Lea este artículo en español aquí.
Nothing captures the essence of a sun-drenched American summer afternoon quite like an impeccably grilled hot dog piled high with all your favorite fixings.
And few people in town are more capable of handing you one of the finest Sonora Dogs around than Devin “Uncle Jukie” Armstrong, a proud graduate of Vienna Beef’s Hot Dog University.
It’s the most popular item on the Uncle Jukie menu, which he offers at the Hollister Downtown Association Farmers’ Market: a seven-inch all-beef hot dog wrapped in bacon, slathered with mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup, topped with sautéed onions and bell peppers, then dusted with crushed Hot Cheetos and served on a warm sesame seed bun.
The bite, the flavors, the texture, the spiciness, and the “need a few more napkins” sloppiness all add up to a culinary delight.
Yes, Uncle Jukie—a name bestowed on him by a cousin— is the guy you dream of having at your neighborhood cookouts instead of that ham-fisted guy from down the block who monopolizes the grill every time, wearing a wildly inappropriate apron and charring everything beyond salvation.
Armstrong’s cheerful demeanor and culinary expertise belie the fact that he’s only been cooking professionally since he opened his food tent at the Hollister Downtown Farmers’ Market in April. And his only experience with restaurant cooking was the few years he spent, starting at 16, working at a Red Lobster to earn money for barber school in Indiana.
“I studied to become an instructor,” he said, “and my wife Brandy went to nursing school. So, we both finished; she got a degree, and I’m a new, up-and-coming barber. To us, the sky was the limit. So, we headed out west, and that’s how we ended up in Hollister nine years ago.”
Since arriving, Brandy found steady employment as a traveling nurse. Armstrong alternated between working as a barber, acting as a caregiver for an elderly woman, and tending to the couple’s son while his wife worked at Hazel Hawkins.
With the child in pre-school, Armstrong, with Brandy’s help, decided it was time for a change of pace, and the lure of the hot dog was irresistible.
“It seemed like it could be a lucrative job,” he said. “And I kind of missed the food from Indiana and the Chicago-style hot dogs. So I just decided to look into bringing it out here. And you really can’t mess up a hot dog if you have a passion for it.”
Armstrong is being modest here. These are not the run-of-the-mill wieners you get at the average hot dog stand, but the highest-quality sausages made by Vienna Beef, a company founded in 1893 by Austro-Hungarian immigrants Emil Reichel and Samuel Ladany.
“They introduced their product at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago that year,” he said. “During the Great Depression, they sold what are now called the Chicago Dogs from carts all around the city for a nickel.”
The Chicago-Style Hot Dog, as served at Uncle Jukie’s, starts with his standard seven-inch all-beef frank on a poppy-seed bun, which he tops with mustard, neon green relish, diced onion, tomato, a pickle spear, and a dash of celery salt. Two sport peppers give it a distinctive kick of heat.
“I would honestly have to say the Chicago dog is the most popular,” Armstrong said. “For the first five weeks, we sold out. People who tried it still come and see me every week. You can taste the quality. I’ve grown quite a following on social media, people who love the food.”
Armstrong picked up his knowledge—and love—of Vienna Beef while taking the Hot Dog University course taught at the headquarters in, of course, Chicago. It gave him a chance to see the facility in action, learn which ingredients were used in the products, and get instruction on how to cook the perfect hot dog.
“They taught you everything,” he said. “Not just about the product but how to prepare it consistently and serve it in unique ways to make it stand out. They focus on doing one thing really, really well, doing it better than your competitors, and becoming a specialist at it.”
Part of being a specialist, for Armstrong, involved buying a 350-pound flat-top griddle that he describes as a challenge to “manhandle” during setup. He also commissioned a custom-made three-tier steam table from Florida to ensure his hot dogs were cooked to a precise temperature.
Armstrong sells a plain hot dog with mustard as well, just a weiner on a bun with other condiments available to customize it. And he has my favorite, of course: a hot dog with mustard, ketchup, relish and chopped onions, which brings me back to childhood memories of backyard cookouts with the first bite.
But most people, I suspect, will gravitate to their own childhood faves, like the Chili Cheese Dog, topped with shredded Lucerne cheddar cheese and an all-beef Vienna chili, which he describes as “unmatched in taste and quality.”
Or perhaps the Maxwell Street Polish, a smoky and savory Vienna Beef Polish sausage, topped with sautéed Vidalia onions, streaked with yellow mustard and accompanied by a sport pepper.
“That one tastes like home to me,” Armstrong said. “Well, (it) tastes like how home used to taste. Hollister is my home now.”
Armstrong offers occasional specials, like the Chicago Italian Beef sandwich, made with thinly sliced, slow-roasted beef simmered in au jus, served on a crunchy French roll with sweet or hot giardiniera peppers and optional mozzarella cheese. Or the US Steel Workers Sandwich, Italian roast beef on rye bread with cheese and sautéed onions.
“Hot dogs are just an introduction to what I really want to do overall,” Armstrong said. “I want to have a sandwich shop where hot dogs are just one menu item. I have several different ideas and flavors that I want to incorporate and bring to Hollister.”
There is also a line of desserts and treats prepared by Brandy, all worth exploring. The specialty cookie flavors include Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, Walnut Chocolate Chip, Strawberry Shortcake, and Biscoff, all baked fresh. She also makes a Caramel Cake, based on a family recipe, caramel cheddar popcorn (another Chicago-style throwback), and cotton candy served in a cup.
And it is worth skipping the canned sodas and bottled waters to wash your chosen dog with a cup of house-made lemonade, served straight or with lavender, strawberry or saffron. According to Armstrong, the saffron version, which is Uncle Jukie’s signature drink, has “calming” properties.
Armstrong said he has been getting an “awesome” reception since his very first day at the market, from both customers and other vendors.
“I had been having a great time,” he said. “People have been welcoming and warm, and beyond surprised at what we are making here. People come by and say, ‘Oh, that smells great,’ and by the end of the night, I always feel that I’ve given everybody something they wanted.”
Uncle Jukie’s on Instagram and can be found at the Hollister Downtown Association Farmers Market every Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. through Oct. 21.
Recommendations for future Eat, Drink, Savor articles can be emailed to roberteliason@benitolink.com.
BenitoLink thanks our underwriters, Hollister Super and Windmill Market, for helping expand the Eat, Drink, Savor series and for giving our readers the stories that interest them. Hollister Super (two stores in Hollister) and Windmill Market (in San Juan Bautista) support reporting on the inspired and creative people behind the many delicious food and drink products made in San Benito County. All editorial decisions are made by BenitoLink.
We need your help. Support local, nonprofit news! BenitoLink is a nonprofit news website that reports on San Benito County. Our team is committed to this community and providing essential, accurate information to our fellow residents. Producing local news is expensive, and community support keeps the news flowing. Please consider supporting BenitoLink, San Benito County’s public service nonprofit news.
You must be logged in to post a comment.