Sassafras Campfire Hot Dogs Recipe #226304

No hot dog tastes better than one which has been cooked over a campfire on a sassafras stick! The flavor of the sassafras just adds something heavenly to a good dog. Learn to identify sassafras trees so that you can cut sticks, (be aware of government park and forest rules about removing plants!), preferably where someone will let you walk into their woodlot and cut 2 or 3 sticks for a family. The sassafras tree/shrub has FOUR leaf shapes: "fork" (3-prong), "spoon", "left-handed mitten", and, "right-handed mitten". Crush a leaf and smell it and you will know for certain that you have found a small sassafras tree -- the ones about 6 feet tall (found in understory of a woods) are best. Cut it near the base (a new sprout will come up next year from the root), trim the main stalk of side twigs and at the terminus, try to make sure that you end up with 2 prongs, for 2 hot dogs, each about 5-6 inches long. Trim the bark off the end prongs where the hot dogs slide on. Enjoy!