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Of all the hot dog styles throughout the country, I am going to go out on a limb and call the Chicago Dog, The Godfather of them all. Probably not for the reason you're thinking though. Sure, some Chi-Town natives are going to think their “salad on a bun” is the g.o.a.t. I'm however referring to the movie's amazing supporting cast. I think we can all agree that Brando is the beef. But just like the all-beef Vienna wiener, Marlon isn't the star. It's the ensemble that won it the Oscar, just like it's the accoutrement that makes the Chicago Style Dog the messy culinary phenom it is...yellow mustard, onion, slices of tomato, a sus neon colored relish, pickle spear, sport peppers and celery salt all on a poppy seed bun!!! And the proper way to order this masterpiece is to ask it "to be dragged through the garden"
Trust Me, It Works!
Complete transparency, the first time I had a Chicago Dog at Portillo's. I was a taken aback when it arrived. It looked like something I just saw at the Art Institute hanging next to the farmer's holding a pitchfork. not a hot dog. But I thought hey, when in Rome right so, I go go gadgeted my jaw and took a bite. Every chew aroused the mouth. The subtle, lasting heat from the sport pepper (more on that in a sec) collided with the sweetness of pickle and relish. The tangy mustard and chopped onion reminded me I was eating a hotdog which, for a second, had been an afterthought. My tongue played with the salty grains of celery seeds while black poppy seeds crept their way in between my teeth hoping to embarrass me later. Yea, I said poppy, as in a poppy seed hot dog bun. WTF, right?
Every bite was delicious, though the sport peppers and the celery salt are the real scene stealers, think Sonny and Pacino. I read this on the wall at legendary Gene's & Jude's, so credit goes to them. Sport peppers are small 1 - 2-inch greenish yellow peppers grown in Louisiana and Mississippi. They look a lot like a tabasco with a slightly milder heat when pickled in white wine vinegar. The joke is they are called a "sport" because they look all dressed up like they are wearing a sport coat. Celery salt on the other hand is something you may be more familiar with, possible on the rim of a Bloody Mary or as a noteworthy ingredient in Old Bay Seasoning, but not on a hot dog. The gritty, earthy salt is what ties the sweet and savory elements together.
Who Invented the Hot Dog Salad?
It's generally accepted Abe "Fluky" Drexler started selling the Depression Sandwich, a hot dog with the works at his stand on Maxwell St in 1929. For a nickel, diners received a hot dog with all the aforementioned ingredients plus lettuce and fries. Like other popular food innovations, other cooks replicated the formula and the Chicago Dog's popularity spread across The Windy City. Cooking methods can vary but the franks are traditionally steamed, though some vendors serve a "char dog". Vienna Beef has been the preferred provisioner of beef dogs since the 1893 World's Fair & Columbian Exposition- Total aside, for a really good book about America's first serial killer who used this same fair as his hunting ground, check out The Devil in the White City.
Maybe The Godfather resemblance is a bit of a stretch but the next time you get a Chicago Style hot dog, re-watch it and call me, we can compare notes. I'm thinking Tom Hagen as the pickle spear. Duvall really captures the cucumber's authenticity. Clemenza the tomatoes which is pretty obvious. Talia as the relish...
For more rad foodie art, check out Hawk Krall's page