Hot Dog - Triple Grind Method
Discover how to make delicious homemade hot dogs using 100% beef and synthetic casings. This recipe guides you through grinding quality beef, seasoning it perfectly, and stuffing it into easy-to-use synthetic casings. The result is flavorful, juicy hot dogs with a satisfying snap, perfect for grilling or smoking. Enjoy the taste and control of homemade hot dogs tailored to your preferences!Certain assumptions have been made for brevity. I assume that you know how to use a meat grinder and sausage stuffer. If you aren't sure there are videos online and we will be making some soon.
Equipment
- Meat grinder
- 3mm grinding plate
- Sausage stuffer
- Casing horn fitted with the proper casings This can be natural or synthetic casings.
- Smoker or pot of boiling water
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Bowl of freezing cold water for final step
Ingredients
- 1000 gram Raw Meat Read description in notes
- 12 gram Kosher Salt
- 2.5 gram #1 Curing Salt
- 2 gram White Pepper
- 2 gram Smoked Paprika or Good Paprika
- 2 gram Hot Pepper We use ground Ancho peppers for ours
- 2 gram Garlic, powder, granulated, or 1 clove fresh
- .5 gram Nutmeg, ground
- 150 ml Freezing cold water Or 150g ground up ice
Instructions
Initial Grinding
- Cut your meat into 2.5cm (1in) cubes. Place them on trays and set them in your freezer for 30 minutes. Along with the meat measure out 150ml of water and put that in the freezer at the same time, unless you are using ice chips.
- After your meat has cooled, grind the chunks through a 3 - 3.5mm plate. Once ground set back into your freezer for 15 minutes.
Spices
- While waiting for the initial grind to cool down weigh out your spices and mix those with the 150ml of ice water (150g of ice chips). Make sure this mix is well blended.
Secondary Grinding
- Remove ground meat from your freezer and pour in the ice water spice blend and mix in by hand quickly. This will be spread out better during this grind and the following one.
- Once mixed in put the grind through the meat grinder again. It's important to do this quickly as you don't want the meat to heat up during the grinding process. It can lead to a tough hot dog / sausage.
- When done grinding a second time, place your ground meat in the freezer for a final time of 15 minutes.
Third Grinding
- Remove the meat from your freezer, and grind a third and final time. Place back into your freezer for a final 15 minutes. While waiting for this set up your sausage stuffing station.
Stuffing Sausages
- We use a breakfast sausage casing to make our hotdogs as they are a closer fit to what you would find in a store. You, of course, can use any casing you would like to do this. 24 - 26mm synthetic sheeps casing is what we used for our Hot Dogs.
- Stuff and twist the sausages into 12 - 15cm lengths (5 - 6in).
- Hang your sausages or let them rest on a cooling tray for 1 hour before cooking.
Initial Cooking
- This can be done in one of two methods. A low smoke, or simmering water.
Low Smoke
- Cook your hotdogs either by hanging them in your smoker, or setting them on the grates. Cool them at roughly 200 until an internal temp of 150 is reached. This can take from 40 minutes to just over an hour depending on the diameter of your casings.
Water Bath Cooking
- Have a pot on the stove with water heated to a simmer or use a sous vide machine (we use sous vide and set at 150). If in simmering water it takes roughly 20 minutes to get internal temp to 150. In a sous vide machine it will take about 30 minutes.
Final Step
- Once it has been removed from the smoker or hot water you need to cool them down immediately. Immerse them in a bath of freezing cold water to stop the cooking process as quick as possible. Once they are cool, remove them from the water and package them up.
Cooking to Eat!
- Cook your hotdogs the way you normaly would, unless of course you boil your hotdogs. Please, don't do that.
Notes
Meats:
We use 100% all beef for our hot dogs. The best meat for this purpose is a blade roast (Canada) or a chuck roast (USA). They are virtually the same cut of meat just named different. You can of course also use all Pork, or Chicken. You can also use a mix of meats. 400g Beef
400g Pork
200g Fat With this recipe though you would add the fat only during the last grind. Emulsifying your meat:
Normally hot dogs are made with a bowl cutter. It allows you the ability to emulsify your meat to the point where it's a super smooth consistancy. Since most of us don't have bowl cutters at home you can also use a food processor for the same task. Reserve some of the ice water back if you choose to use this step. We forgo this process and use the triple grind process instead. It's not as smooth as store bought hot dogs. What you lose in mouthfeel you make up far more in flavour.
We use 100% all beef for our hot dogs. The best meat for this purpose is a blade roast (Canada) or a chuck roast (USA). They are virtually the same cut of meat just named different. You can of course also use all Pork, or Chicken. You can also use a mix of meats. 400g Beef
400g Pork
200g Fat With this recipe though you would add the fat only during the last grind. Emulsifying your meat:
Normally hot dogs are made with a bowl cutter. It allows you the ability to emulsify your meat to the point where it's a super smooth consistancy. Since most of us don't have bowl cutters at home you can also use a food processor for the same task. Reserve some of the ice water back if you choose to use this step. We forgo this process and use the triple grind process instead. It's not as smooth as store bought hot dogs. What you lose in mouthfeel you make up far more in flavour.