Hamdog

What is Hamdog?

A hamdog brings together two classic fast foods by packing beef mince and a sausage into a single serving of bread. In its Australian format, a frankfurter sits between two halves of a split beef patty, housed inside a purpose-built bun and layered with cheddar cheese, raw onion, sliced tomato, lettuce, pickles, and condiments. The North American style is even richer: a hot dog is blanketed in seasoned ground beef, tucked into a long roll with cheese, bacon, and chopped onions, and submerged in hot oil. The result is a hefty, savoury, and intensely salty double-meat sandwich with contrasting textures from crisp coatings and soft processed sausage.

Where does Hamdog come from?

Two creators claim the invention independently. In 2004, Australian innovator Mark Anthony Murray devised his version in Western Australia. To hold the unusual combination neatly, he engineered a custom-moulded bun with a central bulge and elongated ends, securing an official United States design patent for it in 2009. Meanwhile, across the Pacific, bar proprietor Chandler Goff introduced a distinct recipe in Decatur, Georgia, during February 2005. Goff showcased his ultra-heavy creation beyond his pub, bringing it to outdoor event crowds at the Indiana State Fair the following year.

How is Hamdog made?

Preparation methods depend on whether the sandwich follows the Australian or American pattern. Murray's technique involves grilling a beef patty, slicing it down the middle, and placing a heated frankfurter directly in the gap. The ensemble is slid into the patented specialty roll and dressed with standard burger toppings like lettuce, relish, and melted dairy. In Goff's American method, cooks wrap half a pound of minced beef around a frankfurter, pack it into a hoagie roll alongside bacon, cheese, and onion slices, and plunge the entire assembly into a deep fryer before finishing.

How and when is Hamdog eaten?

Eaten straight from the fryer or grill while hot, the sandwich is commonly treated as festival fare or pub grub. Chandler Goff presented his variation paired with potato fries and crowned with a freshly fried hen's egg. Because of its massive size and heavy caloric density, it is typically eaten with both hands as an informal snack or hearty casual dinner, often purchased from concession stands or tavern counters.

Kinds of Hamdog

The dish exists primarily in its two distinct regional forms. Beyond the basic toppings, variations can incorporate chili con carne or fried potatoes. While the Australian model focuses on standard fresh garnishes like lettuce and tomato enclosed in a specialized pastry-style bread, the American fairground variation leans toward extreme richness by swapping out burger buns for hoagie bread, adding smoked bacon, and cooking the entire sandwich in hot fat.

What Hamdog means

The sandwich quickly gained notoriety as a spectacle of excessive dining. In 2007, Jimmy's Food and Drink in Vadnais Heights, Minnesota, launched an eating competition based on the dish, rewarding champions solely with bragging rights. However, health authorities expressed alarm. Dr Nicholas Lang, an academic surgeon at the Arkansas medical school, publicly cautioned the public against sampling the sandwich even once, citing the cardiovascular dangers of its fat and calorie load.

Questions people ask about Hamdog

Good reading and sources

• Hamdog on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data