British BBQ Society Forums

chokethechicken wrote:Keith,

Just order some online from ocado.
http://www.ocado.com/webshop/getSearchP ... ry=hot+dog

I found that I like the Gilbert's brand best.

I've ordered Gilbert's and the Chicago ones, looking forward to trying them over the weekend.

I haven't gotten around to a trip to Waitrose in the last month - it's a drive into Peterborough centre, and parking is rubbish at this time of year. However, there were a few other things I wanted for Christmas - their smoked salmon and some other stuff, so I decided to place an Ocado order, which has just been delivered.

I bought a pack each of Gilbert's and Chicago's Best. Both look great, the Chicago's Best are the giant ones I was really looking for, but the taste will be the decider on what gets reordered.

Both franks appear to be precooked and presmoked. If I wanted to, I could cook them in the microwave, but that seems like cheating. What do people usually do with theirs - smoke some more on low, or cook quickly on the grill?

I had some of those Chicago ones yesterday, really really nice. I let George Forman at them.

I had a couple of other things to put on the Traeger, so I did a couple of the Chicago's Best for tea.

Didn't gain anything from it, as you suggest, they would be just as cooked on the Foreman Grill. However, they were very tasty, and have definitely taken over as my frank of choice (having said that, I haven't tried the Gilbert's yet).

Being precooked, they take so little time to heat up, you perhaps wouldn't heat up the BBQ for them - however, as a something extra to throw on the grill, they are ideal.

Chris__M wrote:I had a couple of other things to put on the Traeger, so I did a couple of the Chicago's Best for tea.

Didn't gain anything from it, as you suggest, they would be just as cooked on the Foreman Grill. However, they were very tasty, and have definitely taken over as my frank of choice (having said that, I haven't tried the Gilbert's yet).

Being precooked, they take so little time to heat up, you perhaps wouldn't heat up the BBQ for them - however, as a something extra to throw on the grill, they are ideal.

I suppose it would depend on whether you wanted them with a crispy skin or not. For a crispy skin, in this weather I admit to using a heavy based non-stick frying pan on the cooker, the big boxy thing which cost a fortune and gives off heat in the kitchen.
Yes I admit I'm somewhat of a lightweight and would rarely heat up the Q for 4 franks However as we've an Acado delivery scheduled for early on the 24th, the new Excel will be hot & running for the Christmas Turkey so when that is finished I'll convert it to baby BBQ mode and hit it with some franks & burgers for Christmas Eve.
I'm scheduled for enough cooking over Christmas to enjoy something simple for one evening

keith157 wrote:Yes I admit I'm somewhat of a lightweight and would rarely heat up the Q for 4 franks

On a couple of times I have done something akin to this, but because I was experimenting/learning, prior to a larger cook. Didn't stop me feeling foolish, though.

Although one thing I do like about the pellet grills is their ease of start up. When I only had my Weber kettle, I would have never got the charcoal out for a few franks.

I managed to try these pork based hot dogs from Waitrose and they were very nice.



The skin had a proper 'snap' to them.

I forgot about this, thanks for the reminder, I've been using Rollover franks. An interesting concept as they are ambient temp i.e. require no chilling and have quite a long shelf life. They are well sized so can be "stuffed" or wrapped and taste quite nice. Not as intense a flavour of the American dogs available from Ocado/Waitrose but we like them. I get mine from Costco and they also freeze well after opening.

The foot long franks from the Costco chiller cabinet are great. I'm always weary of ambient meat packed in plastic.