Beer, meat and cheese make a triumphant trio. Ready to elevate your hot dog game? Try these pretzel-bun Wagyu hot dogs with beer cheese sauce.
Among quintessential American foods, the hot dog holds a special place. From street-cart franks in Manhattan to pigs-in-blankets at parties, the hot dog is simple, portable and endlessly adaptable. Its portability—easy to eat in one hand with a bun protecting your other hand from the mess—makes it a natural choice for feeding a crowd quickly at a grill, where cooking many hot dogs is far easier than preparing multiple perfect steaks.
The sausage tradition actually traces back to Germany: bratwurst, knockwurst, weisswurst and bockwurst all reflect Germany’s deep-rooted love of sausages. German immigrants also brought those sausage-making skills to the United States, influencing regional specialties such as Texas-style barbecue sausages. If you’re curious about terminology, a quick note: “wieners” are often pork-based and milder in seasoning, while “franks” tend to be beef-based and more boldly seasoned.
I think of the hot dog as a cousin to the hamburger—both are convenient, hand-held meals. They’re inexpensive because sausage-making repurposes trim and smaller cuts of meat that might otherwise go to waste, supporting a nose-to-tail approach. But inexpensive doesn’t mean low quality: use trim from a premium animal and you get a premium sausage. For this recipe I used Lone Mountain Wagyu 100% fullblood beef sausages as the base for a richer, more luxurious hot dog.
A rich sausage deserves equally indulgent flavors, so I combined the classic American hot dog with a nod to its German origins. The result is pretzel-bun Wagyu hot dogs topped with a creamy beer cheese sauce. These are hearty—not the tiny New York street dogs—so you’ll leave the table full.
Pretzel bun hot dogs with beer cheese
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- Author: Jess Pryles
- Yield: serves 8
Ingredients
Scale
8 sausages/wieners, fresh (not smoked)
1 bunch scallions, chopped (optional garnish)
FOR THE BUNS:
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 pack dry yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
1/2 cup baking soda
chunky salt for sprinkling
FOR THE BEER CHEESE SAUCE:
3/4 cup beer (lager recommended)
1/2 cup smoked Gouda, grated
1/2 cup cheddar, grated
2 tbsp flour
3 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp black pepper
salt to taste
Instructions
- For the buns: Combine milk, water, brown sugar and honey in a microwave-safe bowl and warm for about 30 seconds until the mixture is around 105–110°F (warm to the touch). Place the mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the dry yeast on top; let it bloom for 15 minutes. Add both flours and mix with a dough hook on medium until smooth and elastic, about 5–7 minutes. Line a large half-sheet pan with parchment. Turn the dough out and divide into 8 equal portions; roll each into a ball and place on the lined tray. Cover with a dish towel and proof in a warm spot for 15 minutes. After the brief rest, roll each ball into a 6–7 inch log, place back on the sheet pan, cover and let rest another 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bring about 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot, then add the baking soda (it will bubble). Working with one or two rolls at a time, briefly poach each roll for 30 seconds per side. Use a skimmer to transfer them back to the baking sheet, sprinkle immediately with chunky salt, then score three shallow slits across the top of each bun with a very sharp knife. Bake 10–13 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through, until deep golden brown.
- For the beer cheese sauce: In a medium saucepan over low heat, warm the beer for 5–7 minutes. Whisk in the flour slowly to avoid lumps, then add the grated smoked Gouda and cheddar, whisking until the cheeses melt and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the Dijon mustard, sour cream, salt and black pepper and continue to combine. Use the sauce within 10–15 minutes for best texture. If you prefer a thicker sauce add more flour; to thin it, add a touch more beer.
- To assemble: Cook the sausages in a cast-iron skillet or on the grill until heated through and nicely browned. Slice open each pretzel bun, nestle in a sausage, drizzle generously with beer cheese and scatter chopped scallions on top if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Pretzel buns adapted from Jeff Mauro’s recipe.