Why You Should Spiralize Your Hot Dogs This Summer

Cutting hot dogs into a spiral isn’t just fun—it makes the hot dog better, because it gets crispier on the grill and condiments like relish and mustard fall into the meaty grooves. In this week’s episode of Mad Genius Tips, F&W Test Kitchen grilling guru Justin Chapple reveals an easy way to spiralize your hot dogs using a sharp knife and a wooden skewer.

Here, three great DIY toppings for spiral hot dogs:

Chicago-Style Salsa
In a bowl, toss 1 finely chopped Persian cucumber with 1/2 cup celery leaves, 1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes, 1/4 cup thinly sliced peperoncini, 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion, 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; serve on hot dogs.

Apricot Mostarda
In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup each of apple cider vinegar and water with 1 cup chopped dried apricots, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 minced shallot and 1 minced garlic clove. Bring to a boil, then simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the apricots are soft and coated in a light syrup, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard and 1 tablespoons Dijon mustard. Season with salt and let cool; serve on hot dogs.

Pickled Pepper Slaw
In a bowl, toss 1 cup sliced sweet and/or hot pickled peppers with 1/2 cup shredded romaine, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/4 cup each chopped parsley and dill. Season with salt and pepper; serve on hot dogs.

For more smart cooking hacks, watch all of F&W’s Mad Genius Tips videos.

This article originally appeared on Food & Wine.

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