Aldi's Deutsche Kuche Bavarian Brand Wieners

Here's another one of those "rotational" items that cycle in and out of ALDI stores now and then: Deutsche Kuche Bavarian Brand Wieners. They're decent natural-casing wieners made by Specialty Sausage Co. LLC (Bobak Sausage Co.) in Chicago.

My favorite way to enjoy natural-casing dogs is to steam them; it plumps them up as they heat and coaxes the buns to a delicate pillowy softness.

Don't look for any kind of assertive frankfurter flavor in these wieners. They're made of pork and veal, gently seasoned with black pepper, and lightly smoked. The flavor profile is similar to that of a high-quality veal luncheon loaf, smoked. Not too bad. I would certainly recommend them, especially if you're lucky enough to get them at the end of the sale cycle when the store starts discounting items to get them off the shelf (you might not want to wait that long for these because I bet they don't last that long.)

The somewhat bland nature of this dog lends itself to topping. Chili sauce was pretty good (the smoke was a nice compliment, and the veally flavor came through nicely) but the kraut and mustard pictured above might have been too over-the-top - the sharp tastes of the mustard and kraut totally overwhelmed the rest of the combo.

The Dogs of Summer: Bogner Natural Casing Franks

Bogner Meats is an awesome butcher store/meat market with retail stores in Manchester and Vernon, CT. In addtition to a huge fresh meat case, they also make several varieties of their very own deli meats (like Genoa salami and pepperoni.) And they also have their very own brand of natural casing beef and pork franks, made by Hummel of New Haven to Bogner's recipe.

Bogner franks have an excellent meat flavor thanks to the beef and pork blend, with mild spices and just a hint of smokiness. They seem to me to have a little more coriander in the seasoning blend than some other franks, but they compare very well against my favorites, Mucke's and Grote & Weigel.

John Morrell Skinless Smoked Sausage Links

Well, looky here, we got ourselves another Dollar Store Meat Treat.  This time, it's John Morrell Smoked Sausage.  There are eight links in the package for a dollar, and each link is just over an ounce in weight.

The label says "made with chicken, pork, beef;" squeamish people can stop reading right here, before finding out that the meats referred to are mechanically separated chicken, pork hearts, and beef hearts.

Don't get all grossed out because these skinless dogs taste pretty good - meaty with a touch of smoke. And although they're just as cheap as other "junk franks" like Ballpark, I think they're better tasting.

Dogs of Summer 10: Nathan's Natural Casing Hot Dogs

It took me forever to find Nathan's natural casing hot dogs.  For some reason, most of the supermarkets around here only carry the skinless variety and quite frankly, I can't stand them; The Handwerker family sold the company in 1987 and I swear they've done something to the recipe.  The skinless dogs taste like cheap salty grease to me and I refuse to buy them.  (My apologies to all of you out there who enjoy them.)

And yet, Nathan's is still an iconic brand, and before the natural casing franks disappeared from the stores around here, I used to like them.  So, when I finally found a package of them in ShopRite I bought them and took them home, excited at the prospect of finally tasting another Nathan's frank after so many years.

Nathan's natural casing franks are far better than the skinless ones.  For one thing, they're juicy without tasting as greasy or heavy as the skinless wieners. Also, the seasoning is very close to  how I remember them.  Unfortunately, like the skinless dogs they are too salty for my taste.  Overall  I guess they're  not all that bad and the basic beefy garlicy flavor is okay. I'm glad I found them and I'm glad I tried them, but I don't think I'll be buying them again.  We're like old friends who have grown apart over the years each with fond memories of the other but neither of us with a desire to get back together.
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Dogs of Summer 9: Mucke's Natural Casing Franks

Mucke's Meat Products, made in Hartford CT, have been a southern New England favorite for years.  I've already reviewed their kielbasa links, and now it's time to let you know just how good their natural casing franks are.  

