I’ve always hated hot dogs… until a couple of years ago when Hagbard got me to try a Chicago dog that is. A Chicago style hot dog is a beef frankfurter topped with mustard, chopped onion, sweet pickle relish, tomato, dill pickle, celery salt and pickled sport peppers often on a poppy seed bun. I was really dubious of this combination since I hate sweet pickle relish. Hot dogs and sweet pickle relish! I was shocked at how good it is though. This is now my preferred way to have a hot dog.
I’m not a purist. Where I live poppy seed buns are not in the stores so we just use a regular hot dog bun. We don’t find jars of pickled sport peppers locally either so I use pepperoncini or pickled banana peppers. If that scandalizes you then there are places where you can order more authentic peppers and things online. Vienna Beef offers a Chicago Dog kit. http://www.viennabeef.com/chicago-style-hot-dog-kit
Maybe you don’t have a grill and don’t like boiled hot dogs. You can put your hot dogs in the oven and get a pretty good result.
Oven Roasted Hot Dogs
Heat oven to 400F. Put your hot dogs on a baking sheet. Cook for about 15 minutes. Serve in a bun with your favorite toppings.
For a Chicago Style Hot Dog: Put cooked beef frankfurter on a bun. Put relish on one side and mustard on the other. Put tomato slices on one side and pickle spear on the other. Top with chopped onion and peppers. Sprinkle with celery salt.
What is your favorite style of hot dog?