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Insert _____ possum/raccoon/squirrel joke here, if you must.
But don't laugh. A West Virginia hot dog has nothing to do with roadkill, and it's not simply a hot dog eaten in West Virginia either. It is a regional specialty with its own rules, legions of die-hard fans, even its own website. A true West Virginia hot dog is slathered in bean-less beef chili and topped with mustard, coleslaw and chopped onions, then quickly "steamed" in a microwave to soften the bun.
On a recent trip to Welch, WV (don't ask), I had a couple for lunch at a gas station/lunch counter/hunting supply shop near the town of Beckley. They were $1.29 for two, with creamy homemade slaw spooned out of a Tupperware container. The sweet gooeyness of the steamed bun reminded me of Chinese pork buns, cut by the acrid bit of the fresh white onions. I ate while perusing Polaroids of dead buck deer and other hunting trophies pined to the wall, and came out with a strange urge to learn how to use a shotgun.
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6-22-2008 @2:48PM Micah said... "Buck deer?"
You're not from around heeyah, are you son?
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6-22-2008 @2:47PM Ryan said... Here at Austins Homemade Icecream in Ceredo, WV, we don't microwave our buns to "steam" them. Any real WV hot dog will be put into a steamer where distiller water is heated to create steam. That's how you steam a hot dog!
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6-22-2008 @8:56PM Summer said... I'll admit I'm amused by "buck deer" as a term. While I think I know what you're talking about - I want to know what the difference is between them and real "deer". :)
I lived in WV for a time as a child (don't ask) and those hotdogs are still tops. I managed to find a street vendor here in Charlotte who'll make them for me just like that - though she seems to think it's odd to put All those condiments on. But goodness, do they rock.
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6-22-2008 @10:09PM Catherine said... You are a wonderful writer - "came out with a strange urge to learn how to use a shotgun." - Hah! Thank you. I love Slashfood.
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6-23-2008 @12:00PM The Trout Underground said... This is very reminiscent of the Tennessee Slaw Dog I bought at a Phillips 66 gas station outside GSMNP, and then blogged about here: http://troutunderground.com/2006/05/08/alert-the-slaw-dog-deconstructed/
Though we've held a pair of Underground Slaw Dog cookouts, it's clear the food probably should be purchased at a gas station to maintain authenticity and maximum taste.
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6-23-2008 @2:19PM Baron said... That looks wonderful. I must create this, either that, or take a trip out to WV.
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6-24-2008 @12:49PM Joy said... In at least one part of West Virginia (at least in the eastern part), the chili-like meat is often called "mexican meat" (don't ask me why, it just is).
Also, last night on Food Network's "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" the perky Guy Fieri visited a WV hot dog stand where they do dogs like this, and dogs like this plus more toppings. I believe the place is called "Hillbilly Hot Dogs."
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