For starters, they have a good, full-bodied flavor which, although mild, are more assertive than franks made by Kayem or Grote & Weigel.  The spice blend is flavorful and well-balanced.  Steaming a Mucke's frank plumps them up nicely, but tends to make the casing a little tough - like many other natural-casing dogs, they are best when pan-fried or grilled which really turns the snappy casings into a textural asset.  As much as I try to be neutral in my reviews, I have to admit that Mucke's dogs are pretty much my favorites of the locally-produced wieners sold in my area.

Link:

Mucke's website (not much content there right now - the website is mostly a placeholder.)
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Dogs of Summer 8: Kayem Old Tyme Franks

Just because it's Labor Day and summer is more or less officially over doesn't mean I'm going to quit writing about The Dogs of Summer.  I've got far too many wieners in the review queue for that.  For example:  Kayem Old Tyme Beef and Pork Franks.

Massachusetts-based Kayem is one of the largest meat processors in New England, and they produce a huge variety of national and regional brands.  Now, if you think that they simply make a bunch of franks and stick different labels on them, you'd be wrong.  Kayem gathered these brands through years of mergers and acquisitions, and each branded product is made according to the recipes that came with the acquired companies.

Old Tyme Beef and Pork Franks has been a staple of the Kayem line for years, and tasting one now for me is like taking a bite of my childhood.  Kayem is one of the three frank brands my mom used to buy for us when we were kids, and the flavor is just as good now as it was then.  Slightly soft in texture with a rich and meaty flavor, Kayems are great for the grill or the griddle but not as good when steamed - the casings, while snappy, are thin and tender and don't steam well without splitting.  Lightly browned on the grill, however, the dogs are perfect.

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Dogs of Summer 7: Price Chopper Cab Sliders

I bought a shrinkwrapped package of natural-casing franks the other day at Price Chopper.  They were on the small side and dark tan from being lightly smoked.  The label said "PC CAB SLIDERS."  All in caps, just like that.  I couldn't find anything like them in the bacon-and-hot-dog section of the supermarket, but this same kind of frank was in the deli case alongside the other natural-casing wieners.  The deli sign in the case said the same thing - also in caps - "CAB SLIDERS."

So before I get started on a review, I just want to tell you all that I have no idea what the hell they mean by "cab slider" is or why P-Chops calls them that.

As for the dog itself, well, it is pretty tasty.  Although the casings are a bit tough, this makes them a very good steamer, because the meat plumps up when heated without immediately splitting the casing.  They're juicy and tender once you bite past that snappy casing, firm, dense, and meaty inside with a good seasoning balance and just the right hint of smokiness hiding in the background.  They were great with a standard yellow mustard and with Gulden's brown but I think the flavor would be too mild to hold up against a really strong specialty mustard. 

I would buy them again.  Don't be afraid to pick some up next time you're in Price Chopper.  And if any of you P-Chops regulars out there know what "cab slider" means, drop me a line.

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Dogs of Summer 6: G&A Restaurant, Baltimore MD

We were in Baltimore at the beginning of the month.  Lynnafred was attending Otakon, and Maryanne and I were exploring the city and visiting with our friends Dale and Gail, who suggested a visit to G & A Restaurant.  G & A is a little hole-in-the-wall diner on Eastern Avenue in Baltimore.  Its nondescript storefront is easy to miss, sandwiched in among the other nondescript storefronts, and we had to pay close attention as we approached to avoid missing it.

This end of Eastern Avenue is not really a "touristy" area of Baltimore.  It's not close by the Inner Harbor, and it's beyond Little Italy.  I'd describe the neighborhood as "comfortably run-down" i.e. an older slice of a big city that has a small-city feel to it; gentrification is passing it by but it's like your favorite pair of jeans - there are holes and frays and sometimes the zipper on the fly gets stuck, but you're happy and at ease wearing them.

G & A Restaurant is like that, too.  When our party of five (Dale and Gail, our friend Michael, Maryanne and I) walked in the door, we were met by a friendly waitress who showed us to a booth, and by the owner who was busily cooking hot dogs but who smiled and nodded a greeting to us as we walked by.  We took a booth towards the back of the restaurant and ordered delicious ice-cold beers to enjoy as we checked out the menu.

