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59.5 HOT DOGS IN 12 MINUTES SETS NEW RECORD!

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Proudly Celebrating the American Way of Life!

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June 2007 - San Jose college student Joey Chestnut has shattered the world record for hot dog eating in Arizona, downing 59 1/2 franks and buns in 12 minutes flat. The old record was 53 3/4 set at last year's Coney Island championship on July 4 by Chestnut's hot dog-eating nemesis Takeru Kobayashi -- a six-time world champion. The champ gained 17 pounds during the contest.

The Gold Standard of hot dog contests is Nathan’s Famous International July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest, held each year in New York. It attracts 20 contestants, each of whom has qualified previously at a regional event.

What's In a Hot Dog

It depends on the hot dog, of course, but the typical large brand dogs are beef/pork combinations, with less than half of the total dog being meat. The ground up animal flesh is supplemented with high sodium, fat and nitrate content. Fat content averages about 22%. Sodium content in major brands ranges from 300 to 760 mg per dog.

A curing solution comprised primarily of salt and water is used to make the meat easier to squirt into the sheep intestine casings, improve flavor, and inhibit bacterial growth. Sodium nitrite is included in the curing solution to retard the development of rancidity and stabilize the meat color. Curing accelerators such as sodium ascorbate or sodium erythorbate may also be added to preserve the color of the meat during storage.

By The Way...How Are Them Sheep Intestines?
As with most all sausages, hot dogs must be in a casing in order to be cooked. Traditionally this casing is made from the thoroughly cleaned small intestines of sheep, and are known as "natural casing" hot dogs or frankfurters. These kinds of hot dogs are preferred by some for their firmer texture and the "snap" that releases juices and flavor when the product is bitten into.

Read about happy pigs on the farm.