Wiener Wednesday: New Swank for the Frank (1956)

It’s another Wiener Wednesday,  people!

This week I recreated an 1956 hot dog ad from Pinterest which features a recipe called New Swank for the Frank.

Note: the dictionary definition of swank is: stylishly luxurious and expensive.

Just keep that in mind as we delve into these dogs.

Done up brown, with extra flavor sizzled deep into each juicy bite–here’s a simple dish to do you proud on any occasion. A.1. Sauce is the secret of the distinctive flavor, and here’s how you get it:

Make deep diagonal cuts part way through skinless frankfurters. Brush each frankfurter liberally with thick, tangy A.1. Sauce before grilling. Let the herb-and-spice richness of A.1. cook in while the franks turn brown and tenderly crisp.

Serve with baked beans to which you’ve also added a tablespoonful of this flavor brightener. And give em’ more A.1. to pour on the franks when they’re served. You can’t just get too much of a sauce as good as A.1.!

Does that frankfurter sound terribly swanky to you?

Here’s a question–if this is the NEW swank for the frank–what was the original?

I found this 1952 Crisco ad:

At least the Crisco advertisement tried. There’s a dapper hot dog in the top hat and the word DELUXE. But, seriously. There is nothing about cornbread, frankfurters, and hot dog turnovers that is expensive nor stylish.

Anyhoo! I do not know how or why there was an A.1. sequel to Swank for the Frank, especially since Crisco and A.1. have no discernable link. Perhaps it was the same advertising agency and they just got lazy…?

One thing that I do know, is that I need to put this advertisement in the idea vault for Wiener Wednesdays in the future. I am intrigued by the franks in potato blankets.

But back to the NEW Swank for the Frank!

I followed the instructions for the frankfurters: cut, brush, and grill.

But what is that yellow stuff? It looks like nacho cheese and sliced jalapenos, but I know that it’s not nacho cheese and slice jalapenos, so I just bought some potato-egg salad from the deli counter. It’s yellow. And it just makes sense.

The green things are definitely pickles, so since I had cucumbers and dill in the fridge I made a quick pickle using a Rachael Ray recipe. The result was shockingly good for a pickle that didn’t sit for very long. Seriously, it was in the bowl for probably not even 2 hours and they taste like real pickles!!!

Here’s my swank franks: