The Hot Dog Cooking Mistake That Causes Absolute Disaster

If you thought a nice warm weather barbecue was the easiest way of cooking, you've never met someone who cooks hot dogs right in the plastic out of convenience. Not to shame anyone, but this is actually one of the worst ways to cook hot dogs. A study published in the National Library of Medicine gives an overview of the alarming danger posed by cooking foods in their packaging. Most of the plastic used in food packaging contains phthalates, and if reading that word reminds you of Cthulhu, you're on the right track because phthalates can be pretty harmful — at least when consumed on a regular basis.

Overexposure to phthalates can disrupt a person's endocrine system, which is the system responsible for creating and releasing hormones. The study also mentions negative impacts on child growth and development and in the reproductive systems of children and adolescents. When you heat up hot dogs in the plastic, there's a chance for the packaging to melt and release these chemicals all over your food which is both gross and unsafe. 

You shouldn't eat hot dogs that have been cooked in plastic according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), but if you accidentally heat up some of the packaging while it's still on the food, you should check for changes in its physical appearance. If it hasn't melted onto the food, it should be safe to eat. If it has melted down, it's best to just toss it.

Cooking hot dogs in their packaging for convenience won't allow them to reach their full flavor potential. When each dog is crammed inside the plastic, the chances of them being cooked the same on all sides are slim. Ignoring the health risks, you'll ultimately end up with a loss of flavor and uneven cooking. There are other ways to make hot dogs the star of your summer party. Open them up and toss them on the grill or dump them in water and boil them to get them evenly cooked and bun-ready. 

For excellent hot dogs, poach them to release all the juicy flavor prior to grilling. Poaching helps achieve a mouthwatering char on the outside and a burst of deliciousness on the inside. Whatever you do, make sure you remove the packaging before you get adventurous — your weenies deserve it. A person would likely need to consume a large amount of phthalates for them to pose a significant risk to their health, but the risk is best avoided when you can help it. The best hot dog toppings you'll see all year will never be chemicals leached off of melted plastic.