The Doctor Is In ... Barbecue Sauce!

Barbecue sauce on hot dogs? Hey, I was a skeptic too. I’m certainly not picky when it comes to hot dog toppings, but I am a traditionalist. You can load my dog up with ketchup, mustard, relish, onions, cheese, chili sauce and even sauerkraut and I’m a happy girl. But barbecue sauce? That’s just weird.  Or at least that was my point of view until I tried hot dogs with Dr Pepper Barbecue Sauce.

The recipes came from Elizabeth Karmel, author of three grilling cookbooks and the woman widely acknowledged as "America's Female Grilling Expert." You can read more about Elizabeth on her website, Girls at the Grill.  After tasting her “Hot Dogs with Dr Pepper Barbecue Sauce” recipe last summer, I was hooked!

The sauce is thick, rich and spicy-sweet. I loved it so much that I decided it shouldn't be limited to a hot dog topping. The recipe makes a generous amount, so I freeze the leftovers in 8 oz. Ball Plastic Freezer Jars. (You can find the jars in most grocery stores, hardware stores, Walmart and Kmart.) Before firing up the grill, I thaw a jar of the sauce for a tasty barbecue topping.  I’ve brushed Dr Pepper Sauce over chicken and ribs and even poured it over my pulled pork. It’s wonderfully versatile.

With the hotdogs, I decided that the best way to go is to load them up with cheese, onions, chopped pickle, and a generous serving of sauce. Of course, once you’ve dressed your dog in this fashion, I recommend resisting the urge to pick up the creation. Instead, attack it with a knife and fork. This approach might just save your shirt from the dreaded barbecue sauce stain.  Enjoy!

Hot Dogs with Dr Pepper Barbecue Sauce by Elizabeth Karmel

Makes: 8 hot dogs and 4 cups sauce
Prep: 15 min.
Cook: 45 min.
Grill: 5 min.
Cool: 10 min.

Ingredients
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 12-oz. can Dr Pepper
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. ancho chili powder
1 tsp. finely ground white pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
8 hot dogs (1-lb. pkg.)
8 hot dog buns, split and toasted
Toppers: cheese, pickles, sliced jalapeño peppers, chopped onion (optional)

Directions
1. For sauce, in medium saucepan cook and stir onion and garlic in hot butter over medium heat about 10 minutes until onions are tender. Add all ingredients except hot dogs, buns, and toppers. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Cook, uncovered, until sauce begins to thicken, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool sauce 10 minutes.

2. Puree sauce in pan with immersion blender, or transfer to a blender jar, cover, and blend until smooth.

3. Meanwhile, on charcoal grill cook hot dogs on rack directly over medium coals for 5 to 7 minutes or until heated through. (For gas grill, heat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Cook on grill rack over heat. Cover; grill as above.) Serve hot dogs on buns with toppers. Makes 8 hot dogs and 4 cups sauce.

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8 hot dogs and 4 cups sauce Calories 338, Total Fat (g) 19, Saturated Fat (g) 8, Monounsaturated Fat (g) 9, Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 2, Cholesterol (mg) 32, Sodium (mg) 1030, Carbohydrate (g) 30, Total Sugar (g) 10, Fiber (g) 1, Protein (g) 11, Vitamin C (DV%) 4, Calcium (DV%) 8, Iron (DV%) 13, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet