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 Hot dog bun, bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener (Vienna sausag ...

dish in which a hot dog is prepared with

bacon Bacon is a type of salt-cured pork made from various cuts, typically the belly or less fatty parts of the back. It is eaten as a side dish (particularly in breakfasts), used as a central ingredient (e.g., the bacon, lettuce, and tomato sand ...

and

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...

. Despite the name, it was invented in

Pottstown, Pennsylvania Pottstown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Pottstown was laid out in 1752–53 and named Pottsgrove in honor of its founder, John Potts. The old name was abandoned at the time of the incorporation as a borough in 1815. In 1888 ...

, 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 largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, the

Delaware Valley The Delaware Valley is a metropolitan region on the East Coast of the United States that comprises and surrounds Philadelphia, the sixth most populous city in the nation and 68th largest city in the world as of 2020. The toponym Delaware Val ...

, and

South Jersey South Jersey comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey located between the lower Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation of South Jersey with a distinct toponym is a colloquialism rather than an administrative ...

, 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. In 1923, "The Velveeta Cheese Company" was incorporated as a separate ...

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 t ...

grilling Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above, below or from the side. Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat a ...

, broiling or

deep frying Deep frying (also referred to as deep fat frying) is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot fat, traditionally lard but today most commonly oil, as opposed to the shallow oil used in conventional frying done in a frying pan. Norm ...

. 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

diner A diner is a small, inexpensive restaurant found across the United States, as well as in Canada and parts of Western Europe. Diners offer a wide range of foods, mostly American cuisine, a casual atmosphere, and, characteristically, a com ...

s 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 si ...

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 r ...

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 stad ...

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 Hot or the acronym HOT may refer to: Food and drink *Pungency, in food, a spicy or hot quality *Hot, a wine tasting descriptor Places *Hot district, a district of Chiang Mai province, Thailand ** Hot subdistrict, a sub-district of Hot Distric ...

in other areas of the United States include the Texas Tommy on their menus.

References

{{Hot dogs Hot dogs Cuisine of Philadelphia

History

Preparation

Purveyance

See also

References