We got our first taste of summer weather this weekend.  Sunny skies and temps comfortably in the 80s.  Ahhhhh!  Love it!

To kick off what we hope to be a long summer season, we enjoyed some classic summer fare: hot dogs.  I don’t usually eat hot dogs – they’ve always seemed a bit sketchy, and I don’t like the added nitrates and nitrites.  But I was recently asked to try “healthy” hot dogs from Bill Kurtis’s Tallgrass Beef, and I was intrigued: the beef comes from grass-fed cattle, the company is obsessed with sustainability, and Bill Kurtis is somewhat of a Chicago institution.  My curiosity got the best of me so I agreed to give them a try!

Beef from grass-fed cows is measurably better for our health.  Ten times more vitamin A, three times more vitamin E, more dietary protein, and a more favorable Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio are just a few reasons why grass-fed beef is better than grain-fed.  However, I’d like to think that animals raised on grass are happier and given a better life than those raised on stinky feed lots, and as a citizen of this planet I think it is my obligation to seek out options that respect life.

The hot dogs really were delicious.  I cut one into tiny pieces for little Vivian, and she happily ate her entire dinner.  Chris and I enjoyed our Tallgrass Beef hot dogs with a little Mexican flair (and a few cold Mexican beers).  Here’s to a great summer!

Poblano Pepper and Onion Hot Dogs

olive oil, vegetable oil, or bacon grease

4 poblano peppers, seeded and sliced

1 large yellow onion, sliced

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

salt

Queso fresco (Mexican cheese)

6 hot dogs and 6 hot dog buns

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add a good swirl of your chosen oil (we always keep a dish of bacon fat on our counter, so that is what I used. Yum.).  Add onions and cook until they are just starting to brown and soften, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant.  Toss in peppers and, stirring often, cook until softened and everything starts to get caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Heat hot dogs (we boiled them) and buns.  Top with a generous helping of onions and peppers, and sprinkle with crumbled queso fresco.  Serve with a cold Mexican beer and a nice salad.