Fourth of July Eats: Dissecting the Good Ol’ American Glizzy

It’s the Fourth of July, and Americans across the country are celebrating the day that the founding fathers yeeted our beautiful nation into existence. According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans spent over $7.68 billion on hot dogs last year and consumed approximately 150 million glizzies on July 4th, 2020. Now whether you’re a fan or not, countless hot dogs will be hitting grills today and filling the bellies of men, women, and children alike. But have you ever asked yourself what these things are really made of?

Not all glizzies are created equal. For example, if you buy a pack of all-beef franks, you can rest easy knowing that your hot dogs are made from specifically cow meat (duh). For the most part however, hot dogs are made from a variety of meats plucked and processed into the beautiful shape we all know and love. Beef and pork are the standard sources for most hot dogs, but more inexpensive brands will use chicken or turkey meats as well.

While many folks believe hot dogs originate from slaughterhouse “leftovers,” the truth is far less grotesque. Your average glizzy consists of bone trimmings, which are meats pulled from animal bones and are often processed into ground beef and pork products. The meat is then mixed into a fine texture, where salts and nitrates are added for flavor, texture, and color. If the thought of an amalgam of meat grosses you out, then maybe you should consider what you’re really eating the next time you buy a beefy burrito from Taco Bell or a tuna sandwich from Subway.

Once it’s ground up, the meat is encased in plastic and boiled. Once the franks have been cooked to factory level perfection, they are removed from their casings, packed, vaccuum sealed, and shipped around the world for human consumption.

So there you have it folks, no rat or horse meat here. So just shut up and eat the damn thing.