12skewers, [these short, flat bamboo ones] work beautifully
2cupspalm shortening, lard, tallow, or high-temperature frying oil
Instructions
Line a baking sheet or cutting board with paper towels and set aside. Have a quart-sized mason jar or tall, narrow drinking glass at the ready. Pour the cornstarch into a low bowl or plate and set aside.
Prepare the batter. In a bowl with a pour spout (preferably), whisk together all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center, then add the eggs to the well and beat them gently, followed by the milk. Stir again, then slowly begin incorporating the dry ingredients into the wet until the mixture is completely mixed and homogenous. Let sit while you heat the oil and prepare the hot dogs so the cornmeal softens slightly.
Melt the palm shortening in a deep pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until completely melted and a drop of water bubbles vigorously when dropped into the oil. If you have a candy thermometer, this should be about 375°F.
Meanwhile, skewer each hot dog and set aside.
When the oil is hot, pour batter into the mason jar until it's at least the depth of the your hot dogs, then dredge 4-5 hot dogs in the cornstarch and shake off the excess, dunk them quickly into the batter in the jar, then add them to the oil. Fry until they're golden brown on all sides, 4-5 minutes, then remove them with tongs or a Chinese spider and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
Serve hot with mustard and other favorite condiments.
You can also bake them instead of fry them, if you prefer, but the shape usually doesn't stay nearly as nicely cylindrical - the sides tend to droop down. Still delicious, but not the same.
To bake, preheat the oven to 375°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Right when you're ready to put them in the oven, dredge and dunk all the hot dogs and place them on the prepared baking sheet, then bake until the coating is golden-brown, 18-22 minutes.
Serve immediately.
To Make Ahead
Make the entire batch and let cool completely. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until the corn dogs are frozen through, then remove to an air-tight container and store for up to 1 month.
To reheat, preheat the oven to 375°F and bake until heated through, 16-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your hot dogs and the breading.
Notes
I've sized this recipe for 1 dozen hot dogs because we usually use a brand which comes six to a pack. I apologize to those of you who use packages with eight hot dogs, but in my experience, those hot dogs are slightly smaller anyway, so this amount of batter should still work to cover two packages. Hopefully....
For skewers, I prefer flat, wooden skewers, as they're sturdy and easy to hold onto. However, just make note of how far your skewers stick out of the hot dog, as the whole thing will need to fit in the pan as they cook.