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VPR Cafe: Vermont Farms Turn Local Meat Into Hot Dogs

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Candace Page, food writer for the "Burlington Free Press," joined "VPR Cafe" to talk about Maple Wind Farm's new, locally-sourced hot dogs.

Memorial Day marked the beginning of grilling season for many, which means a lot of meats are being fired up outdoors. But while many adults will bite down on a burger, there is a sort of stigma tied to eating hot dogs.

Candace Page, food writer for the Savorvore Section of the Burlington Free Press, joined VPR Café to talk about a new movement in Vermont that might change your mind about hot dogs.

“The hot dog may be the ultimate non-local, highly processed food, says Page. “I think a lot of people remember the days when the inedible bits of the pigs and cattle went into hot dogs, although that’s not so true anymore.” Page says people are also concerned about the additives and chemicals found in hot dogs produced by large brands.

Page says sausage making is a relatively simple process for a small farm or company. “If you’re butchering a hog or a steer, you can take meat you don’t want for other purposes, you basically grind it up with some fat and add herbs and spices and you have sausage,” says Page. “You can stuff it into casings or you can put it into the freezer ground up."

Hot dogs aren't that easy, says Page, but that isn’t stopping one Vermont company. “At Maple Wind Farm in Huntington, Bruce Hennessy and Beth Whiting were interested in hot dogs. Maybe because no one else was making them, and they also have two children, so they understand the appeal of hot dogs,” she says.

"This is a hot dog that has a natural casing that kind of snaps when you bite into it, and has some of the wonderful smoky, bacon flavor." - Candace Page, food writer

Maple Wind Farm has teamed up with Vermont Smoke and Cure of Hinesburg to produce hot dogs that are made entirely from beef and pork raised at Maple Wind, Page explains. “It also includes the farm’s bacon ... This is a hot dog that has a natural casing that kind of snaps when you bite into it, and has some of the wonderful smoky, bacon flavor,” she says.

Page recently visited the Vermont Smoke and Cure facility, which she describes as "immaculate" and "lab-like," where the hot dogs are made.

"I discovered why it is that making hot dogs is so much more complicated and requires more infrastructure than making a sausage,” says Page. “A hot dog is not just more finely ground than sausage meat, but a hot dog is made from an emulsion of meat and fat, with some added water. That’s how it’s so fine.”

"First you see the big tubs of meat, which I have to say look just like stew meat. [They] didn't look like an inferior sorts of cuts."

Page explains the process behind hot dog making: "First you see the big tubs of meat, which I have to say look just like stew meat. [They] didn’t look like an inferior sorts of cuts,” says Page. She explains that Maple Wind infuses the meat with water. It then comes out of the machine into long ropes that are put into another machine to be stuffed into casings. “So it's quite a process." Page says Maple Wind's venture wasn't the only reason Vermont Smoke and Cure invested in the process; the latter now has its own line of hot dogs, which are made locally, though not from local meat.

As for Maple Wind Farm, Page says that her husband ate one of their hot dogs at the Burlington Winter Farmers Market and told her it was the best hot dog he had ever eaten. That’s what sparked her interest in the first place.

"Of course, when you think about it, who doesn't love a hot dog? ... So I think this could be another niche for farmers looking for another way to use their meat."

For many people, the biggest draw is the fact that their hot dogs have bacon in them, which Page explains is more than just a marketing ploy. “Their hot dogs are made from their grass-fed beef, and a grass-fed animal is going to be much learner than one that’s finished on a lot of grain,” she says. “So bacon serves the practical purpose of providing some of the fat that’s necessary for a hot dog.”

Page thinks Maple Wind may have started a new trend in Vermont farming. She says others have recently jumped on the hot dog making bandwagon, including Trillium Hill Farm in Hinesburg and Neill Farm in Waitsfield.

“Of course, when you think about it, who doesn’t love a hot dog? … So I think this could be another niche for farmers looking for another way to use their meat,” Page says.

Read Page’s article in the Burlington Free Press here.

The VPR Cafe is produced in collaboration with The Burlington Free Press and is made possible on VPR by Otter Creek Kitchenware in Middlebury's Marbleworks District, offering over 70 lines of kitchenware with personalized customer service.

Franny was VPR's Director of Programming & Production.
Ric was a producer for Vermont Edition and host of the VPR Cafe.
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