Rippers

I get suggestions every day for different stuff to deep fry. One that I have gotten a few times recently is hot dogs. There is a place in NJ called Rutt's Hut, that sells deep fried hot dogs, and it calls them "Rippers," because the hot oil tears open the dogs and they come out ripped, mangled, and delicious. Actually, you'll find very mixed reviews online, but if I ever find myself in Clifton, NJ, you can bet I'll try these out.

I've also heard, but I'm not actually sure whether or not to believe this, that their deep fryers are still using their original oil decades later. I change my deep fryer's oil out reasonably frequently, so I can't imagine leaving it in forever. However, some of the stuff I cook, most notably fish, basically requires the oil to be changed afterwards. Given how clean the hot dogs cooked, I could believe they oil would last a while. But for years? I personally think this is an urban legend.

Hot dogs seemed like a nice quick lunch option, so I fired up the deep fryer and I looked for any specifics on making these at home. I found this site, where a fellow Bostonian was trying to recreate rippers. I got some good tidbits here, such as cook them at 350F, and that certain types of dogs weren't likely to rip. I had Nathan's and some Hebrew Nationals in the fridge, so I decided to try one of each.

I also filled out the meal with a few pierogies. I usually saute pierogies, but there are directions right on the box for deep frying them, so I did that (About 4 minutes at 375F).

After the pierogies, I lowered the hots dogs into the oil, and they danced around in there a bit. I kept watching excitedly hoping to see one tear itself open, but, alas, that never happened. Like the other guy who tried to make rippers, they just didn't rip. In all, I left them in there for a while, at least 10 minutes. Maybe I could have gone longer, but the hot dog smell emanating from the fryer was making me impatient, and they were definitely fully cooked.

Even though the hot dogs kept their shape, they were still really good. I liked the Nathan's one more, as it was plump to start, and it also seemed to plump up more as it cooked. Both had their outer shells become a little tougher and chewier. I did notice a different textures than on grilled, pan fried, or boiled hot dogs. Also, the insides were especially hot and were a bit juicier than most hot dogs I've had. Maybe if I had persevered on, they eventually would have ripped. But in any event, they turned out just as good as any other hot dog if not better.

The pierogies also get super crunchy on the outside, and very hot on the inside. (Have you noticed that everything I cook gets crunchy on the outside and very hot on the inside?) Be careful not to cook them too long, or they get too tough.

I actually just got an idea while writing this post: What if I had deep fried a frozen hot dog? The rapidly melting and then boiling of the water in the dog would possibly cause the type of tearing and shredding I am looking for. I'll have to be extremely careful If I try this, because people putting frozen turkeys into deep fryers is the reason that is so dangerous. The steam takes up far more space than the ice, and as it shoots out of the deep fryer, it brings a lot of hot oil with it. There is a good New York Times article about it from last Thanksgiving. But, since a hot dog is much smaller and displaces less oil, I think this might be worth looking into.

My next post also deals with hot dogs, but it's one I have been wanting to try for a long time: Homemade Corn dogs!

In the meantime, keep the suggestions coming!