Chicago-style hot dogs are a family favorite. How can you go wrong with hot dogs topped with mustard, pickle spear, tomatoes, sport peppers, celery salt, onions and relish on a poppyseed bun!
Does anyone else feel like Memorial Day is sneaking up on us very quickly? Maybe it's because the temperatures have been cooler than normal. Or, maybe it's just me and my busy days of being a new mom again. But, seriously, the holiday is right around the corner and I'm not sure of our plans to celebrate!
One thing I am sure about, though, is that we will be grilling up some grub, which includes Chicago-style hot dogs. Although the most common Chicago-style dog is cooked by steaming in hot water, it doesn't hurt anyone to grill them instead. I'll take this time to admit that I've never boiled a hot dog and I honestly don't think I ever will. But, heck, I'll throw one in the microwave when time is of the essence! 😉
Ben and I grew to love this "dragged through the garden" style hot dog during our six years in Chicago. Through out both of my pregnancies, I craved hot dogs. Did you know pregnant women are not supposed to eat them?? I wish I was never told this, because although I'm not sure of the reason they are outlawed, I listened to my conscience and avoided them for nine months. Consequently, one of the first meals I made after coming home from the hospital were these hot dogs. And, wow, they taste even THAT much better after not having them for so long!
To assemble a Chicago-style hot dog, you need:
- all-beef frankfurter
- mustard (NO ketchup)
- chopped white onions and tomatoes
- sweet pickle relish (bright green to be true to form)
- sport peppers (hard to find outside of Chicago)
- dill pickle spear
- celery salt
- poppyseed bun (also hard to find outside of Chicago)
For the two ingredients that are difficult to find outside of the Chicago area, here are my solutions. The sport peppers were impossible to find when we lived in Apple Valley, CA and now I'm having trouble here in Mississippi. So, I've substituted them with pepperoncini peppers in a jar. Ben said he likes these even better. When it comes to the poppyseed buns, you can either make your own completely homemade, or buy a pack of buns at the store, brush the fatter side with melted butter and sprinkle with poppyseeds which is what I did for the photo above.
Here's the recipe. Although, really, it's just a list. 🙂
Chicago-style Hot Dog
Ingredients
- All-beef frankfurter (hot dog), steamed or grilled
- Poppyseed bun
- Yellow mustard
- White onion , chopped or diced
- Roma tomato , chopped or sliced
- Sweet pickle relish (bright green, if you can find it)
- Pickled sport peppers (or can substitute with pepperoncini peppers)
- Dill pickle spear
- Dash of celery salt
Instructions
- Place the hot dog in the bun. Layer with remaining ingredients, including one pickle spear and topped with a dash of celery salt. Chow down and try not to make a mess! 🙂
