Idea: The Hamburdog
It’s Memorial Day weekend, so I thought I’d share a little something I came up with after one of my Memorial Day BBQs a few years back.
You know how hot dogs come in packs of 10, but hot dog buns come in packs of 8? This pretty much assures that there will be leftovers of one or the other at the end of the day. Hamburgers on the other hand can be spread out a little more evenly because you can control the size of the patties you make with your ground beef. But one year I ended up with too much ground beef, and too many hot dog buns.
That’s when it occurred to me: Nobody says that hamburgers can’t be shaped like hot dogs. Thus the Hamburdog was born. Just roll up the ground beef into tube shapes, grill as usual, and place on a hot dog bun. Add your normal hamburger condiments, and voila! It goes against everything you think you know about picnic meats, but it sure is tasty.
Comments
This very product had it’s heyday as a food fad in Norway a couple of years ago under the name Roller Burger.
Posted by: Oddmund Strømme | May 27, 2007 4:20 PM
But wait! Isn’t a hot dog just ground up meat anyway?
Posted by: Jesse | May 27, 2007 6:10 PM
Am I the only one who finds the phrase ‘picnic meats’ slightly nauseating?
Posted by: Harry | May 27, 2007 6:22 PM
I think you stopped too soon. Got a waffle iron? How about a hamburwaffle? Or you know what would be cool? Hamburcream cones! With bac-o-sprinkles!
Posted by: Doodaddy | May 27, 2007 9:31 PM
There was an article in the NY Times a couple years ago about food scientists and they talked about one who was working on what is considered the Holy Grail of the processed food industry: A deep-fried, easily-frozen-and-shipped-to-chain-restaurants chicken-finger-like thing that was made of ground beef instead of chicken. Apparently they just can’t get the texture right. I’m assuming they have yet to succeed, because otherwise it’d pretty much be all any of us would be eating right now.
Posted by: Josh | May 27, 2007 9:42 PM
Hamburcream cones, indeed. In fact, in the early 20th century, an enterprising nutritionist was attempting to treat an anemic teenager who refused to eat his prescribed liver under any circumstances. She solved the problem by making liver ice cream; this strikes me as unspeakably gross, where as I suspect the hamburdog is perfectly delightful.
Posted by: Danny | May 28, 2007 1:06 PM
7-11 actually had these for a while … it was somewhere around 1996-1998. I recall the colorful signage exclaiming: “It’s the burger that rolls!”
Posted by: Luke | May 28, 2007 1:14 PM
there’s a bar in Atlanta that serves something called the Hamdog — it’s a hot dog, but instead of a regular bun, it’s wrapped in… that’s right, hamburger meat.
probably either the best or worst idea ever.
Posted by: Rachel | May 28, 2007 5:32 PM
they still sell these at 7-11’s in norway…it’s a perfectly ok quick meal, but no one really admits to eating them them because they look like (and are generally referred to in public as) steaming hot turds in a bun.
Posted by: olli | May 28, 2007 10:10 PM
I know that the 10 hot dogs/8 buns is easy fodder for comedians, etc., but seriously, why haven’t these come in sync after all these decades? We’ve had innovations such as bun length hot dogs (why wasn’t this done from the start?), but still, we’re two buns short. Why can’t the left hand talk to the right?
Me thinks they’re two buns short, if you know what I’m sayin’.
Posted by: jimothy | May 29, 2007 6:06 AM
I believe some pictures would be in order to see the way this frankenstenian food looks like.
If it doesn’t ooze much eat it, I say!
Posted by: eduo | May 29, 2007 7:27 AM
It’s been done: http://tinyurl.com/29av2c
And it’s delicious.
Posted by: Chris | May 29, 2007 9:37 AM
My hotdogs come in packs of seven.
What’s the big deal?
(answering to a higher authority.)
Posted by: CW | May 29, 2007 2:29 PM
this was done on the cosby show *years* ago. :) i made a bbq one two weekends ago that rocked my socks.
-s
Posted by: shawn medero | May 29, 2007 7:53 PM
Roll the beef around some shredded cheddar.
Or even better: some havarti, seared onions and razor cut black truffles.
I used to do chorizo stuffed burgers back in the day. top notch.
I will have to try this Hamburdog of which you speak. Like Turducken, the brilliance is in the simplicity.
Posted by: chnepr | May 30, 2007 1:39 AM
Sorry Guys the idea is very old in my country, Chile, is called “Churdog” (chur= Churrasco (Hamburg) + dog= for “hotdog”)
in every corner in the big streets are locals selling “Churdog”, so…
sorry!!
Viva Chile!
Posted by: IhateDesign | July 9, 2007 5:20 PM
What about a hamburger shaped hotdog. Imagine the delight in your guests eyes when they see a fleshy pink patty going on the grill. Or if you really wanted to preserve the pink, rubbery appearance of the meat, you could boil them. Mmmmm
Posted by: doc riley | July 17, 2007 12:38 PM
They sell “cheeseburger bites” at 7-11 now, which are basically low-grade beef in a hot dog bun. Similar idea. I’m sure yours are much tastier though.
Posted by: Josh Santangelo | July 18, 2007 2:04 AM
I’m starting to think that this “hot dogs only come in packs of 10” thing is, well, Not So Much. Plenty of brands come in eights, such as Ballpark Franks. Not as much fun for comedians, but it just ain’t true in all cases.
Posted by: Ron | July 21, 2007 9:20 PM
I remember making these one time w my family when I was a kid, some 50 years ago. The reason we only made them once was because we thought they looked way too much like human excrement, which didn’t do much for the appetite.
JT
Posted by: JT | August 3, 2007 10:41 PM
The hamberdogs I eat are hotdogs laid on top of the hamburger smothered in nacho cheese and and is encased by a seasame seed bun. Now thatz good hamberdog.
Posted by: W P | August 13, 2007 5:02 PM
Never mind the taste.
What about the visuals - without the bun it looks like a piece of dogshit.
Posted by: Psilocybe | August 15, 2007 7:11 AM
Hah! Cool idea, I’ll have to try that sometime.
Posted by: tkeene | September 27, 2007 5:06 PM
Somewhere in Norway there’s a hot dog stand that sells hot dogs with waffles instead of buns.
Posted by: Rags | March 1, 2011 3:45 PM