 Organic or regular: big difference! Photo by Sarah Lewis | SXC.
|
STEPHANIE ZONIS focuses on good foods and the people who produce them.
|
|
September 2006
Updated June 2009 |
|
Organic Hot Dogs Vs. Conventional Hot Dogs
Page 6: Taste Test
Click here to read other Organic Matter columns
This is Page 6 of a six-page article. Click on the black links below to read the other sections.
All of this talk about hot dogs is making me hungry. In the spirit of scientific inquiry, I acquired some packages of various brands, both organic and conventionally-produced, grass-fed as well as grain-fed. This article does not cover poultry hot dogs, “lite” hot dogs, or those that are fat-free.
The results of my “taste test” follow. All hot dogs were heated in a heavy-duty nonstick sauté pan until some exterior browning had occurred and the insides were steaming hot. Since I didn’t want any  distractions from a hot dog’s taste or texture, all hot dogs were tried plain, without a bun or condiments. My reactions to the hot dog are noted along with each brand. Hot dogs are listed in alphabetical order. Due to time and communication constraints, I was unable to try the grass-fed beef, certified organic hot dogs from Prather Ranch. I also found certified organic beef hot dogs Bossie’s Best, but they are not allowed to ship out of their home state of Kansas, so I couldn’t try those, either.
Summary of Results: My favorite was Let’s Be Frank, grass-fed beef hot dogs. The group of runners up includes Applegate Farms’ The Great Organic Uncured Hot Dog, The Buffalo Guys All Natural Hot Dogs and Organic Prairie Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dogs. For those who like salt, add Nathan’s Famous Skinless Beef Franks and Niman Ranch Fearless Beef Franks to the list.
- Applegate Farms Uncured Beef Hot Dogs: 1 hot dog (1.5 ounces) = 70 calories, 40 from fat, with 430 mg sodium. Label states “no antibiotics used”. Typical hot dog color and “processed” texture. Some flavor of both spice and celery. Salty.
- Applegate Farms The Great Organic Uncured Hot Dog: 1 hot dog (2 ounces) = 110 calories, 80 from fat, with 330 mg sodium. No nitrates or nitrites. Slightly browner color than a typical hot dog, with a somewhat rougher texture. Spicy and salty. Juicier than most. Good.
- Ball Park Franks: 1 hot dog (2 ounces) = 180 calories, 150 from fat, with 580 mg sodium. Made from beef, pork, and turkey. Typical hot dog color and “processed,” smooth texture. Initial tasty blend of spices overwhelmed by salt.
- The Buffalo Guys All Natural Buffalo Hot Dogs: 1 hot dog (1.5 ounces) = 70 calories, 45 from fat, with 160 mg sodium. No nitrates or nitrites, and federal regulations prohibit the use of growth hormones in buffalo. With a distinctly browner color, this hot dog resembles a sausage link more than a typical hot dog. Typical hot dog texture, with similar spice-salt taste, but meat flavor is very different. Juicier than most, much less salty than most. Good.
- Hebrew National Beef Franks: 1 hot dog (49 grams, a little under 1-3/4 ounces) = 150 calories, 130 from fat, with 420 mg sodium. Website states that hot dogs are made with “100% kosher beef, and nothing artificial,” yet they still contain sodium lactate, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate and sodium nitrite. Typical hot dog color and “processed” texture. Definite spicy tang to flavor. Salty.
- Let’s Be Frank Hot Dogs: 1 hot dog (85 grams, a trifle under 3 ounces) = 170 calories, 110 from fat, with 430 mg sodium. No nitrates or nitrites. Grass-fed beef. Earthy, reddish-brown color inside and out. Slightly rougher texture than a typical hot dog. By far the juiciest hot dog sampled. Less overwhelmed by salt than other hot dogs sampled, with a good blend of spices. My favorite of all brands sampled.
- Nathan’s Famous Skinless Beef Franks: 1 hot dog (2 ounces) = 170 calories, 140 from fat, with 470 mg sodium. Typical hot dog color, texture slightly rougher (not as processed-smooth). Quite salty, with some taste of spices. Juicier than most. Good.
- Niman Ranch Fearless Beef Franks: 1 hot dog (115 grams, just over 4 ounces) = 290 calories, 210 from fat, with 830 mg sodium. Pasture-grazed beef, with a big emphasis on sustainability. Juicy. Slightly rougher texture than a typical hot dog. Quite salty. Good.
- Niman Ranch Fearless Uncured Beef Franks: 1 hot dog (115 grams, just over 4 ounces) = 250 calories, 170 from fat, with 920 mg sodium. Juicy. Initial salty whack fades through good spice/garlic flavor to slightly “vegetable” taste.
- Organic Prairie Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dogs: 1 hot dog (43 grams, just over 1.5 ounces) = 120 calories, 100 from fat, with 360 mg sodium. No nitrates or nitrites. Company indicates product is made of “pasture-grazed beef” that’s “humanely raised on family farms.” Label states hot dogs are “Not Preserved.” Color a little more reddish-brown than that of typical hot dog; texture just slightly rougher. Some juiciness. Hearty-tasting. Nice blend of spices that doesn’t overwhelm, a bit less salty than most others. Good.
- Organic Prairie Organic Uncured Hot Dogs: 1 hot dog (43 grams, just over 1.5 ounces) = 130 calories, 110 from fat, with 390 mg sodium. Made from beef and pork. No nitrates or nitrites. Company indicates product is made of “pasture-grazed beef” and pork “humanely raised on family farms.” Label states hot dogs are “Not Preserved.” Typical hot dog color and texture. Good blend of spices. Salty.
- Smart Franks Deli Style Dogs: 1 hot dog (2 ounces) = 110 calories, 40 from fat, with 470 mg sodium. This is the “ringer” in the group, but I wanted to include a soy dog and had tried another product from this company previously, with good results. A little browner in color than a typical hot dog. Texture is slightly mushy and dry, with none of the “snap” you get biting into a hot dog made of meat. Flavor is an unpleasant mix of salt and soy.
|
