Barbecue Carrot Dawg
Ready for the ballpark?
I have very fond memories of going to Nathan’s on Long Island with my mom and getting a salty, all-beef hot dog on a soft and sweet white bun with tangy yellow mustard. But hot dogs are gross. I don’t even want to think about the ingredients. Veggie dogs are a great invention and I have fond memories from ten or so years ago of stopping by a hotdog cart in downtown Austin for a freshly steamed veggie dog on a bun with all the fixins. Although healthier for humans and pigs, the veggie dogs are highly processed so I eat only occasionally (like at a ball park where they are now often offered – woot!). But carrot dogs are a wonderful unprocessed option to take to a BBQ. They are SO easy to make and after piling on all the condiments, cannot even tell it’s not a veggie dog. All the marinade seasonings hit all the right notes! Take me out to the ball game…
Ingredients
4-6 medium carrots
1/4 cup veggie broth
1/4 cup Bragg’s, soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos
2 T ACV (apple cider vinegar)
2 T rice vinegar
2 T maple syrup
1 T smoked paprika
2 tsp liquid smoke
2 tsp onion granules
1 T minced garlic (preferably from a jar – this type works best here instead of fresh)
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Trim and steam carrots for 10 minutes (I prefer the peel on for texture) or until a fork can penetrate about 1/8 of an inch or so, but not all the way through. You want them cooked to absorb the marinade, but not so cooked that they will fall apart when put on the grill). Meanwhile, mix the marinade in a large ziplock baggy. Put the steamed carrots in the marinade until they are submerged, seal up the baggy and leave it in the refrigerator overnight.
Heat your grill or grill pan. Place carrots on grill and cook several minutes, baste with leftover marinade and turn, cook several minutes more, baste and repeat until you’ve got nice grill marks on all sides.
Serve the carrots on a whole wheat hotdog bun with mustard, ketchup, relish, sauerkraut or your favorite condiments.
