Hot Dog Sausages

I wondered what would happen if I did a skewer-less kebab using the same ingredients that would typically go into a hotdog. This meaty mash-up came about thanks to some lamb kebab experiments. The firm texture of the kebab reminded me of a hot dog's 'snap.' The taste is actually closer to a bratwurst.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 25 mins
• Calories: 461 Calories

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup ice water
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 ¼ pounds lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• ¼ pound ground pork
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion powder
• 4 hot dog buns, split and toasted

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.

Step 2

Place ground beef, ground pork, salt, paprika, black pepper, granulated onion, granulated garlic, smoked paprika, and ice water in a bowl. Mix together with fingers until well blended and mixture is dense and solid, about 4 minutes. It's okay to overmix. Wrap dough in plastic; refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Step 3

Place a sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface. Have a bowl of ice water nearby to keep your hands wet and cold. Place 1/4 of the mixture on the plastic wrap. Roughly shape meat into a thick roll and wrap with the plastic. Shape into a thinner roll about as long as a hot dog bun. You can unroll the plastic and "fine tune" the sausage shape after wetting your hands in ice water. Rewrap in plastic and place on a dish; repeat for the remaining sausages. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

Step 4

Carefully place sausages on grill and let them cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes to seal the bottom edge. Gently turn completely over to brown the opposite side; cook until brown, about 2 minutes. Brown all surfaces, turning carefully to avoid breaking the sausages, about 5 minutes more. Remove sausages from grill and serve on toasted hot dog buns.