By Chef Alexis Hernandez
Updated March 2026
Why I Still Score Them This Way
Hot dogs are one of those foods that never really left my table — not because they are trendy, and not because somebody gave them a better bun and called it a concept.
They stayed because they are good, and at my house, we love them.
I am not talking about the thin ones that promise to “plump when you cook them” and somehow still taste flat.
I buy the thick Angus beef ones from places like Detwiler’s or Apollo Meats here in Tampa.
The kind with some weight to them.
The kind that actually taste like something before you even dress them up.
And every time I make them, I do the same thing.
I crosshatch them.
The Cut That Makes It Better
Score the hot dog with shallow diagonal cuts, then repeat in the opposite direction to create a crosshatch pattern, being careful not to cut all the way through.
Place the crosshatched side down on a hot grill or pan and cook undisturbed until the cuts open and the surface is lightly charred, about 2 to 4 minutes.
Flip and cook the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes, until heated through and crisp.
That little step changes everything.
Those cuts give the hot dog more edges to char, more places to crisp, and more texture once it hits the heat. A plain hot dog stays smooth.
A crosshatched one catches fire in all the right places.
It blisters a little.
It crackles more.
And then there is the practical part, which matters just as much.
Mustard settles into the grooves.
Relish stays put. Sauerkraut stops sliding off with the first bite.
Everything holds together better, which is more than I can say for a lot of backyard food people swear is easier to eat.
I like a top-sliced bun best.
It feels neater, a little more contained, and somehow more put together.
A regular side-sliced bun still works, but a top-sliced one gives the whole thing a little dignity.
That may sound ridiculous to say about a hot dog, but I do not think simple food has to be careless food.
That is probably why I still like this trick so much.
It takes a few extra seconds, but it makes the hot dog feel less like something you threw on the grill and more like something you meant to serve.
And maybe that is the thing I keep coming back to — some foods do not need to be elevated.
They just need somebody to stop treating them like they do not matter.
