The Texas Tommy is an American
hot dog
A hot dog (uncommonly spelled hotdog) is a food consisting of a grilled or steamed sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a f ...
dish in which a hot dog is prepared with
bacon and
cheese. Despite the name, it was invented in
Pottstown, Pennsylvania, in the 1950s. It may be cooked by various methods, such as grilling and deep frying, and some variations exist. The Texas Tommy is a common dish in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
, the
Delaware Valley, and
South Jersey, and it is a menu item at various restaurants and hot dog restaurants in the United States. In Canada, this hot dog dish is often called the whistle dog.
History
The Texas Tommy was invented in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, in the 1950s and was a popular dish among 1950s housewives.
The origin of the dish's name is unclear, and it has been suggested that its name may have been devised per the "general branding of hot dogs as "Texan" on the East Coast."
Preparation
The Texas Tommy is prepared by slicing a hot dog lengthwise to split it; cheese is placed within the slit; and the hot dog is then wrapped in bacon, secured with toothpicks, and cooked and served on a warmed or toasted bun.
Cheddar cheese or American cheese may be used, and some versions are prepared using
Cheez Whiz
Cheez Whiz is a brand of processed cheese sauce or spread produced by Kraft Foods. It was developed by a team led by food scientist Edwin Traisman (1915–2007). It was first sold in 1952, and with some changes in formulation continues to be in ...
.
In the 1950s,
Velveeta
Velveeta is a brand name for a processed cheese product similar to American cheese. It was invented in 1918 by Emil Frey of the "Monroe Cheese Company" in Monroe, New York, Monroe, New York (state), New York. In 1923, "The Velveeta Cheese Compan ...
was sometimes used in their preparation.
Some versions are prepared by topping a hot dog with bacon and cheese. It may be cooked by
barbecuing
Barbecue or barbeque (informally BBQ in the UK, US, and Canada, barbie in Australia and braai in South Africa) is a term used with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods that use live fire and smoke ...
,
grilling,
broiling or
deep frying.
Additional condiments may be used,
such as mustard, ketchup
and relish. Some versions may have a high cholesterol
and fat content.
Purveyance
The Texas Tommy is a common dish at
diners and
greasy spoon
A greasy spoon is a small, cheap restaurant – either an American diner or coffee shop, or a British or Irish cafe – typically specializing in fried foods or home-cooked meals. The term ''greasy spoon'' has been used in the United States sinc ...
s in Philadelphia, eastern Pennsylvania, and southern New Jersey.
The dish's availability is widespread at restaurants in Philadelphia, and some
cheesesteak
A cheesesteak (also known as a Philadelphia cheesesteak, Philly cheesesteak, cheesesteak sandwich, cheese steak, or steak and cheese) is a sandwich made from thinly sliced pieces of beefsteak and melted cheese in a long hoagie roll. A popular ...
restaurants in Philadelphia also offer the dish.
Little Pete’s restaurant, located in the
Center City district of Philadelphia, is well known for serving the dish.
The Texas Tommy has been served at baseball games at
Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park is a baseball stadium located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the city's South Philadelphia Sports Complex. It is the home playing field of the Philadelphia Phillies, the city's Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise. The ...
in Philadelphia, and in 2012, the dish was listed on the
Serious Eats
Serious Eats is a website and blog focused on food enthusiasts, created by food critic and author Ed Levine. A Serious Eats book was published by Levine in 2011. Serious Eats was acquired by Fexy Media in 2015 and then by Dotdash in late 2020.
...
list of The Craziest Major League Baseball Hot Dogs of 2012.
The version served at Citizens Bank Park included the addition of chili.
Additionally, some
hot dog restaurants in other areas of the United States include the Texas Tommy on their menus.
See also
*
Cheese dog
*
Cuisine of Philadelphia
*
Danger dog
*
Hot dog variations
*
List of hot dogs
This is a list of hot dog dishes. A hot dog is a type of cooked sausage, traditionally grilled or steamed and served in a partially sliced bun. This type of sausage was culturally imported from Germany and popularized in the United States, where ...
*
Texas toast
Texas toast is a toasted bread that is typically made from sliced bread that has been sliced at double the usual thickness of packaged bread. Texas toast is prepared by spreading butter on both sides of the bread and broiling or grilling it unti ...
*
Texas wiener
References
{{Hot dogs
Hot dogs
Cuisine of Philadelphia