First Taste: Petit Jean All-Beef Hot Dogs

Petit Jean Meats has long been the standard for great bacon, bologna, hams and bright red wieners in Arkansas. Now there’s a new product to add to the pantheon of great foods.

I’ve been hoping for this development for a few years now. After all, I recall the great flavor of Petit Jean hot dogs since I was a kid. Sadly, my adult allergy to pork has kept me from enjoying those red links. I’ve been hoping one day the Morrilton-based company would eventually start making the product in beef.

Now I’ve gotten my wish.

Petit Jean Meats is introducing all-beef hot dogs. They’re not yet available, but they will be soon in convenience stores, then in grocery stores. I feel very special, since I just received a sampling of the new dogs delivered right to my door. So of course I went to testing them!

I thought about making chili dogs, but realized the first real test should be to see how the hot dogs stand up on their own. The first thing I noticed is the heft these wieners have. They’re about a time and a half the size of regular dogs, more like the size of those great sausage links Petit Jean Meats makes. I can’t complain!

After a very hot, slightly charring broil, photographer Grav Weldon and I gave these dogs a try. He pronounced them worthy of the Chicago market, which is saying something, since so many hot dogs are consumed up there they have their own style. I thought they were grand… and very filling. The size of these dogs means a greater ratio of meat to bread, which means these dogs will really stand up to any topping you manage to add, whether it’s chili and cheese, relish and peppers, mustard and pickles, you take your pick.

As I mentioned, the new hot dogs aren’t out quite yet on the consumer market… but they will be soon. Be looking for them in the stores and online at petitjeanmeats.com.  

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