Grilling hot dogs on a rake is apparently quite effective

You’re hosting a bonfire or an end-of-summer soiree. You have to cook enough food for 20 or 25 people, but you realize that you need to do it incredibly quickly. People are getting hungry and angry. Those frozen appetizers didn’t stretch as far as you thought they would. (Oops!)

You know you have hot dogs in the fridge, and those will cook up fast. But you need to cook all of them at once and do it evenly. If you serve some guests before others, a riot just may ensue.

The solution to this very specific predicament? Apparently it’s a rake.

Yes, the common household rake. According to Delish, people are skewering 20-plus hot dogs on this gardening tool and roasting them over a grill or open fire. In theory, there’s no reason why this hack wouldn’t work, especially if you straighten out the edge of the rake so the hot dogs don’t split and curl. All it takes then is some muscle.

It seems like this hack first came to light in 2011, when comedian Amy Sedaris released her second satirical crafting book, "Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People." In a how-to video, she demonstrated how to skewer hot dogs on a rake and cook them over an open flame, though her shenanigans were slightly less lifehack and a little more lewd.

Want to know how to zest up those hot dogs after you have successfully cooked them using a rake? The Daily Meal has 10 creative hot dog ideas for your next backyard bash.