Hot dog lovers, rejoice — Wienerpeg is now OPEN to satisfy all your hot dog needs!
With locally sourced ingredients from farm-fresh vegetables to ethically-raised meats, a hot dog from Wienerpeg is sure to be one-of-a-kind — and not just because they make their own wieners.
Steffen Zinn, one of the folks behind Wienerpeg, recounts getting the idea for a hot dog shop on a visit to his grandmother in Germany a year ago where he met a local butcher.
"His butcher shop had been in continuous operation for 350 years and he invited me to visit the shop the next day at 6am,” says Zinn. "I spent a day and a half at the shop, helping and observing how they made their sausages and wieners. After having a Frankfurter wiener and bread lunch with him, I was reminded of how absolutely delicious a well-made wiener could be.”
At Wienerpeg, a delicious, well-made wiener comes in two forms: an all-beef wiener made with 100% dry aged Manitoba grass-fed beef and a Euro-style wiener made up of a blend of that same beef along with Zinn Farms heritage pork. But creating a recipe for their own hot dogs wasn’t exactly a walk in the ball park.
“Learning the science behind emulsified meats was very interesting for me,” says Zinn. “Another challenge was consistency in fat content. Since the animals are not being raised in a strictly controlled environment like a factory farm, each animal has its own unique meat/fat ratio.”
But using ethical, local meats wasn’t something Wienerpeg was willing to compromise on.
“We’ve been using local meat suppliers for some time now as we make our own sausage and pepperoni for our other restaurants. I feel very strongly about buying locally as it keeps our dollars in Manitoba.”
Just about everything else on the menu is local too. From hot dog buns baked fresh from Red Spring Bakery to sauerkraut, relish and pickles made with Wild Earth Farms vegetables, local ingredients reign supreme at Wienerpeg, even if the flavours are inspired from faraway places.
“There’s a selection of regional classics on our menu as well as our signature hot dog, The Wienerpeg,” says Zinn. “Another unique menu item we have is our mini hot dog flights. Our customers will get a choice of four mini hot dogs from our menu that you can pair with a beer or wine flight from The Common.”
Non-meat eaters craving for that classic hot dog taste or meat eaters looking to switch things up will have no trouble finding options at Wienerpeg, either. Their non-meat hot dog alternative will be a carrot marinated in the same spice mixture used on their meat hot dogs, and then deep-fried to order. Wienerpeg will also stock vegan-friendly and gluten-free hot dog buns.
"The Forks is this tremendous gathering place for the people of Winnipeg," says Zinn. "The energy here is infectious and we are really pleased to be a part of it."
Wienerpeg is officially open for business and ready to serve. Grab your skates, grab a friend, and #MeetMeAtTheForks for a tasty hot dog from Wienerpeg!