Does Boiling Hot Dogs In Water Kill The Flavor?

If you can boil water, you can make a hot dog. Yup, it's just that easy. Some culinary experts, however, frown upon the boiled wiener, commenting on its sogginess and lack of flavor. They, instead, opt for different cooking methods. 

Grill lovers contend that hot dogs are at their best when they've got char marks and a crispy outer layer. Barbecuing your dogs, however, isn't as easy as tossing them in a water-filled pot. In fact, there are many mistakes people make when grilling hot dogs. For example, Claudia Sidoti, the head of recipe development and lead chef at HelloFresh, told Insider that you should never expose hot dogs to a direct flame. Instead, "cook them over indirect heat on the grill grate," remembering to keep them moving so they're evenly cooked. When Epicurious embarked on a quest to unearth the best hot dog cooking method, it was discovered that a blend of the two techniques was superior. Apparently, one should begin by poaching their wieners for roughly 10 minutes in water that is approximately 155 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, grill them very briefly (seriously, mere seconds will do) until they get a gentle char. Good news if you don't feel like firing up your grill: you can broil them as close to the heating element as possible until they have that aforementioned charred finish. 

If you just want a fast hot dog with little muss and fuss, you are likely still wondering, "What's wrong with boiling them?" 

Some sources say there's nothing wrong with boiling your hot dog. Food 52, for instance, says that this option creates a nice "plump" dog that punctuates the flavor profile created by your condiments. It would appear that boiling somewhat subdues the hot doggy taste to let the accompaniments shine. The outlet does say, however, that "the juiciest, most flavorful" result was yielded when boiling the wiener in beer. Hmm. If this quick technique will make your hot dogs taste delicious, it may be worth trying. Lacademie contends that the most expedient way to cook a heap of hot dogs for a lot of people is to boil them, adding that they will be perfectly finished in just six minutes.  

Nathan's Famous, however, views boiling one's wieners as hot dog sacrilege. On the company website, the well-known hot dog purveyor states that founder, Nathan Handwerker, was against boiling them in 1916 and this still holds true. Why? The manufacturer contends that the flavor gets boiled out and you wind up with a waterlogged end product. 

There you have it. It would appear that sources agree that some amount of flavor is sacrificed through boiling in water, but not everyone perceives this as a bad thing. The bottom line is that it's your hot dog. Feel free to prepare it and devour it any way you please.