Bob Hart's Hot Dogs

See the above YouTube video. It’s pretty interesting, as is the place Barack Obama reviews – a place called Dixie Kitchen and Bait Shop in Chicago. Sounds like my kind of place. He likes their Johnny cakes, which are corn pancakes they serve to you when you arrive, and he also loves their peach cobbler which he had after a platter of southern delights. Sounds like a good place to me. And you can pick up a packet of bait as you leave. Handy. And Barack sounds to me like a man who knows how to eat. He appears not to be a vegetarian, which is a relief.

American presidents, in recent times, have eaten well. Dubya may be a dill, but he knows about barbecue. He eats at a place called Coopers Barbecue in Llano, Texas, which is the best barbecue place I have ever eaten in, anywhere. Magnificent.

Also, another thing: when their national day comes around, Americans will be eating hot dogs and watermelon, among other things. But on January 26, what will we be eating? Who knows?

Barbecued lamb chops may be OK. But I reckon a hot dog, in fact, is a really good piece of celebratory food, easy to eat with a beer in one hand, and they are something we have never mastered. It’s really hard to buy a decent hot dog, although I stumbled upon a gourmet hot dog stand on the river just below Fed Square this week, and the dogs were pretty good. Great range – chilli dogs, Thai dogs, Malaysian dogs, quite apart from the regular dogs. I had a regular dog with sauerkraut, and that was excellent. Ketchup and mustard, always.

Also this week, I discovered some great hot dog sausages. They come from Andrews Meats in Yarraville but I found them in Jonathan’s in Smith St, Collingwood, for $12.99kg. Remember to buy the thin frankfurters, not the fat ones which I call saveloys, and which just don’t work at hot dogs. Thin, non-packaged frankfurters are the way to go. And while they can boil them if you like, they are even better grilled – ideally on a barbecue. Ensure the bun is right – the right shape, fresh and light. Supermarket buns are OK. And then add both mustard AND tomato sauce – both from squeezy bottles, ideally, and they maybe some sauerkraut or some grated cheese or even, if you are a very serious dogger, some chilli con carne. Yum!

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