Cook Your Hot Dogs Like This When You Don't Have Hot Dog Buns

The grill is hot, people are hungry, and then you suddenly realize something terrible. You forgot to get hot dog buns. Sound familiar? It probably does. But if you still have hamburger buns, well, you're in luck, because Jaques Pépin, a Takeout culinary hero, has got the trick for you. If you cook your hot dogs using his method, you'll get a circular dog that you can put on a hamburger bun, and voila, the day is saved. (In this case, a hot dog really is a sandwich.)

Here's a video of Pépin making the hot dog. All it takes is a little knife work. First, you need to cut the hot dog lengthwise, along the entire length of the sausage, but not all the way through. Then, use small horizontal cuts and score the dog from top to bottom in small even spacing, about every centimeter or two, again taking care not to cut entirely through the hot dog. Then cook it with your favorite method, as usual.

You'll be left with a rather Pinhead-looking hot dog, but as it cooks, you can coax it into a round shape (not unlike a Hasselback Kielbasa) that can be put on a bun or even on some square-shaped bread slices. Top the weiner as usual, and eat it like a burger. Sure, you might not have the satisfaction of consuming it like the tube steak you're typically used to, but hey, it saves the day.

Hell, you can think of it as big bologna sandwich, so how about adding some cheese and mustard? This might be the only time adding lettuce and mayo to a hot dog might actually be the best way to go, too. I can hear the haters starting to grumble, but this method just saved you a trip to the grocery store. Big ups to Jaques Pépin, who just saved your weekend cookout.