Well, now it’s getting ugly: they’re making hot dogs out of reindeer:

The reindeer dog, which costs $8, is made by Indian Valley Meats of Indian, Alaska.

It’s actually a blend of reindeer meat, beef and pork. Because reindeer meat is so lean, it needs fat to add flavor. An all-reindeer hot dog would just taste like "rubber," said Cathy Drum, whose family owns Indian Valley Meats.

The company had to reduce the amount of reindeer meat in its sausages a few years ago "because people were calling, complaining they were too rubbery," she said.

Barry Soskin, 49, a fRedhots customer who sampled a reindeer dog Friday, found the texture "tougher" than a regular red-hot but liked the flavor.