The menu, in typical diner style, is pretty extensive, but because we were there specifically for the dogs, we pretty much stuck to the basics:  hot dogs, polish dogs, burgers, and wet fries.  And Yuengling Lager. 

The burgers were very good - Dale ordered mini-burgers, which G & A had on the menu as "sliders."  They were nicely seared and made of high-quality ground beef, served on grilled buns, with caramelized onions right off the griddle.  they were sided with decent hand-cut fries which seemed to go over pretty well with the group, though I prefer my fries somewhat crunchier.

But the fires just as they are go great with the brown gravy, which was rich and flavorful.  Everyone at the table enjoyed it, and at the end of the meal, although some of the plain fries were left over, none of the wet fries were left at all.

We were really there for the hot dogs, though, so I ordered one dog and one Polish dog, each with G & A's Coney Island sauce, mustard, and minced raw onions.  The hot dogs are good quality beef and pork franks, decently seasoned and with a good flavor.  The Coney Island sauce is very good.  Slightly spicy without being overpowering, it went well with the dog and was complimented by the onion and mustard.  I thought it was a good, solid dog, certainly a worthy addition the the Dogs of Summer series, but not really exceptional.

The Polish dog was a different story.  The Polish seasonings used gave a wiener a robust kielbasa flavor that shined through and was completely bitchin' with the Coney Island sauce and onion.  This dog was worth a drive for its own sake, and was really the star of the meal.

We had a few more beers as we ate and chatted; the waitress was attentive and friendly from beginning to end, and never got short with us or tried to rush us out of the booth (much appreciated.)  Towards the end of our lunch, owner Andy Farantos stopped by to say hello and make sure everything was okay.  It was a nice touch.  We left satisfied and happy, and Maryanne and I are looking forward to our next trip to the Baltimore area, because we plan to go back to G & A again (this time to try out some of the other items on the menu.)

G&A Restaurant

3802 Eastern Avenue

Baltimore, MD 21224

(410) 276-9422

Link:

G&A Restaurant's Website

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The Dogs of Summer 5 - Mucke's Kielbasa Links

Mucke's is a local Connecticut processor which makes great natural casing franks.  But they also make a pretty decent kielbasa link.  While not as authentic a Polish sausage as the truly real thing (such as Enfield's own Janik brand) Mucke's kielbasa dogs have a good balance of spices, a touch of smokiness, and are a heartily-textured link that stands up well to grilling.  They make a nice change of pace from standard dogs.  I highly recommend them.

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The Dogs of Summer 4 - McKenzie Country Classics

What comes to mind when you think of Vermont?  Maple syrup.  Aged cheddar cheese.  Covered bridges.  Spectacular autumn foliage.  You can be forgiven if you don't think of hot dogs - Vermont doesn't have much of what I've heard called a "hot dog culture."  And that's kind of a shame, because the state is home to one of my favorite natural-casing franks, McKenzie Country Classics.

McKenzie's franks have everything it takes for frankfurter excellence: a firm casing that snaps when bitten, good balance of beef and pork, and a flavorful seasoning blend which, although milder than some other local New England franks, still holds up well against mustard and relish.  Like many of the other dogs I'm covering in this series though, they have a limited distribution range.  When I get a jones for McKenzie products, I make up an excuse for a daytrip north, and we always stop at the Brattleboro Hannaford on US5 on the way home.

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The Dogs of Summer 2 - Virginia Smoked Link Sausage

Virginia Smoked Link Sausages aren't really "hot dogs."  They're short, fat, bright red sausage links made by T. O. Williams Inc. in Portsmouth, Virginia, and there are three of them in a nine-ounce package, for a dollar at Dollar Tree - that works out to $1.44 per pound - a real bargain.

