How To Minimize The Mess Of A Ketchup Loaded Hot Dog

It's hard to imagine a late spring or summer holiday cookout without hot dogs. These staple sausages are usually an integral part of any Memorial Day and 4th of July social gatherings. For big celebrations, you can buy hot dogs and buns in bulk at places like Costco and Sam's Club and leave out industrial squeeze bottles of popular condiments such as ketchup for people to dress their frankfurter however they like. The only drawback is that topping your dog with all that ketchup can create a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode on your nice, clean shirt. But don't fret, before you consider bringing a change of clothing to your next cookout, there is a simple way to minimize the mess of a loaded hot dog.

Generally, when people prepare a hot dog and go to apply the condiments, they squeeze out the ketchup over the top of said hot dog after it has already been placed in the bun, but this makes for a precarious dripping situation that could result in you wearing part of your meal. It doesn't have to be this way (cue infomercial transition from black and white to color as the eureka moment arrives). The solution is taking a knife or spoon and spreading that ketchup on the bun first and then laying down the hot dog so that the condiment stays soaked in the bread and away from your precious clothing (per thehotdog.org)

Another benefit of spreading the ketchup on the bun first before laying down the hot dog is that you can use the utensil to scrape off any excess if you accidentally squeeze on too much. The further good news is that this approach can work with other hot dog condiments too, including everything from mustard and relish to chili and coleslaw. It offers the added benefit of helping prevent those conspicuous ketchup or mustard mustaches that threaten an appearance following each bite of a hot dog slathered with the extras situated on top.

A survey by OnePoll suggests that much of the public might support the bun-first technique, with 75% of respondents answering that they put condiments on their bun before placing the hot dog upon it. Interestingly enough, this behavior is actually at odds with the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council's hot dog etiquette guide. It advises against putting toppings between the bun and the wiener, declaring that you should always "dress the dog and not the bun."

Whether it's considered proper hot dog etiquette or not, no one wants their white t-shirt (why did you have to wear white?) transformed into an embarrassing abstract art exhibit of red and yellow polka dots that marks them as a messy eater. With the bun-first condiment approach, you can converse with aplomb knowing that you can keep your smile and sartorial selections free of any messy splatter.