Italian Grinder Dog

A marriage of two summer staples.

I am so sorry to bring a phrase as inelegant as “grinder dog” into your world, but that is just the situation we’ve found ourselves in. It’s the time of year where a juicy, snappy hot dog begins to sound incredibly appetizing. This summer, I’m dressing mine up like a good Italian sandwich, otherwise known as a grinder. The origin of the name, which is primarily used in New England, has either something to do with slang for dockworkers and the kind of work they did or with the toothsome nature of the bread the sandwich is served on. You could also call this a sub, though that feels somehow more vague, and “sub dog” is hardly an improvement. In fact, it probably sounds even more like a weird sex thing.

Name aside, this marriage of handhelds feels totally natural to me. They’re probably the top two most crave-able things to have at lunch on the beach or at a poolside barbecue. Hot dogs are, after all, a forcemeat just like mortadella, so really, we were never a far cry away to begin with. The toasted bun gets lined with creamy, funky provolone followed by an all-beef hot dog. The toppings are crisp, acidic and spicy featuring an Italian-style slaw and pickled peppers. It’s just the kind of thing you want to eat by cool body of water.

Makes: 4 hot dogs

Active time: 20 minutes

Difficulty: Easy