How to Make the Best Chicago-Style Hot Dog

Well, the hot dogs in Korea, where I grew up, looked just like corn dogs. I can easily say that at first, cultural differences did puzzle me, but after moving to the United States, I quickly adopted my own love of the American-style hot dog.

I also found that there are a lot of kinds of regional hot dogs. Lately, I’m interested in the Chicago-style hot dog. In addition to the yellow mustard drizzle, it has so much colour on it: the pickles, tomatoes, and peppers!

These fully-loaded Chicago-style hot dogs are stuffed to the brim and crunchy, and every bite is a textural explosion. It seems like a lot of work up front, but once you have all of the toppings prepared, these Chicago-style hot dogs whip up in a flash and are ideal for a crowd to devour.

A Brief History of Chicago-Style Hot Dogs

To understand the origins of the Chicago-style hot dog, first consider all-beef hot dogs.

An immigrant from Germany, Charles Feltman opened the first hot dog stand on Coney Island in 1871, and America quickly fell in love with those inexpensive, meaty frankfurters. German immigrants coming to Chicago brought their affection for hot dogs along with them.

Most of the hot dogs in those days were made from a combination of pork and beef. However, two Jewish immigrants from Austria-Hungary, Samuel Ladany and Emil Reich, also felt that an up-and-coming demand for kosher all-beef hot dogs existed in Chicago, and thus they founded Vienna Beef. To this date, the company still dominates the market in Chicago.

One cannot imagine a Chicago hot dog without a poppy seed bun. A German-trained bakery man and Polish immigrant, Sam Rosen opened his bakery in Chicago in 1909 and began popularizing the poppy seed bun. The locals liked Rosen’s soft, steamed buns. In a short period of time, his poppy seed buns became also a standard component of a Chicago-style hot dog.

During the Great Depression, Chicago-style hot dogs became popular like never before. For about a nickel, you could have a frankfurter stuffed with robust sauces to add calories and nutrition.

The Anatomy of a Chicago-Style Hot Dog

These are all the components of an authentic Chicago-style hot dog. After much research and testing, I took a few modifications with my recipe that I’ve noted below.

• All-beef hot dogs: For this hot dog, the hot dogs and buns are steamed.
• Never, ever toast a steamed poppy seed bun! It’s tough to get those in a lot of grocery stores, but they’re super-easy to make at home. You just brush ordinary hot dog buns with egg wash and sprinkle on some poppy seeds. When you steam them, the poppy seeds will stick on perfectly.
• No ketchup: just a sprinkle of yellow mustard!
• Chopped white onion: Always uncooked.
• Dill pickle spear: Place it on the side of the bun opposite the tomato.
• Sweet pickle relish: Purchase Vienna Chicago-Style Relish, the distinctive bright green relish.
• Vienna Sport Peppers, which can be ordered online, are one of the signature ingredients of a Chicago-style hot dog.
• Tomatoes: most Chicago dogs I have consumed had big slices of tomatoes, which to me seemed too big to really be enjoyed in every bite. My recipe uses small grape tomatoes, pickled to give a sweet-tangy burst of tomato juice balancing other salty toppings such as pickle and relish.
• No need to measure celery salt-just season freely

Ingredients

For the pickled tomatoes:

• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 10 grape tomatoes

For the poppy seed buns (skip this if you can purchase poppy seed hot dog buns):

• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 4 hot dog buns

For the hot dogs and toppings:

• 4 all-beef hot dogs, preferably bun-length
• 1/4 small white onion
• 2 dill pickle spears
• Yellow mustard
• 8 teaspoons sweet pickle relish, preferably Vienna Chicago-Style Relish
• 8 to 12 sport peppers, preferably Vienna Sport Peppers
• Celery salt

Instructions

Make the pickled tomatoes:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup rice vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Whisk until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Halve 10 grape tomatoes and add to the vinegar mixture; swirl to combine. Let pickle while you make the buns and hot dogs.

Prepare the poppy seed hot dog buns (skip this step if you have pre-made poppy seed hot dog buns):

1. In shallow wide dish or basin, such as pie pan-whisk together 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon of the water with fork. Mix in separate shallow bowl 2 teaspoons of poppy seeds.
2. Coat 4 hot dog buns individually. Dip into the egg mixture until well coated then coat with the poppy seeds. Place on a platter.

Heat the buns and hot dogs:

1. In a large saucepan capable of supporting a steamer basket, add an inch or two of water to the bottom and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add four all-beef hot dogs to the steamer basket. Set the hot dog buns on top of the hot dogs in an even layer.
2. Place steamer basket into the pot. Cover and steam 10 minutes, or until buns and hot dogs are warmed through.

Assemble the hot dogs:

• While hot dogs and buns are steaming coarsely dice 1/4 small white onion into 1/4 cup. 2 dill pickle spears, cut in half lengthwise.

• Split each hot dog bun open and place one hot dog inside. The hot dogs should be slathered with yellow mustard. On one side of each hot dog, spoon 1 tablespoon white onion and on the opposite side about 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish. Place 1 dill pickle spear beside the onions.

• On top of each onion slice place two to three sport peppers. Divide and place the pickled tomatoes between the relish and the hotdog, leaving the pickling liquid in the bowl. Sprinkle celery salt liberally over everything.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: Pickled tomatoes can be made ahead up to a week and kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

FAQs