The Brand Director Of Ball Park Franks Gives The Top Tips For Grilling - Exclusive
As the brand director of beloved hot dog brand Ball Park, Jennifer Dahlgren thinks a lot about hot dogs. She spends "day in and day out" making sure Ball Park retains its status as an iconic slice of summer through advertising, brand design, and retail partnerships.
One of her latest endeavors, for example, is the launch of a cool new condiment accessory, the Hot Dog Helmet, which is equipped with mustard and ketchup reservoirs, plus a one-of-a-kind pump system, so wearers can top their hot dogs on the go. The helmet is being given away for a limited time on the Ball Park brand's Instagram page.
However, Dahlgren doesn't just know about marketing hot dogs. She also knows quite a lot about cooking them. In an exclusive interview with Mashed, she gave us her top tips for grilling your Ball Park franks this summer — and they're likely easier to follow than you think.
From a clean grill to an extra-crispy dog
According to Jennifer Dahlgren, the first thing you need to do is clean your grill, as food will stick to dirty grill grates. She said, "I would make sure your grates are glistening. If they're still stuck, brush on a little bit of olive oil."
Dahlgren doesn't get picky over gas versus charcoal, saying, "Both make a great hot dog. Either way, they'll want to preheat it before putting on their favorite Ball Park franks and getting it up to about 500 degrees. If they're using a charcoal grill, then they'd want to make sure that the charcoal has a thin coat of ash on it, so the hot temperatures will give them a nice sear and crisp grill marks, which are a signature of summer. They can cook them around the edges of the grill or really char them up over the direct flame, depending on preferences and what people like. I like them extra-crispy, so I like them on the direct flame."
To enter for a chance to win a hot dog helmet and free Ball Park franks, follow Ball Park on Instagram and comment with the hot dog emoji and use the hashtag #HotDogHelmet and #sweepstakes on the Ball Park brand Instagram giveaway announcement post until June 23, 2022. For more information, visit @Ballparkbrand on Instagram.