Review: Ultimate Burgers & Dogs

Dinner at Ultimate Burgers & Dogs on Degraw between Court & Clinton in Carroll Gardens.

Bacon-wrapped dog with cheddar cheese:

You Are How Much You Eat

I read this article in AMNY yesterday that made me very happy. It states that “potion control yields more weight loss than changing the foods you eat or exercising more.” I’ve already started exercising more than I ever have in my entire life (considering I’ve never worked out before). But one thing I did not want to do in order to get back into my pre-baconista jeans is to change what I eat. I love meat, ice cream, all fatty foods in general and I’ve never had a problem with my weight eating what I do. Granted I am now in my 30s and I spent an entire year eating out excessively, hence the new work out DVDs. But this article makes me feel much better about the pork taco (notice that’s singular) I had for dinner and the corn dog I had for lunch. I mean, what good is it to eat salads everyday if you eat 3 times as much as you should? And for those of you who think AMNY is not the best source for health advice, here a few others that claim the same thing:

The NY Times says people who exercise don’t necessarily lose weight without changing their eating habits. You burn 200-300 calories in a typical 30-minute work out—you replace that with one Gatorade. Good thing I don’t drink Gatorade... wonder how many calories are in coconut water?

Lisa Young, a nutritionist and professor at NYU says, “How much you eat is more important than what you eat.” 78% of people on diets think all they have to do is watch what they eat, she wants them to realize that quantity is a bigger concern.

Everyday Health says what we eat contributes to the obesity epidemic but “how much we eat and our lack of portion control may be even more important factors.” Ordering an appetizer as your entree or from a children’s menu is recommended when eating out.

ABC News shows that a low-fat, average protein diet resulted in the same amount of weight loss as a high-fat, high protein diet. What matters more is sticking to your chosen diet... I choose bacon!

Review: Smoke Joint

Drinks with dinner at Smoke Joint on S. Elliott and Lafayette in Fort Greene.

Drunken Sow (bacon infused bourbon, bitters, dark brown sugar, and muddled orange):

Note: Have I mentioned how fucking awesome their pulled pork topped how dog is?? Best dog I’ve had... ever.

Review: BARK Hot Dogs

Dinner at BARK on Bergen near Flatbush in Park Slope.

Bacon cheddar dog:

Hawk Hunts for Fried Chicken

Sorry for the lack of bacon in this story but it’s just too odd not to post. I took the train into work this morning with fellow porkavore Charlotte & her pup Olive. We had a whole conversation about hawks in city parks attacking little dogs. Well the hawks must be tired of chihuahua. According to Gothamist, a hawk flew into Birdie’s to snack on some Jerk BBQ chicken! I don’t blame him—Grandma Birdie’s “chicken for the people” is pretty good and has some of the best homemade lemonade I’ve had in the city. But if that hawk wanted some serious fried chicken, he should’ve flown over to the west side to check out Dirty Bird.

Bacon Burger Dog

Recently, someone contacted me about Wright Brand Bacon. Has anyone ever tried this brand? It’s new to me but I should be getting some samples to try soon—I’ll let you know what I think! In the meantime here is a recipe they provided that looks pretty perfect for summer. Watch the video with Food Network’s Aaron McCargo here.

Bacon Burger-Style Hot Dog

serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce

6  strips uncooked Wright® Brand Smoked Bacon

1/4 cup jalapeño peppers, chopped

1 cup shredded Colby cheese

4 hot dog buns

8 strips uncooked Wright® Brand Smoked Bacon

Grilling Preparation Instructions

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

1.  While grill is preheating, in a medium size bowl mix ground beef, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce; set aside.

2.  Cook 10 strips of Wright® Brand Smoked Bacon according to package directions. Allow to cool slightly, then coursely chop.

3.  In another medium bowl, gently toss the cooked bacon pieces with jalapeños and cheese; set aside.

4.  Divide burger meat into quarters and roll each quarter between two pieces of plastic wrap to a 6-inch by 4-inch square.

5.  Place 1/4 of the cooked bacon, jalapeño and cheese filling down the middle of each square.  Roll and seal meat into hot dog shape.

6. Wrap each burger dog with two strips of uncooked Wright® Brand Smoked Bacon from end to end, securing with a toothpick. 

7.  Place burger dogs on medium-hot grill and cook approximately 15-20 minutes with lid closed, turning every 2-3 minutes or until cooked.

8.  Remove burger dogs from grill, place on hot dog buns and enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped. Deep Fried.

Paula can be annoying at times but her recipes are NEVER disappointing. I want to go to to Savannah just to eat at Lady & Sons!

I believe this is based on a recipe from Stuff Magazine. It looks gross but if you use the right dogs and good cheese (NOT spray cheese!) I bet it's pretty damn tasty!!

More deep-fried, bacon wrapped goodness:

Deep-fried Bacon Wrapped Chicken Cubes

Deep-fried Bacon Wrapped Oysters

Bacon Wrapped Mushroom & Feta Cheese Stuffed Deep-fried Chicken

Deep-fried Bacon Wrapped Banana

Review: Hot Diggity Dog

Lunch at Hot Diggity on Prospect Park West and Prospect Ave. in Windsor Terrace.

Bacon and cheese dog:

A Bacon Filled Weekend

Friday night I had dinner at the Redhead in the East Village. I've heard good things about the food but really... I went for the bacon peanut brittle. It has a spiciness that overpowers the bacon flavor but overall I still say it's a great combination. Every thing’s better with bacon, right? Including the bacon cheese burger I ordered.

Several hours and several bars later, I ended up at the Double Down Saloon for their infamous bacon martini which did in fact come with a slim jim stirrer. Although I very much enjoyed it, I believe this was the drink that did me in. I don’t quite recall the rest of the night... 

With a massive hang over, I woke up Saturday afternoon and made my way over to The Farm on Adderly. Not even a huge side of bacon could get me out of my zombie-like state (damn you, Double Down!). What better way to deal with a bacon martini hang over than with more and more bacon? After a nice walk from Ditmas Park to Windsor Terrace, I stopped in at Hot Diggity Dog for a bacon and cheese dog. Finally I felt somewhat human again. Thanks to Lieh for taking the hot dog pics and for putting up with my pamphagous appetite for bacon!

Sunday should have been my day to rest but there was the Great Greenpoint Mac-Off which I was sure would involve bacon at some point. Unfortunately the 1st of 4 places ran out of their mac & cheese with bacon and the rest didn't include bacon. Stupid Greenpoint... 

Still hungry and disappointed, I headed over to the Smoke Joint in Fort Greene for something to satisfy my pork craving. There was no bacon here but I have never, ever had a hot dog as amazing as their black angus dog topped with pulled pork. Last month I had high hopes for the bacon wrapped, deep fried Chang Dog at PDT. What a let down... but the bacon was not a fault—Crif Dogs are really awful! Guess bacon doesn’t make everything better.

I’m telling...

I enjoy bacon. I enjoy bourbon. So when I heard of a bacon-infused bourbon, I was very eager to make a reservation at PDT (Please Don't Tell) to try their Benton's Old Fashioned. PDT is a speakeasy style bar accessed through a phone booth inside Crif Dogs in the East Village. Unfortunately, I could not get a reservation and we had to wait about an hour for seats at the bar. It was well worth the wait. Although I didn't get a strong sense of bacon-ness from the drink it was still a very well-made, tasty cocktail in a pleasant and uncrowded atmosphere. A good reason to go back: the PDT specialty dogs menu. More specifically, the Chang dog—a bacon wrapped, deep fried Crif dog topped with Momofuku kimchi. I'll make reservations in advance next time...