Hotdog season is coming to an end. Baseball games are wrapping up. Cookouts will soon become a distant summer memory and street fairs will soon be packing up for the year. However, as I looked at the hotdogs on sale at the local grocery store, I started to wonder about what’s in hotdogs that makes them so popular. Did I really want to know?
Well, buckle up because there’s a lot more in hotdogs than you’d think.
1. The Allure of the Humble Hotdog
There are a number of reasons that hotdogs are so popular. They’re easy to eat on the go and you can eat them just about anywhere without a plate or anything else other than your hands. On top of that, they’re pretty satisfying to eat. There is a slight snap in the casing when you bite into it and it has a great, savory taste. It’s also a really quick meal to make. So, there’s no wonder it’s been a staple in American cuisine for years.
2. The Frankenstein Formula
At its core, the hotdog is really just a mishmash of different meats. Oftentimes, unless you spring for a kosher dog, it is a mix of beef, pork, or chicken. All of that is ground up, seasoned, and then emulsified. However, that isn’t where the makings of a hotdog stop.
To achieve the texture so many people know and love, there are binders added to the mixture. This includes things like corn syrup solids or modified food starch. While these ingredients help hold the hotdog together, they don’t help with the hotdog’s nutritional value (or lack thereof).
3. The Mystery of “Mechanically Separated” Meat
I don’t know about you but I’m not overly interested in anything that includes “mechanically separated” meat. Picture, if you will, a conveyor belt of scrap meat. Everything has been pulled off the bone and then forced through a sieve. It turns into a pinkish paste that eventually makes its way into hotdogs. This includes gristle, cartilage, and every other part of meat that you’d typically deam inedible. Yum!
4. Nitrites: The Double-Edged Sword
Nitrites help preserve hotdogs and prevent bacterial growth. However, nitrites react with amines to form something called nitrosamines. This class of compounds are frequently linked to cancer. So, while nitrites help your it maintain its fresh look, it could have a detrimental impact on your health, especially if you’re eating them often.
5. The Salt Bomb
Hotdogs are really salty. Again, this comes down to their flavor profile. Sodium chloride (aka table salt) is heavily used to make it taste like it does. If you eat a lot of sodium it can lead to some serious health issues. Excessive sodium intake is commonly associated with conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. While they might taste pretty good, the hotdog on your plate could be plotting against your cardiovascular health.
6. The Vegan Hotdog Mirage
A vegan version might sound like it’d be a healthy alternative, especially when you consider what we’ve already discovered about hotdogs in this article so far. Vegan hotdogs are usually made from plant-based ingredients like soy protein, wheat gluten, and spices. Although they market themselves as a guilt-free alternative, they are still full of sodium. Not to mention, the ingredient lists on vegan dogs rival a chemistry textbook (seriously, what’s carrageenan?).
The Bun Holds the Secrets
Now that we’ve dove into what’s actually in your tasty cookout treat, what should you do? Well, the answer could be as simple as not eating hotdogs, but who wants to give them up?
Instead, you can enjoy hotdogs in a smart way. Look for uncured versions, these brands skip the nitrites. You can also explore artisanal sausages, which are typically made with quality ingredients. When it’s all said and done, a hotdog from time to time won’t kill you. But maybe reconsider munching that second and even third.