Nathan's Famous Just Updated Its Century-Old Hot Dog Recipe With Some New Beef

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Nathan's Famous, the Coney Island brand we know for its yearly Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, just released a new product that is grabbing consumers' attention. Yes, it's a hot dog — but it involves a tweak to its century-old secret recipe that healthier eaters might just approve of. That's because this new hot dog is made with 100% grass-fed beef. While these beef franks still maintain the old recipe and seasoning, the beef inside them is decidedly a little more premium.

Consumers are seeing a shift from artificial ingredients to more natural ones — Aldi recently announced it was cutting 44 more ingredients from its products. For those who seek "cleaner" eating, Nathan's Famous 100% Grass-Fed Beef Franks is now a new option for summer grilling. A package includes five beef franks, which is still sure to infuriate many of us since we'll have extra buns left over for no reason. You can find them nationwide at stores like Target, Walmart, and Sam's Club for around $5.49 (though costs vary by location). It's possible your local supermarket will start carrying them, too.

Would the average eater be able to taste the difference between grass-fed and non-grass-fed beef hot dogs? While it's hard to speak for everyone, some people think there's a difference in flavor — steak enthusiasts sometimes say grass-fed beef has a slightly gamey flavor when compared to the grain-fed alternative. But in the case of a hot dog, I'd be surprised if anyone could actively tell. 

That being said, I took a peek beneath the hood — Nathan's Famous 100% Grass-Fed Beef Franks do have less fat in them than their flagship variety. So you may notice a slight difference in perceived juiciness. In terms of overall flavor, it's likely the hot dogs made with grass-fed beef won't taste terribly different from your usual ones, since they'll be seasoned just as aggressively as Nathan's Famous' regular hot dogs. (For what it's worth, I'm not even sure I've ever noticed the taste difference between grass- and grain-finished beef.) This is just one of those cases where you'll have another choice for grilling; I think we can all agree that whether or not the beef is grass-fed, hot dogs are always a crowd-pleaser.