How It's Made Hot Dogs

How It's Made

20 May 201804:56

Summary

TLDRThe video explains the history and production process of hot dogs, a popular street food in the U.S. It traces the origin of hot dogs to German immigrants in the 1860s and details how modern hot dogs are made from pork, beef, and chicken trimmings. The ingredients are ground, blended with flavorings and corn syrup, and formed into hot dog shapes using cellulose casings. After being smoked, cooked, and chilled, the casings are removed, and the hot dogs are inspected and packaged. Factories can produce up to 300,000 hot dogs an hour.

Takeaways

🌭 Hot dogs are a popular American food but originated from German sausage makers.
🛒 German immigrants were reportedly selling hot dogs from push carts in New York as early as the 1860s.
🥇 Hot dogs remain the number one street food over a century and a half later.
🍖 Traditional hot dogs are made from a mix of pork, beef, and chicken trimmings.
🔪 The trimmings are ground in a similar way to hamburger meat using grated metal plates.
🍗 Processed chicken trimmings, starch, salt, and flavorings are added to the ground meat.
🌍 The flavorings can vary based on regional tastes and preferences.
💦 Water and corn syrup are added to the mix to help with blending and enhance juiciness.
🧑‍🍳 The meat is pureed into a fine emulsion, vacuumed, and stuffed into cellulose casings.
🔥 Hot dogs are smoked, baked, chilled, and peeled before final inspection and packaging.

Q & A

Who is believed to have first come up with the idea of hot dogs?
-German sausage makers are believed to have first come up with the idea of hot dogs.
When were hot dogs first sold in the U.S., and by whom?
-There are reports of German immigrants selling hot dogs from pushcarts in New York's Bowery as far back as the 1860s.
What are traditional hot dogs made from?
-Traditional hot dogs are made from a mix of pork, beef, and chicken.
What are 'trimmings' in the context of hot dog production?
-'Trimmings' are pieces of meat leftover from cutting steaks or pork chops, which are used to make hot dogs.
How is the meat prepared during the hot dog production process?
-The trimmings are ground, food starch, salt, flavorings, and processed chicken trimmings are added, then everything is blended together in a vat.
Why is water added during the hot dog production process?
-Water is added to help blend the ingredients, disperse them evenly, and make the hot dogs juicier.
What happens to the meat after it is blended with ingredients?
-The meat batter is pureed into a fine emulsion, and any air is vacuumed out.
How are the hot dogs shaped into their final form?
-The meat puree is pumped into cellulose tubing, twisting every five and a quarter inches to form the length of a hot dog.
What role does liquid smoke play in the hot dog production process?
-The liquid smoke seeps through the casings and adds flavor to the hot dogs as they bake in the oven.
How many hot dogs can this factory produce per hour?
-The factory can manufacture an incredible 300,000 hot dogs per hour, which equals nearly 2.5 million hot dogs per shift.

Outlines

00:00

🌭 Origins of Hot Dogs: A German Influence

Hot dogs are a classic American food, but they likely originated from German sausage makers. German immigrants reportedly began selling sausages from push carts in New York’s Bowery as early as the 1860s. Despite the passage of time, hot dogs remain a popular street food favorite.

🥩 The Meat Behind the Hot Dog

Traditional hot dogs are made from a mixture of pork, beef, and chicken trimmings, which are leftovers from other meat cuts. These trimmings are ground up like hamburger meat, then mixed with processed chicken, food starch, salt, and regional flavorings to cater to different tastes across various areas.

💧 Blending the Perfect Hot Dog Mix

Water is added to the ground meat mixture to help blend the ingredients, along with corn syrup for sweetness. Additional water is introduced to make the hot dogs juicier. The meat mixture is then pureed into a fine emulsion, with air removed through a vacuuming process.

🌭 The Hot Dog Shaping Process

Cellulose tubing is used to shape the hot dogs as the meat puree is pumped into the casings. Every 5 ¼ inches, a twist forms, creating the familiar length of a hot dog. Within 35 seconds, a chain of hot dogs long enough to span two soccer fields is created.

🔥 Smoking and Cooking Hot Dogs

Three hot dog chains are linked together and draped onto moving racks. The hot dogs pass through a liquid smoke shower, which adds flavor, before entering an oven with multiple cooking zones. The hot dogs are baked as the smoke seeps into the casings.

