It's still so hot out that many of us are still enamored of the grill this fall.
I believe that a great meal can be had using a barbecue grill—and even using hamburgers and hot dogs as the basis of the meal.
The only difference between the burgers and dogs we eat today and the hamburgers and hot dogs people the 1950's enjoyed off the grill is---everything.
Back then, a hot dog was a hot dog, likely made with beef or pork and charred on a grill over charcoal, probably served with yellow mustard and relish. A hamburger was made from beef, and the wildest topping most folks ever thought about was sliced avocado—which made it a California burger and very sophisticated.
Now, we can get some fabulous hot dogs filled with everything from beef and pork to chicken and tofu. Hamburgers have come to mean anything in a patty served on a round bun.
There are salmon burgers, chicken burgers, black bean burgers, buffalo burgers and turkey burgers. One thing I have learned after years of grilling is the toppings can be almost more important than what's in the middle of the bun.
For example, if someone in the 1960s said they wanted a deluxe burger it immediately conjured up a thick beef burger with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.
Today, deluxe takes on a whole new meaning.
If I told you that dinner tonight was going to be Angus burgers with Wisconsin cheddar, thick-cut bacon and spicy tomato jam, I am betting some of you would be parked in my driveway waiting for me to get home.
Some might like the salmon burger topped with chopped cucumber, lemon dill mayonnaise and feta cheese.
Others would wait for the mushroom, caramelized onion and sharp Swiss cheese buffalo burgers.
Many would want to try that old-fashioned California burger with a thick slab of cool green avocado, ripe red tomato and crisp Iceberg lettuce.
Still, others wouldn't bother until I told them about my special fried green tomato and pimento cheeseburgers with bacon and garden fresh arugula.
But traditions seem more stringent for hot dogs. In some places, there is a hot dog style named after that place.
A Kansas City dog is a smoked pork sausage served on a sesame seed bun with fresh sauerkraut, spicy brown mustard and melted Swiss cheese.
Chicago dogs are all beef dogs on a poppy seed bun that have mustard, relish, pickles, tomato slices and sport peppers.
In Arizona, they serve the Sonoran dog, which starts by wrapping the dog in bacon, grilling it and then top it with beans, grilled and fresh onions, tomatoes, mayonnaise, jalapeno sauce and white sauce.
In San Francisco they have a Korean dog—served with Siracha chile sauce and kim chee.
In Maine, it's not a really good dog unless it is a red hot that snaps.
A North Carolina dog is generally served with coleslaw, chili and onions.
In Seattle, vendors split their hot dogs and grill them face down, then serve them with cream cheese and grilled onions on a toasted bun.
No matter how you like them, serving hot dogs and hamburgers can be a perfect outlet for culinary creativity—especially when you want to serve dinner from an outdoor grill and keep your kitchen cool.
I hope you will enjoy yours, but remember if there is anything that might turn bad in the heat, keep your toppings chilled until just before you use them.
If you are wondering what we might call a Murfreesboro dog, I believe it is a thick smoked beef dog with grilled onions served in a toasted pretzel style bun and topped with Katie Peachey's special pimento cheese and a slice of sharp dill pickle to contrast the cheese.
Yes, it's fattening, but many of us only have a hot dog once in a great while, so live it up!! Here is the secret Peachy family recipe for that pimento cheese (which works wonderfully as a sandwich filling, burger topping or even with crackers if you aren't into hot dogs.
Katie Peachey's Pimento Cheese
(Katie says "This is the way my Granby and Mom have made Pimento Cheese." Now I say it is a Tennessee tradition.)
1 pound sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 4-ounce jar of pimentos, chopped with a knife, chopper, or food processor (do not drain)
5-8 tablespoons Mayonnaise (we prefer Blue Plate) (Start with 5 tablespoons and add more depending on how creamy you want it.)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Put cheese, pimentos and 5 Tablespoons mayonnaise in a large bowl and mix together. If you want a creamier mixture, add more mayonnaise. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix everything up again. Can be served immediately, but it is better if you let it refrigerate for a while before serving.