Slicing or poking holes in the casing

It's not a good idea to eat a split hot dog, so many people take preventative action by making holes in the casing. The process of thought is as follows: It makes sense that holes would allow steam to escape in a regulated manner and prevent complete splitting. No, never. But what if a hot dog can be cooked to perfection with the casing still on? There are no tricks, only basic methods like gradually turning up the dog's heat. By using this technique, the casing can grow just as quickly as the meat inside.

While indirect heat from a grill can be used to accomplish this, poaching your hot dogs in a shallow bath of delicious liquid is a better method for gradually heating them. Place a disposable aluminum pan directly over the heat of the grill to begin. Add a poaching liquid next, such as stock or beer. When the liquid reaches a simmer, remove the pan from the heat source and add the hot dogs. Take the dogs out of the pan and set them over the direct heat for a brief char after they have heated through, which should take around 5 minutes. A hot dog that is juicy, tasty, and unbroken should be the end product.