It takes only about 5 minutes to boil a hot dog before it is ready to serve. Boiled hot dogs (also called dirty water dogs) are easy to cook. Experts recommend that hot dogs should only be boiled until plump and not so long that its wrappings tear or burst.
It is unclear when the hot dog was first made, but its roots may be traced to the frankfurter pork sausage, which has been around since the 13th century. In New York City, a German immigrant named Charles Feltman sold sausages in rolls in 1870 in Coney Island.
Hot dogs are usually made from meat trimmings from pork, beef, chicken and turkey. The sausages also contain fat from the meat trimmings and are seasoned with different flavorings. Most commercially available hot dogs in the U.S. have no wrappings or skins, but some more expensive hot dog brands are contained in natural casings made of small sheep intestines.
To boil hot dogs, fill a medium-sized saucepan halfway with water then place over high heat to bring to a boil. The water used for boiling may be infused with more flavor by dropping in a beef bullion or by replacing the water altogether with beer or stock. Add the hot dogs once the water is boiling and let the hot dogs cook for at least five minutes or until plump. Serve on hot dog buns flavored with preferred condiments.
