Chicago Style Hot Dogs
Ingredients
- 4 all-beef frankfurters Vienna Beef brand strongly recommended
- 4 poppy seed hot dog buns steamed soft, not toasted
- 2 Roma or plum tomatoes sliced into 4 wedges each
- 4 dill pickle spears one per dog, full length
- 4 tablespoons neon green sweet relish Chicago-style relish preferred
- 4 teaspoons yellow mustard classic yellow, not Dijon
- 4 tablespoons white onion finely diced
- 8 sport peppers 2 per hot dog, pickled
- 1 teaspoon celery salt divided, dusted over finished dogs
Instructions
- Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat — do not boil. Add the frankfurters and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until heated through and the skins begin to plump. Alternatively, grill over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, for a slightly charred exterior.
- While the franks cook, steam the poppy seed buns by placing them in a bamboo steamer over simmering water for 1 minute, or wrapping in a damp paper towel and microwaving for 15 seconds. They should be soft and warm but not wet.
- Place one cooked frankfurter into each steamed poppy seed bun.
- Apply yellow mustard directly along the length of the frank.
- Add 1 tablespoon of sweet relish on top of the mustard.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of finely diced white onion over the relish.
- Place 2 tomato wedges along one side of the frank, inside the bun.
- Tuck one full dill pickle spear along the opposite side of the frank.
- Place 2 sport peppers on top of the hot dog.
- Finish with a light dusting of celery salt over the entire dog. Serve immediately. Do not add ketchup.
Notes
Steaming buns is key to authenticity — do not toast or grill them. Vienna Beef frankfurters are the traditional choice and widely available online. Sport peppers can be substituted with pepperoncini or pickled serrano peppers in a pinch. Assembled hot dogs do not store well — keep components separate and build to order. Leftovers: store uncooked franks in the fridge up to 1 week. Toppings keep refrigerated for 2 to 3 days. Ketchup is never an acceptable topping on a Chicago Style Hot Dog.