Rippers And Pierogies, Take II

One night recently I was looking around for food to cook, and I realized I had one hot dog left (a Ballpark Frank) and pierogies. I also realized that the deep fryer was out on the counter and had oil in it, so that made the decision very easy.

In my last attempt at deep frying a hot dog, I put the hot dogs in 350F oil and left them there for a while. They cooked perfectly well, but they didn't become "rippers" as I had hoped. This time, I cranked the temperature up to 375F and dropped in the hot dog while I set to prepare a breadcrumb batter for the pierogies. My last attempt at pierogies was successful without adding any batter, and this time I expected the breadcrumbs to keep the actual shell of the pierogie softer.

Right away, I had high hopes for the hot dog. When I put it in the hotter oil, it kinda went crazy right away and continued dancing around in the oil the whole time it was in there. Early on the ends opened up a little bit, but it still took a while for a real tear to form. Also, this time the hot dog got darker, instead of keeping its reddish color. I knew this was a good sign, since, I had seen a picture here of a "cremator," which looked like what I was seeing. Then finally, I got what I was looking for: a huge rip right down the whole length of the hot dog! I left it in for another minute or so, but then I was satisfied (and hungry!) and ready to see how it was.
The outer shell was very thoroughly cooked. It was really crunchy, almost like a hot dog cooked over a campfire or on a grill for way too long. The inside was very hot, but still juicy, and along the crack it was slightly chewy — definitely a different texture than most hot dogs have — but not actually too different. Overall, very tasty and very easy to cook, but it takes a while, so this method of preparation will probably not replace cooking hot dogs on the stove for me. I'm glad I can say I made a "ripper" though.

The pierogies went very well last time, but I was still looking to improve them. This time I thawed them, and breaded them in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs. You can keep them frozen if you are dropping them right in the oil, but you do have to thaw them to make the breadcrumbs stick.

These were very good, as pretty much all pierogies are, but with the breadcrumbs, they felt more like an appetiser than a main course of my meal. I didn't have any marinara sauce, but that would have gone well with these. They tasted much like the ravioli that I breaded and deep fried. However, unlike the ravioli, I think I preferred just dropping these in without breading them.

With the summer winding down now, I should be getting back into a more regular schedule, and I can hopefully deep fry more often. My body has appreciated the break from deep frying, but I am looking to pick up the pace and try more new stuff.

For my next post, I braved bad weather and unsafe deep frying conditions in traveling to Washington DC to cook what might be the most delicious deep fried thing I've had yet. It might even be the most delicious food I've ever had. I don't even want to spoil the surprise yet. You'll just have to wait to see what it was. I know it's been deep fried by others before me, but we added an extra twist that really pushed it over the top.

Also, I am proud to announce that anyone is now welcome to email me deep frying suggestions, questions, or comments at thedeepfryguy@gmail.com. Also, I already get a lot of articles about deep frying forwarded to me, and I think I'll try to set up a part of the blog to share these with all of you.

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!