it doesn't really smear fat that way.
I know most of you guys use an juicer or a processor to emulsify hot dog mixes, but I have seen on les internyets that decent hot dogs can be made with just a grinder and a number of passes though the fine plate. I think texturally I might prefer a hot dog that wasn't just solidified emulsified meat. Not chunky, not creamy either.
My other problem with hot dogs is nutmeg. I see plenty of recommendations to use mace (which I'll admit, I do not know what mace tastes like) rather than nutmeg. Nutmeg for me always leaves a very lingering aftertaste that I do not care for. If anyone knows what I mean - does mace do that same thing? My pallet is kind of weird. I am that one guy who can't stand cilantro, has a problem with WOF, and I hate the flavor of beer and most alcohol (and I say that as someone who could once outdrink any 2 people) and had to quit smoking because one day I woke up and discovered that cigarettes suddenly tasted terrible (which was about the same point in my life where I had to quit drinking just because I couldn't stand the taste any more)
There are pretty much only 3 hotdogs I'll eat. Nathans, Boars Head, and Dietz and Watson. I get zero aftertaste from them, and they aren't as........ I dunno how to say it any other way..... nearly as slimy in the mouth.
So gents and non-gents, after all that word salad above - can I make a less slimy hotdog without completely emulsifying but it still be a hot dog? And how similar to nutmeg is mace? I'll pick up some next time I'm in a store but if anyone knows what I meant as far as the aftertaste, does mace do the same thing?
Thinking I'll fire up the grinder and see just how far I can grind down a pound of chuck with multiple passes though a fine plate. I know I'll have to cool it down after each pass probably. I grind beef usually twice but often the first pass is though a wagon wheel plate (what I call it) and pass 2 though a coarse plate and I don't cool it down between passes. 5-6 lbs takes maybe 3-4 minutes with my #12 and it doesn't really smear fat that way.
