Author: Steve

UPDATE: 11 AM – You can make multiple comments in this contest. No need to stop at one!

I loves me a good contest!

Something different this time.

Here is your mission:

I want you to go to a video of mine over at YouTube, rate it, and add a comment.

You can say something nice about HotDogProfits.com if you feel so inclined ;-), or just talk about the video. As always, keep it clean or be disqualified.

The 250th comment on YouTube (not here at HDCN) wins one brandy new dog sled, shipping included.

In order to comment you need to be a YouTube user. You can sign up here lickety-split: http://www.youtube.com/create_account

Click the link below, rate the video, and add a comment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gBuQYXMhSs

Lucky # 250 wins. Good luck!

-Steve

Ever wonder what to do with those leftover dogs? HDCN reader Jim Southard forwarded this Rachael Ray recipe that, if your health department approves it,  may be a tasty solution as well as an alternative product offering.

Hi Steve:

I came across this recipe while watching the Rachael ray show. Some of the “Doggers” on your list may want to add it to their menu.

In some cases they may not be able to toast the buns due to health dept restrictions and no cooking on the cart. Some of the people who do Chicago style dogs may want to add a pinch of celery salt to the mixture.

I tried the recipe but I cut the hot dogs diagonally, I haven’t tried to shred them on a box grater to be more like sloppy joe meat. I also fried them in a pan and then drained them on a paper towel.

I made the sauce and other ingredients in a separate pan. When the sauce was thick enough I added the sliced dogs and cooked about another two minuets. I was able
to get six buns filled nicely with eight hot dogs.

This may also help those who are new and have too many hot dogs left over at the end of the day or someone who cooks to many for an event.

Sloppy Dawgs

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pound hot dogs, beef, pork, turkey or tofu-chopped or thinly sliced\1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (eyeball the amount)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire (eyeball the amount)
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
Salt and  pepper
4 crusty split-top hot dog rolls, toasted and lightly buttered (if possible)

Suggested garnishes: chopped tomatoes, chopped pickles and yellow mustard:

Preparation:

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon, Add the hot dogs to the pan and cook until golden brown. 4-5 minutes.

Add the onion and bell pepper to pan, and continue cooking until the
veggies are tender. 3-4 minutes. Add the tomato past to the pan and cook until darkened and aromatic, about 1 minute.

In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, vinegar, Worchestershire and tomato sauce. add the mixture to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and simmer until thickened and saucy.
about 5 minutes more.

Pile the sloppy meat onto the Toasted buttered bun. Top with tomatoes, pickles and mustard.

///Jim Southard

+++++++++++++++++++++

Thanks for sharing this Jim!

What do you think dear readers? Do any of you already do something like this? Let’s hear you in the comments!

-Steve

I just got some pics from HDCN reader Dave. If you have the space and do enough volume, this might be just the ticket. Check it out:

Hey Steve,

Regarding Renee’s chili dilemma, have a look at the pictures attached. Though your answer, and “dogger” comments shed light, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Please feel free to share these with Renee.

Cheers,

Dave
Dave’s New England Coneys
Seattle, WA

Update 2/24  This just in from SOGS1926:

Hey Steve,  This is the setup that I use for my Chili, Red  Onions, and
Sauerkraut. It does the trick for me.

Today’s Hot Dog Cart Q and A is from Renee Crenshaw. Renee writes:

Q: Hi Steve,

I got a lot of good info out of the propane/electric thing.  I have a question that I’d like to ask also – it’s something that’s bugged me since I first got started last summer.  How does everyone keep their chili from burning in the pan?

After much trial and error, I came up with a workable solution, but I’d like to see how everyone else is doing it…..

Like I said, it took a lot of trial and error, but what I ended up with was a very rudimentary “dutch oven” type of set up.  I use a heavy glass bread loaf pan to put the chili in and set it into a 1/2 pan with some water in it.

You have to be careful not to put too much water in as it will boil over into the chili.  Watered down chili is a real turn off which happened to me a couple of times!

I’m thinking of modifying it even further by building a metal stand to put the loaf pan on for two reasons – one so I can put more water in, thereby heating the dogs and the chili at the same rate of time, (the way it is now, the chili is boiling way before the dogs are hot), also because the loaf pan sits so far down in the 1/2 pan that it’s awkward to spoon the chili out.

Hope this all makes sense.

Renee

*************************************

A:  Most hot dog carts come with three to five 1/3 size pans, or some combination thereof, usually positioned directly over the burners. This is great for rapid heating of water, but for warming chili, cheese, or sauerkraut…not so much. The direct heat is just too much and the contents of the pan quickly start to burn and stick to the bottom.

I solved that problem on the E-Z Built Hot Dog Cart by designing it with a true steam table.

Instead of pans over direct heat, the E-Z Built cart uses a six inch deep full size “spillage pan” which is  slightly larger in all dimensions than a standard full size pan. Spillage pans are designed to accept standard fractional size pans (1/3, 1/2, etc.)

Here’s how it works:

Add an inch or two of water to the 6″ deep spillage pan, then drop in any combination of 4″ deep pans that you wish. I use two 4″ deep perforated pans with hinged covers, one to steam the buns, and one to keep the dogs warm (I don’t serve chili or cheese). Since the pans are over hot water, never in direct contact with the flame, nothing burns or sticks to the bottom.

The E-Z Built also comes with a separate 1/2 size pan over direct heat for fast boiling.

You could use the spillage pan set up with two 1/3 size pans for dogs and buns, and two 1/6 size pans for chili and cheese.

What is your set up? Let us know in the comments!

-Steve

How Freakin’ Cool is This?  One Of Our Own on ABC News!

Steve,

I was on television a couple of hours ago and I put in a plug for you. I did not get to say everything that I wanted to during the interview but at least I was able to mention you.

You have really helped me out with the book and the E-Z Built Cart plans. The cart is great and I really outfitted it well.

Thanks for everything!

Mark Ohare
Owner, Mark’s Top Dog

Way to go Mark – WOW!!! You were awesome on TV. Good job.  Also, thanks for the mention, that was very nice of you.

Good luck with your  new hot dog cart business. Sell a ton!

It’s congratulations time in the comments – Let’s hear it for Mark!

-Steve

I got an email from Sam and Kelly Jo Rose. They purchased my “Hot Dog Biz 101” course last fall and used what they learned to start their new hot dog cart business from scratch.

Hi Steve,

It’s hard to believe that Wiener King started on 10-17-09 and that is has come so far already.

We worked a grand opening for Advanced Auto on 1-16-10 and then a car show on 2-7-10 and they want us back as often as they can have us.  The Manager was so happy with us that she gave our information to all the other stores in Central Florida to use for any events that they have coming up.

Starting this Friday, we will be working nights on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at the bar, Friday and Saturday during the day at our current location and then working any concerts and UFC broadcasts at the bar’s amphitheater.

We both love working the cart and meeting absolutely wonderful people every single time that we are out.

We have found that we enjoy all the aspects of the business from marketing to designing our logo and promoting Wiener King to learning something new with each new opportunity.

It is such a far cry from what both of us has done in the past and we are so excited that this is going to be our future.  We plan on taking this from part time to full time this year.

We are so pumped up about the future with our cart and where it will take us.

We are attaching some photos too.

Thank you so much for all of your help Steve!

Sam and Kelly Jo

Way to go Sam and Kelly! I love, love, love it when my customers take massive action and get massive results. You guys are  role models to anyone reading this who may be thinking about starteing their own HDC biz.

I’m diggin’ the crown Sam!

Congratulate the Roses in the comments. They deserve it!