AppleGate Hot Dogs. A Healthy, Super All Natural Link for Summer Grilling

I’m missing Atlanta something terrible. My late night trips to Kroger with the man-friend were one of my most favorite things to do. 2 miles away, open 24-hours and really spread out, we’d dance through the ailes looking for snackums to quench my religious 2 am munchies.

The guy, with his amazing way of tickling all of my fancies, subtly suggested he wanted something real to eat after too many mornings and nights of “fast food” while packing my place.. The one thing he loves more than anything in the morning is a good, good omelette replete with anything except for ham — the one thing we can always agree on. The only meat option I had happened to be Applegate hot dogs I picked up at Kroger during out last trip. Lawd! Salchichas in a tortilla?

I had them for grilling, man!

He’s not a hot dog fan. And I  find all of them to have a very processed taste and unfavorable texture. The ingredients list alone will discourage anyone from befriending the meaty link. But, I like to give newbies a fair chance — in attempt to be a very informed professional. After laser-reading every black line on the Applegate label, l was slowly intrigued. No antibiotics used. Check. Casein Free! Check. No Fillers! Check, check, check! Oh my goodness! I’d found a real pack of meat that just happened to be labeled “hot dog.” We both liked their claims of being “Super Natural and Uncured!” ¿Que, qué? Is that even possible? Could it be real. Would that even qualify as a hot dog if nothing other than by it’s form?

I did more research, especially after having visited a few cattle ranches in Nebraska last year (post on that next month) and learning so much about  how cattle are raised and fed, I could appreciate Applegate’s practices. In accordance with my eating philosophy, their animals are never given antibiotics. Makes sense to me. They’re like humans. If they’re healthy why inject them with drugs?  They’re also grass-fed (yeah, I know, a healthy debate over corn) and more important to me, are not infused with GMO’s or filled with nitrates. I supposed a hot dog can’t be 100% process-free, but these guys are minimally done so which greatly reduces that gamey texture I detest in hot dogs. And, if there’s anything you don’t understand on their ingredient list or want more information, the folks at Applegate invite a phone call to talk about it.

As summer starts peaking its breeze in just a few weeks, the grill factor is about to pop off in a major way. No more omelettes for lunch or dinner. Now that I’m in D.C. with a real grill, I’ll be firing it up and making MY idea of grilled meats. It’s not been too long since I suggested ways of enjoying the power of saucing steaks and now grilling hot dogs. My brother’s and sister swear by Mami’s links so introducing them to Applegate will garner me a score. Slap up some meat for the boys, turkey for sis! Coupled with spicy ketchup, homemade mustard and really good slaw, our backyard cookouts are about to get fancier than ever!

This  spicy rub would be amazing on some really charred links. Spare no heat, friends.

If you’re into conscious eating and needing to know exactly what you consume, especially when time is of the essence and you can’t muster energy to cook from scratch, snag up some Applegate hot dogs from your local Kroger! They’ve excitedly made their debut at that grocer so there’s no excuse for not finding them. Need ideas on how to incorporate them into your summer grilling fiestas? Check out their site and feel free to email with preguntas! 

Don't forget to check out my debut cookbook!