"Bun There, Done That -- Restaurants Reimagine the Hot Dog"
...Marcus Rieker knows a thing or two about quality dogs. The second-generation butcher took over Rieker's Prime Meats in Fox Chase from his father, Walter, in 2004. He makes three kinds of wieners - a beef, pork and veal mix, a veal dog and a turkey dog.
"My father tells the story about starting his business and being asked by a supplier how much egg whites, powdered milk and soybean powder he'd be ordering for his hot dogs. When he was told none, the guy said he'd [Rieker] be out of business in a year."
Fillers, preservatives and salt plump up dogs by retaining water and adding weight. "We don't use any of that, which is why our dogs have a shorter shelf life of 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator," Rieker said. He sells all his dogs for $4.99 a pound, or you can taste one at Brauhaus Schmitz, the German beer hall on South Street.