Josh Scherer’s Favorite Hot Dog Brand

Welcome to Mythical Kitchen Picks, the series in which the culinary experts from Mythical Kitchen tell you all about their favorite foods and ingredients. This week, the team is letting you in on all their favorite cookout buys—from meats to grill to condiments to snacks. Mythical Chef Josh Scherer is here to kick things off with his pick for the best hot dog. He loves this dog so much, he even breaks out into Latin.

Josh’s Pick: Hebrew National Hot Dogs

Credit: Liv Averett / Mythical Entertainment / Target

Is Hebrew National the absolute greatest tasting hot dog in the whole wide wiener world? I can’t answer that question. De gustibus non est disputandum—in matters of taste, there can be no disputes. But, I can say, with absolute confidence, that Hebrew National is the greatest tasting hot dog that my very Jewish grandmother kept in her fridge when I was growing up, and it is also the greatest tasting hot dog that Costco used to serve for $1.50 during my prime Costco food court years.

Nostalgia is not a blinder when it comes to hot doggery, it is essential. Even without my wiener-colored glasses, Hebrew Natty (and the low-fat version, Hebrew Natty Lite) really does make a spectacular sausage. In a world marred by increased efficiency for increased profit margins, Hebrew National remains 100% all beef, void of the pallid pork and turkey slop that fills certain hot dogs associated with certain blue-hued baseball teams from Los Angeles. It lacks the natural casing snap of, say, a Nathan’s dog, but you don’t miss it when the perfectly salty, perfectly spiced, perfectly fatty wiener juices explode in your mouth, countered by just a slight bit of free-radical carbon from your charcoal grill.

Slap a charred wiener into an untoasted bun with ketchup, mustard, relish, and onions (I’m not precious about my toppings), then wrap it in foil, and toss it back on the grill to steam and soften the bun for exactly 90 seconds, and you have the most wonderful, balanced, and perfectly nostalgic taste of summer.

About the Author

The Sporked Staff tastes everything and anything. They are obsessive about groceries and finding the best of any type of food or drink, from frozen fried shrimp to Dijon mustard to gummy candy. And they're always on a hunt for the best new products. When they aren't eating professionally, they're eating recreationally. And often they're browsing grocery store aisles, just for fun.