Before Tossing Hot Dogs In The Oven, Make One Important Cut

There are as many ways to cook hot dogs as there are reasons to never question what's actually in them. Boiling is a common method, especially when convenience is sought. Grilling hot dogs, especially after a beer bath is another excellent option. But it's oven-baking them, combined with one quick cut, that literally opens hot dogs up to greater possibilities.

Before you oven roast a hot dog, start by making one long cut from end to end. When you make it, go about a quarter to halfway down into the hot dog. Then, pop them into a 400 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, and watch as that cut lets the hot dogs split open.

You do this to create a third line in the dish, the other two lines being the spaces between the bun and the hot dog, for you to fill with delicious toppings. It's the perfect way to give each of the holy hot dog trinity (ketchup, mustard and sweet relish) its own place of honor.

While you're at it, there are a few other steps you can take to make oven-baked hot dogs better than ever. Start by roasting your hot dogs on a wire rack rather than flat on a tray. This lets the hot oven air circulate completely around the hot dogs, making every inch of skin nice and crispy. If you don't have a wire rack, you can put a layer of slightly crumpled foil down on the tray. The ridges hold the hot dogs up so more of their skin is reachable. If you have neither and you're desperate, you can also cook hot dogs directly on an oven rack. You'll need to give your oven a strong cleaning after, though.

If you're baking hot dogs for people of more refined taste, make them extra fancy by brushing them with a finishing oil right before they come out. The best finishing oils are packed with flavor, unlike cooking oils such as canola. Black truffle oil is a popular way to add more umami to your hot dogs, or you can incorporate a nutty aspect with toasted sesame oil. If you do use finishing oil, apply with the lightest touch so you don't create a pool of oil inside the center cut.

If you're baking your hot dogs, you may as well bake your buns too. At the very least, slide your buns in on a tray to warm during the last minute or so of your hot dogs' cooking time. Or, if you forget until after the hot dogs are ready, quickly toast them under the broiler with their insides facing up. You can also revive stale buns in the oven while your hot dogs cook. Just moisten them with some water, then bake them directly on the rack until they feel soft again and are no longer wet.

Additionally, just as you can brush the hot dogs with finishing oil, you can add some flavor to your buns before you bake them. Turn them into easy cheesy garlic bread before dropping a hot dog and a pile of slow cooker chili inside, for example. Even a quick brush of olive oil and a dusting of onion powder before toasting can make a simple mustard-and-ketchup hot dog sing. Finally, if you want to go the extra mile, you can bake your own potato hot dog buns.