Curtis Beef and Pork Hot Dogs

North Carolinians tin contend about the all-time chili or whether ketchup belongs anywhere nigh a hot domestic dog until their faces are as red as the dog itself.

They're all worthy discussions, only it all starts with the hot dog itself, which, if it's from North Carolina, is nearly likely to be dyed a shade of bright cherry-red more reminiscent of Cheerwine than cooked meat. It's not natural, but it's part of the nature of North Carolina.

With and so many of our land's hot dogs bearing close resemblance to 1 another, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, as they say.

And consume I did. I wrangled up 11 unlike hot dogs and cherry hots, from Greensboro to Rocky Mount and many spots in between.

How do they all compare to each other? I decided to discover out, just in time for your Memorial Day cookout.

Criteria:

All the dogs were broiled until hot and lightly charred. Hot dogs, franks and blood-red hots were included in this tasting. Smoked sausages were non included. The dogs were tasted obviously, without condiments, and were judged on season, texture and appearance.

Note that fifty-fifty the last-ranked hot domestic dog was still passable and far better than the Armour hot dogs of my babyhood. Buy local. You won't regret it.

Without farther ado, hither are the 11 dogs, ranked from least favorite to the winner.

eleven. Bright Leaf Crimson Hots

OK, not exactly what I expected from the country's preeminent hot dog producer. For the uninitiated, red hots are more brusque and squat than their slender hot dog cousins, with a fleck of rut and spice added to the mix.

Carolina Packers, which is non some Steagles-esque NFC hybrid, but rather the makers of Bright Foliage, is well-represented in this judging, with more a third of the products in this judging bearing their tobacco leaf logo.

Only these pork-and-beef sausages were merely way too soft, with an near pâté-like center. They lacked the spice of the other red hots, and they weren't especially meaty, leaving the whole experience a adequately bland one.

Perhaps splitting the dog downward the middle and cooking it on a griddle would improve the texture, but compared with the others, this ane just cruel curt.

10. Curtis Classic Franks

The first affair that stands out about these hot dogs is their color. They're pink. Bright pink, like cotton candy or chimera glue. Look quickly and you might think they're pink candy cigars.

That's where the superlatives end. These hot dogs, made with pork, turkey and beef, in that guild, are remarkably banal. I wouldn't even describe them as beingness salty, despite having 510mg of sodium per one.2-ounce dog, which is a remarkable amount of sodium to pack into such a small hot dog.

9. Vivid Leaf Smokehouse Franks

Over again, I had high hopes for Bright Leaf, the Smithfield-based pork product producer who has been making sausages since 1939.

These pork and beefiness dogs are served eight to each one-pound package, making for a far more plump sausage than one of the others. The lack of bright ruby color — though these still do comprise artificial colors — and moving-picture show of an former wooden smokehouse on the package make you harken dorsum to a simpler time.

Unfortunately, the hot dogs were uncomplicated, too. In that location was no smoky flavour at all, nor was there much of whatsoever flavor in general.  You lot can't accept any offensive flavors if you don't have any flavors, right? *taps forehead*

Smokehouse dogs are in the doghouse for me. If but they were in an actual smokehouse, too.

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eight. Star's Reddish Hots

If this were a competition of sheer diverseness, Star's would win hands-downwards. You lot'll notice this Burlington food company's pimento cheese, prepared salads, Brunswick stew, chicken and dumplings and pork barbecue in supermarkets across the country. They even make gelatin parfaits.

How do they practise in the sausage game? Great. These carmine hots have a bit more heat than the Brilliant Foliage ones, but lack the meatiness of some of the elevation finishers. They as well have a slightly greasy season I establish off-putting and indicative of inferior ingredients, such as mechanically separated chicken, the offset ingredient of these red hots.

7. Bright Leaf skinless frankfurters

They're both the same make. Both say "skinless frankfurters" on the forepart of the package. The only obvious difference is that ane comes in a 12-ounce vacuum-sealed package with the labeling printed straight on the packet, while the other comes in a one-pound blank vacuum-sealed packet that'south then placed inside a printed plastic bag.

There are a few other differences betwixt the original Vivid Foliage franks that are likely the most normally used franks in hot dog stands across the land and this lower-cost version, but even the almost ardent frank fanatic could easily mix these up.

Unlike the original Bright Leafage dogs, these are turkey-based, though they do contain some pork and beef, as well. At 60 calories and only 4 grams of fatty per frank, these are a more than diet-friendly pick. They're far likewise mild, though they do take a semblance of smoke flavor — more so than their smokehouse franks. They're obviously, but fine.

vi. Pender'southward Ruby Hots

Around since 1950, Rocky Bespeak's own Pender Packing Visitor is former-school Due north Carolina. Their Eastern North Carolina-style pork barbecue is widely bachelor at supermarkets. For a fun fourth dimension, blindfold a friend and tell them you lot're giving them a seize with teeth of a dessert called Pender's Pudding. The await on their face when they sense of taste non chocolate or banana, but pork spleens and liver ground into a sausage, will exist priceless. When they get mad, but remind them that it'southward a good source of iron.

