Sweet-Sour Franks

This is the chili-sauce-and-jelly glaze that ruled cocktail party trays from the 1950s onward, given a tropical pivot with pineapple chunks and dressed up with hot dogs (or cocktail franks) instead of the more traditional meatballs. The combination shouldn’t work on paper. It absolutely does in practice.

Currant jelly is the secret. Its tart, slightly resinous fruit notes balance the bottled chili sauce’s sweet-savory tomato hit better than grape jelly does, and it melts cleanly into the sauce instead of leaving a sticky residue. The mustard and lemon juice cut through with sharpness so the whole pot doesn’t drift into cloying territory.

A crock pot does this dish a favor. Long, low heat blends the jelly fully, glazes the franks evenly, and lets the pineapple soak up sauce while still holding shape. The same setup keeps the dish at serving temperature for hours, which is why this became a fixture at potlucks and game day spreads.

Toothpicks at the side, optional sliced jalapeño on top, and watch them disappear.

Pro Tips

• Use the high heat setting for the first 15 to 20 minutes so the jelly fully melts before the franks go in. Lumps of unmelted jelly will streak the sauce.
• Drain the pineapple thoroughly. Excess juice waters down the glaze and makes it slick instead of clingy.
• Score the hot dogs lightly before slicing if you want more glaze cling. Crosshatch cuts on cocktail franks puff in the sauce and grab seasoning.
• Hold on the low setting for serving. High for too long boils the sauce and breaks the glaze.

Variations

• Swap the currant jelly for grape jelly or apricot preserves. Apricot adds floral warmth.
• Add a tablespoon of bourbon or a few dashes of hot sauce for adult party fare.
• Use bite-size meatballs in place of franks for the original chafing-dish version.