THE BEST TASTING HOT DOGS

Summer is outdoor grilling season and the kids favorite grilling item is usually hot dogs. Real Simple magazine’s staffers grilled up 73 different varieties of hot dogs and found these to be the biggest crowd-pleasers. Here is what the testers had to say:

Best beef : Nathan’s Skinless Beef Frank - This classic hot dog hit the spot with testers, who pronounced it extra-juicy and delicious. The best part? The subtle heat from the paprika.

Best pork and beef: Boar’s Head Pork and Beef Frankfurters – The slightly sweet bologna-like flavor of this perfectly plump winner will delight kids. “Love the smooth texture and pink color,” said one of the fans of this dog.

Best uncured: Applegate Farms Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dogs - This uncured (meaning largely nitrate-free) pick is made from grass-fed beef. Its firm skin offers a satisfying snap with every bite. One staffer said “This would hit the spot at a ball game.”

Best turkey: Oscar Mayer Turkey Franks - “I can’t believe this is turkey. With ketchup and mustard it tastes just like beef or pork.” said one tester.

Best chicken: Applegate Farms Uncured Chicken Dogs - This low-fat hot dog has a nice, clean flavor. “It would be great with sauerkraut” said a tester. The dogs develop great grill marks.

Best vegetarian: Morningstar Farms Original Veggie Dogs - The mixture of corn, soy, eggs, and garlic made this a hit among the panel’s herbivores.

Besides just giving out this list of the best dogs, you could use it to create some entertaining conflict on your show. Have one of the hosts of the morning show claim that no hot dog without beef or pork in it can taste good. Have someone else defend the non-traditional dogs as tasting just as good as their meatier counterparts. Then grill these six different dogs up and have the non-believer do a blind taste test of the dogs to see if he or she can be fooled by the turkey, chicken or veggie dogs.