❄️ Chilling and Inspecting the Hot Dogs

After baking, the hot dogs are chilled in cold, salty water to prepare them for packaging. They then move onto a conveyor, where an inspector ensures they are defect-free. The black stripe on the casing indicates whether the hot dog is fully cooked and ready.

🔪 Casing Removal and Packaging

A peeler machine removes the casing by slitting it with a tiny knife and using steamy air to blow it off. The machine processes 700 hot dogs a minute. An inspector checks for defects, and then the hot dogs are placed into a device resembling a plastic bicycle chain for packaging.

🏭 Massive Hot Dog Production

This factory produces 300,000 hot dogs per hour, which amounts to nearly 2.5 million hot dogs per shift. With such high efficiency, hot dogs are churned out in large quantities, ready to be grilled and enjoyed within minutes.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Hot Dogs

A type of sausage often served in a bun, traditionally made from a mixture of pork, beef, and chicken. The video explains how hot dogs are made, starting from leftover meat trimmings, and shows their historical connection to German immigrants in the U.S. Hot dogs are highlighted as a popular American street food.

💡Trimmings

Trimmings refer to leftover pieces of meat that are collected after cutting steaks or pork chops. In the video, these trimmings are ground and used as the primary ingredient for making hot dogs, showing how food production maximizes use of all parts of an animal.

💡German Immigrants

The video mentions German immigrants selling sausages in New York during the 1860s, suggesting they introduced the concept of what would later become hot dogs in America. This highlights the cultural exchange and influence of immigrants on American cuisine.

💡Food Starch

Food starch is added to the ground meat mixture to bind the ingredients and create the desired texture for hot dogs. It plays a crucial role in processing, as it ensures that the final product holds together well during cooking and consumption.

💡Liquid Smoke

Liquid smoke is a flavoring agent used to give the hot dogs a smoky taste. In the video, the hot dogs are draped onto racks and passed through a liquid smoke shower, which enhances their flavor before they are baked. This step emphasizes how the production process replicates the flavor of traditionally smoked sausages.

💡Cellulose Tubing

Cellulose tubing refers to the casing used to hold the hot dog mixture during the stuffing process. The video shows how long rolls of this tubing are filled with meat puree, which is then twisted to form individual hot dogs. This casing is later removed in the final steps before packaging.

💡Corn Syrup

Corn syrup is added to the hot dog mixture to provide sweetness and balance the flavors. The video mentions this ingredient as part of the blend that makes hot dogs juicy and flavorful, contributing to their mass appeal in various regions.

💡Emulsion

Emulsion refers to the fine puree of meat, water, and seasonings created during the hot dog production process. The video describes how the ingredients are blended together to form a smooth, uniform mixture, which ensures consistent texture and taste in the final product.

💡Peeler Machine

A peeler machine is used to remove the cellulose casing from the cooked hot dogs. The video shows how a small knife slits the casing, and steamy air blows it off the hot dog. This step is essential in preparing the hot dogs for packaging.

💡Inspection

Inspection refers to the quality control process where a worker ensures that the casing has been properly removed and that the hot dogs have no defects. The video emphasizes the importance of this step in maintaining product quality and consistency before the hot dogs are packaged and sold.

Highlights

Hot dogs are an all-American fare, but the idea likely originated from German sausage makers.

German immigrants were reported selling hot dogs from push carts in New York's Bowery in the 1860s.

Hot dogs remain the number one street food, a century and a half later.

Traditional hot dogs are made from a mix of pork, beef, and chicken trimmings.

The trimmings used in hot dogs are leftover pieces of meat from cutting steaks or pork chops.

Ground trimmings are processed similarly to hamburger meat by pushing the cuts through metal plates.

Processed chicken trimmings, food starch, salt, and flavorings are added to the ground meat.

Flavorings vary by region because people in different areas have different tastes.

Water and corn syrup are added to the mixture to make the hot dogs juicier and add a touch of sweetness.

A machine purees the meat mixture into a fine emulsion and vacuums out any air.

Cellulose tubing is used to shape the hot dogs, with the machine twisting the casing every five and a quarter inches.

A chain of hot dogs spanning a soccer field twice can be made in just 35 seconds.

Liquid smoke is used to flavor the hot dogs as they bake in an oven.

After baking, hot dogs are chilled in cold, salty water before packaging.

A machine removes the casing from cooked hot dogs at a rate of 700 hot dogs per minute.