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The Ripper

A deep-fried New Jersey classic engineered to split open under high heat.

Flag of United StatesOrigin: Clifton, New Jersey, United States
The Ripper illustrated hot dog icon

Origin region: Clifton, New Jersey, United States

The anatomy

Vessel
Plain untoasted white hotdog bun
Sausage
Thumann's natural casing pork and beef frank
Region
New Jersey
Ingredients

The Ripper is a pork-and-beef hotdog defined by its violent cooking method. Deep-fried in hot vegetable oil at 176C (350F), the natural casing contracts and rips open, creating a deeply textured, exceptionally crispy exterior. This preparation is historically anchored to Rutt's Hut in Clifton, New Jersey, where it is served in a plain, un-toasted bun with a proprietary yellow cabbage-based relish. The pillowy bun acts as a simple buffer to the greasy, salty crunch of the split-open sausage. It is a formula that has remained unchanged for decades, and for good reason.

Method

  1. 1Combine five cups of finely chopped cabbage, one cup of chopped carrots, one cup of chopped green bell peppers, and one cup of chopped onions with a quarter-cup of pickling salt in a large bowl, letting it sit for two hours to draw out water.
  2. 2Rinse the salt off the vegetables with cold water, place them in a clean kitchen towel, and squeeze tightly to extract all excess liquid.
  3. 3Combine the dry vegetables with one cup of water and one cup of white vinegar in a large pot, bring to a low boil, cover, and simmer for one hour.
  4. 4Stir in two cups of white sugar, one teaspoon of celery seed, and a half-teaspoon of mustard seeds, then simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
  5. 5In a small bowl, whisk one and a half teaspoons of ground turmeric, one teaspoon of ground mustard, and three tablespoons of all-purpose flour with a quarter-cup of the hot boiling vinegar liquid from the pot to form a paste.
  6. 6Pour the paste slurry back into the pot and stir constantly over low heat for five minutes until the relish thickens, then remove from heat to cool.
  7. 7Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer to exactly 176C (350F).
  8. 8Drop the natural-casing pork-and-beef franks into the hot oil, frying for three to four minutes until they float and the casings split dramatically.
  9. 9Drain the fried franks on paper towels, then place each hotdog into a completely plain, untoasted side-split white bun.
  10. 10Spoon a generous portion of the yellow cabbage relish into the center split of the hotdog, adding spicy brown mustard if desired.

Sources

Controversies

The 'Mutt's Hut' Trademark Legal Battle (2011)

Our take: If you open a hotdog joint five miles away from an 80-year-old institution and name it Mutt's Hut, you know exactly what you are doing. The federal court was right to step in. Stick to your own name.

The Hardline 'No Ketchup' Policy and Counter Friction

Our take: Ketchup belongs on french fries, not on a deep-fried natural casing frank. The counter staff's irritation is a necessary corrective measure to preserve culinary order.

Deep-Fried Dominance (Rutt's Hut vs. Hiram's Roadstand)

Our take: Hiram's toasts their buns, which is a fine touch, but they lack the proprietary yellow relish that completes the Ripper. Anthony Bourdain had his preference, but the Rutt's relish secures its victory.

Clifton Supremacy (Rutt's Hut vs. The Hot Grill)

Our take: A classic division between the acid-sweetness of Rutt's cabbage relish and the heavy meat sauce of The Hot Grill. Both are solid, but the structural integrity of a blistered Ripper holds up better under scrutiny.