The ingredients are kind of sketchy - the list includes mechanically separated turkey and pork spleens - and although they have casings I doubt that they're natural hog or sheep casing from the way they almost instantly char and curl over the coals.  But it may surprise you to find that they really aren't all that bad.  

I wasn't sure what to expect from these cheap red-hots.  I've had pork spleen - it's very commonly available at Asian markets in the fresh meat case - and it tastes very much like liver, but with a slightly different texture.  Made into Virginia Smoked Links, though, the livery taste disappears.  Combined with the other spices - including some kind of red pepper which gives them a pleasant spicy burn in the back of the mouth - the overall flavor is quite standard.

T, O, Williams labels them "The Red One!" and that is no exaggeration.  They're as red as can be, from the skins to the center.  On a hot grill, the outside browns quickly and chars easily, developing an enjoyable smokiness.  They were very good served with a decent brown mustard.  I'd buy them again.

Checking for T. O. Williams online didn't lead to a website, so unfortunately I can't provide a link (no pun intended ha ha.)

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The Dogs Of Summer 1 - Snappy Grillers

Summertime is hot dog time.  Even though I love hot dogs and eat them all year 'round, I have to admit that my favorite method of cooking them is outdoors over coals.  With the weather getting nicer every day, and my grill getting fired up more and more often, I thought this would be an appropriate time of year to start a series about the different wiener varieties available around here.

I have some definite dog preferences that I'll be using as guidelines throughout the series:

• Natural-casing franks only - no "skinless" hot dogs; I find them fairly nasty.  I may make exceptions for this if I buy a prepared hot dog out somewhere, like at Cumberland Farms or a local hot dog stand, but for cook-em-at-home hot dogs, this rule will always apply.
• No national brands.  That means you won't find Oscar Mayer wieners here - just as well, because they've changed the recipe a few times since I was a kid and now taste like heavily-salted crap - or Hebrew Nationals or Nathan's. The best hot dogs are locally made; I have a bunch of hot dog makers in my area, and surrounding regions have them, too.  Those are the ones I'll be focusing on.
• I prefer hot dogs grilled, but my second choice is steamed; I'll probably note in the review if one method makes the wieners actually taste better.
• I also prefer New England-style hot dog buns.  They're the kind that are split on top, yielding two sides that can be toasted over the coals or buttered and browned on a hot griddle.
• Although you may certainly put whatever you want on your hotdog, the only acceptable condiments on mine are mustard and sometimes relish and/or minced raw onion and/or "hot dog sauce"/"chili sauce"  (or whatever your local name for that stuff is.)  I'll also eat 'em at a hot dog joint the way the house serves them - at least once - because that's usually the way the joint got famous, and trademarks deserve respect and a fair shake.  More than once, I've been pleasantly surprised.

So, with the ground rules out of the way, let's start with an upstate New York specialty, Snappy Grillers.  They're made in Syracuse by Hofmann, and they are nothing at all like the usual New England wiener.  They are a natural casing frank hold a savory mixture of pork, veal, egg white, and nonfat dry milk along with spices which, judging by the flavor and aroma,  probably include white pepper and allspice or mace and cayenne pepper.

Snappy Grillers have just a hint of firey spice as well - enough to be noticed, but not enough to be uncomfortable, even if you're eating two or three.  I just recently found out about them, thanks to a post over at The Ridiculous Food Society of Upstate New York by fellow blogger Mr. Dave (no relation) but despite this recent revelation, they are already a favorite of mine.  Normally, I would have to go on a road trip to the Albany area to find them, but my local Price Chopper carries many New York State specialties, including Snappy Grillers, making it easy for me to get my fix.

I've tried them both steamed and grilled, and true to their name, they are best grilled until nicely browned all around. Grilling really brings out the full flavor of the dogs, especially when served up on a fresh bun toasted over the coals with the wieners.

I can't wait for the next cookout I go to.  I'm bringing a big ol' package of Snappy Grillers with me to introduce them to my friends.  They'll be a nice contrast to our usual local brands.

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