DIY Takeout: Biker Jim's Sausages At Home!

One place I always try to take visitors in Denver is Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs. It's a fun, super-casual atmosphere where exceptional hot dogs are grilled. It's always a hit for a quick meal or lazy, grab-a-few-beers lunch.

While I love hitting up the Larimer Street Biker Jim's, it's also nice to know how to make a good gourmet dog at home. I "borrowed" a few of the eatery's signature elements for my homemade version of Biker Jim's popular wild boar sausage.

The first thing to making these sausages is to find wild boar sausage. Enter Continental Sausage. You can place an order online and Continental will ship to you, or you can take a quick drive up to 911 East 75th Avenue in Denver and pick up your order. The wild boar sausages are already cooked, so you just have to sear them and they're ready to go! Continental also sells its sausages at several Denver grocery stores under the Charcutnuvo brand, including Tony's Markets, Whole Foods and Costco.

The other important elements to this dog are cream cheese (lots) and caramelized onions (also lots)! The trick to making relatively fast and delicious caramelized onions is to hit them with some cola as they cook.

Then just pile everything together in a good bun and you're on your way! Keep reading for the recipe.


Homemade Wild Boar Hot Dogs

Makes Four
Total time: 25 minutes

4 hot dog buns
4 wild boar sausages
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large sweet onion, sliced
1/2 cup cola
Salt and pepper
Cream cheese

Optional Toppings:
Sweet or hot peppers
Pickles
Cilantro
Jalapeños

Directions:
1. Cut onion in half and then slice into strips. In a large skillet, add butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add onions and cook, stirring occasionally for 5-6 minutes until they start to soften. Season well with salt and pepper.

2. Add half of the cola to the onions and stir to coat. As the cola evaporates and thickens, the onions will caramelize. Continue to cook the onions, adding the rest of the cola after the first addition is gone. Once onions are a golden brown color and sweet, turn heat down to low.

3. Scoop onions to one side of your skillet. Cut sausages lengthwise down the middle and add, cut side down, to the skillet. Sear for 3-4 minutes, if you bought the pre-cooked Continental/Charcutnuvo brand. If you're starting with raw sausage, cook them first according to the packaging instructions, then split and sear to finish.

4. To make the final dog, toast your bun and smear it with cream cheese, then add the sausage and pile high with caramelized onions plus any additional toppings you want.

Have an idea for a dish to re-create for DIY Takeout? Leave a comment or e-mail [email protected].