Are The Infamous Hot Dog Rounds Finally Back On The Grill?
The Fourth of July has come and gone. America is officially another year older. But our patriotic holiday is just the beginning of cookout season and it seems like a controversial food — or one that at the very least will provide plenty of conversation for your guests — may have found its way back to our gas and charcoal grills. According to Statista, when the warmer months roll around, 20% of Americans find themselves at the grill several times a month flipping burgers, hot dogs, steaks, or whatever food they might be hankering. In fact, 17% of Americans love this method of cooking so much, they fire up their grill several times a week. Summer just wouldn't be the same without this outdoor cooking fun.
However, one food that made its debut last year and had tongues wagging and keys clacking on Twitter is back for a repeat season. Some members of the Twitterverse have equated this hot dog disguised as a thick meat patty to nothing more than a thick slice of bologna. And an editor from Food & Wine had such a range of emotions she confessed to her followers, "im just unsure how that degree of roundness x thickness would affect the flavor experience and i will not rest until i find out." But if you are a fan of this childhood favorite, this latest hot dog trend might be for you.
Maybe you can teach an old dog a new trick
Per Yahoo, after selling out when summer first kicked off, Rastelli's, a butcher shop out of New Jersey, is once again offering its round hot dogs — or flower-shaped, depending on how you look at it. But more importantly, they are back in stock. Still having a hard time visualizing? Imagine your favorite Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs morphing into a thick round patty, and that's more or less what Rastelli's is selling. For just $35 you get 12 all beef Black Angus round dogs to throw on the grill.
Confused? Don't be. According to Fox News these are clearly not the traditional old hot dogs your grandparents would grill up for you. Rastelli's told the outlet in 2021, "Like many people, our customers were accustomed to slicing their hot dog down the middle before grilling to increase surface area for caramelization and flavor — so when the really busy moms and dads asked if we had any pre-sliced hot dogs, we started thinking." All that thought resulted in this round hot dog. The virtues of this round hot dog include never having to buy hot dog buns. Hear that, George Banks? You may never have to get worked up about hot dog bun package count in the middle of a grocery store aisle again.