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For dinner tonight, I made some Farmer John Hot Links (Louisiana Smoked Sauasage) (WHAT! FARMER JOHN??? SERIOUSLY??) I really liked them. They were just the right amount of spicy, had a really good snap to them, and were plump and juicy. I find it hard to imagine a situation where I'd rather have a hot dog than one of these puppies. Of course, one day when I have more time, I completely plan on making my own version... but until then, these will do nicely...

I charred the links over very hot coals, then put them in steamed white buns. I steamed the buns in wet paper towels for 2 minutes in the microwave. (WHAT! MICROWAVE?? WHO ARE YOU??? FIRST FARMER JOHN, AND NOW THIS??... I swear there's a good reason... keep reading) In most situations, this would be over done, as the bread comes out a little chewy, but this is exactly what I want in a bun. The little extra bit of chewiness from the microwave helps the otherwise delicate buns hold together under the extreme pressure of a plump dog and its toppings. (I used to be big on toasting the buns over the coals, but got tired of being plagued by the dreaded "disintegrating bun syndrome")

Speaking of toppings, a little sour cream was incredible on this... the coolness of the sour cream went perfectly with the spiciness of the links. Next time I'd like to try having these in sort of a "Martha Stewart style," as they call it at Pink's hot dog stand... that would be one of these hot links topped with saurkraut, 2 slices of bacon, and drizzled with sour cream... Some grilled onions and mustard couldn't hurt anyone either...

I'm just glad I didn't have any bacon or saurkraut at home, because this meal could have easily spiraled out of control... This post would have been named uberdog, and I'd be apologizing to my poor little artery friends yet again... maybe next time!