Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs

From the moment I heard of them, they had me at bacon.

My first experience with bacon wrapped hot dogs was during a trip to Santee Alley in LA’s Fashion District.  I had heard of the fabled “death on a bun” and sure enough, my life was changed with the first bite.    No, not because I felt my arteries hardening, but because of the sweet and salty taste of the bacon, the beef flavor of the hot dog, and the savory essence of the grilled onions.

These days, Nicole and I will go to The Alley not because we need new sunglasses or shoes, but because we’re craving the taste of that bacon wrapped dog!

But it’s not easy getting downtown or finding a bacon wrapped dog when the craving strikes.  We’ve tried some substitutes: from carts at farmers’ markets, taco trucks at swap meets, and on the corners after a night of club hopping.  Still, nothing compares to the taste of that Alley dog!

So it goes against everything I believe that I should try to make a bacon wrapped dog at home.  But then, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do!  I tried to be as true to the original as possible, cooking everything outside over open heat.  I didn’t have a big griddle but a small one on my grill worked out just fine.

The results were phenomenal!   It might be a while before I head back to the Alley again.

Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs

Your favorite hot dogs, the longer and thicker the better
Your favorite hot dog buns, one for each hot dog
Your favorite bacon, one strip for each hot dog
Two small onions, sliced into strips
One red or green pepper sliced into strips
About ¼ cup of olive oil
One jalapeño pepper for each hot dog
One avocado, sliced and scooped out

1.       Prepare one half of the grill to high heat; keep the other half warm.

2.       While the grill is heating up, wrap each hot dog with one slice of bacon.  Trim bacon, if needed, so that it just wraps around the hot dog with very little hanging off.  If needed, use a toothpick to hold the bacon in place.

3.       Combine the onions and red/green peppers and drizzle with olive oil

4.       Place your cooking surfaces over the hot part of the grill and let them heat up.

5.       Place the hot dogs, onion/pepper mix, and jalapeños on the cooking surface.

6.       Cook the hot dogs on each side until the bacon is done, but not too crispy.  Watch out for any dripping grease that might cause flare ups!  Meanwhile, stir the onions and peppers until they are limp and almost caramelized.  Turn the jalapeños so that they are cooked on each side.

7.       When the bacon has cooked and the veggies are done, move the cooking surfaces to the warm side of the grill.  Leave everything there and serve directly from the grill.  Place the hot dog on a bun and cover it with the onion/pepper mix; serve with the jalapeño, avocado, and mustard.

Grilled Romaine Lettuce

I also took this grilling occasion to try a recipe that was shared recently by the Grillin’ Fools.  I’m a firm believer that anything edible can be grilled and this is a perfect example:  grilled salad!  I won’t repeat their recipe verbatim, but basically you half a stalk of Romaine; season it with olive oil, salt, and pepper; then grill it for two to three minutes on each side.  Serve it hot with shredded cheese or your favorite salad dressing.

Nicole opined out loud that “grilling lettuce is doing too much”.  I simply agreed to disagree.  Any argument that might have taken place was settled by the salad disappearing from our plates.

More Street Fare: Fruit with Chili Powder

The bacon wrapped dogs brought to mind another street food that I crave; fresh fruit seasoned with chili powder.  We were able to bring the entire vibe of the street cart home with papaya, mango, and crispy jicama peppered with Pico Limon.  What a meal!

Update April 11, 2011: I’m sharing this post with my friends at Denny’s and Foodbuzz as an entry in the BACONALIA challenge.