As for the cerise hots, at that place are (probably) no spleens to exist found hither. They're a chicken and pork-based sausage, with a heat level that's mild, merely pleasantly lingers. The texture is firmer than some of the other ruby-red hots, which is a plus. The main ingredient is craven, so it definitely lacks the meatiness of a more than pork- or beef-frontward canis familiaris.

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v. Jesse Jones hot dogs

If you've had a hot canis familiaris at Martinsville Speedway, there'southward a adept chance you had a Jesse Jones dog. The NASCAR track had been serving the Raleigh-based hot canis familiaris since 1947. They switched to another brand in 2015, but then brought the Jesse Jones dogs dorsum in 2018 later fan outcry, NBC Sports reported.

I tin can see what all those fans were saying. They're quite salty, with an almost bacony flavor. If you've ever been to New Jersey and sampled Taylor ham/pork whorl (the debate betwixt those two names is one for a different day), this'll evoke comparisons. These dogs are made with pork and chicken — in that order — simply pork is definitely the dominant flavor.

Note that while Jesse Jones is based in Raleigh, the parcel says the hot dogs are made in Ohio.

four. Stevens hot dogs

Hot dogs for $1.39 a parcel have no business being this good. Similar Carolina Packers, Stevens is located in Smithfield, the capital of hot dogs in North Carolina.

While people online evidently don't like their cooked chitterlings, their hot dogs are quite good. They're made with chicken and pork, with a deep ruby color and a stronger meat flavor than one might look considering the types of meats used. At that place's some smokiness and salt, though not a ton of other spice.

Merely that's OK! These hot dogs are less than 18 cents each, which is both concerning and amazing, but let's overlook those concerns and give props to these upkeep-friendly dogs that are better than some hot dogs that cost triple the toll. If you're looking to feed a crowd on a tight budget, look no farther.

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3. Beefiness Chief

You'll never guess what kind of meat these are made from. Interestingly, these aggressively masculine hot dogs are made past the Greensboro-based Curtis, whose original frank was the blandest of the whole bunch.

Billed as "the steak eater's frank," which makes sense, and a "good source of protein for growing families," which is weird, these hot dogs shed their vivid red coats in favor of pure, unadulterated beef. They should put that on the parcel instead.

Will you misfile these hot dogs with a steak? No. Only these admittedly do pack a punch that make them stand up out in a pork and poultry filled hot domestic dog earth.

2. Bright Leaf original

Brilliant Leafage has redeemed itself. In a guide of the best former-school hot dog stands in the state, Eater Carolinas said that almost all the dogs served at those iconic joints are these Bright Leaf originals. All those places can't be wrong, correct?

The domestic dog is not as smoky equally the Stevens dog, but has a bit more than complex spice profile. The ingredient listing mentions mustard, paprika, blackness pepper, onion, garlic powder and the proverbial "spices." I tasted a scrap of clove and nutmeg as well, akin to a High german-style frank.

Paired with a practiced, firm texture and pleasant snap for a skinless dog and you accept yourself a winner.

1. Stevens Red Hots

While Bright Foliage might hold the championship of best traditional hot dog, there'south a new champ in Smithfield and therefore, all of Northward Carolina.

Stevens has been making sausage for more than 60 years. Needham Sloan Stevens Jr., along with his father, founded the company after returning to North Carolina after serving in the Army during the Korean State of war, according to his 2013 obituary. The Stevens family unit has roots in Johnston County that date dorsum to 1742.

Suffice it to say, they've had plenty of fourth dimension to get their recipe right.

These red hots were hands the spiciest of all the dogs in this tasting, though non overpoweringly so. There's a smoky flavor in the red hots that pairs well with the heat and keeps the flavor profile from existence too ane-note.

Texturally, these had the firmness and snap I was looking for and couldn't always find — especially with the thicker cherry-red hots.

In short, information technology'south everything that was skilful about the Stevens hot domestic dog, only better.

Side by side fourth dimension I'll put some chili, slaw, mustard and onion on top and plop information technology into a soft, steamed bun.

Jacob Pucci writes on food, restaurants and business. Contact him past email at jpucci@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @jacobpucci or on Facebook. Similar talking food? Join our Fayetteville Foodies Facebook group.

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Source: https://www.fayobserver.com/story/lifestyle/2021/05/30/ranking-11-best-and-worst-hot-dogs-north-carolina/7472239002/

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