The Original Maxwell Street

Several newcomers follow the New York grilled dog tradition, but there’s a surge of interest in the Chicago school: a boiled dog on a poppy seed bun, seasoned with mustard and celery salt and piled with chopped onions, tomato chunks, a pickle spear, pickled sport peppers (a variety of small green peppers) and a lurid green pickle relish.

LINK

INGREDIENTS
* 1 all-beef hot dog
* 1 poppyseed hot dog bun
* 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
* 1 tablespoon sweet green pickle relish
* 1 tablespoon chopped onion
* 4 tomato wedges
* 1 dill pickle spear
* 2 sport peppers
* 1 dash celery salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Reduce heat to low, place hot dog in water, and cook 5 minutes or until done. Remove hot dog and set aside. Carefully place a steamer basket into the pot and steam the hot dog bun 2 minutes or until warm.
2. Place hot dog in the steamed bun. Pile on the toppings in this order: yellow mustard, sweet green pickle relish, onion, tomato wedges, pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt. The tomatoes should be nestled between the hot dog and the top of the bun. Place the pickle between the hot dog and the bottom of the bun. Don’t even think about ketchup!

LINK

As far as food goes, Chicago is known for two things - deep dish pizza, and hot dogs piled high with unusual condiments. Good pizza is easy to get in any city, but no city in the world can match Chicago for it’s hot dog eateries, either in terms of sheer numbers (there are more independant hot dog joints in the city than McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger Kings combined) or in terms of quality. In Chicago, hot dogs, maligned elsewhere as the lowest rung of the fast food chain, can become a true gourmet experience - usually for under three dollars. All across the country, restaurants and food stands exist that purport to sell “Chicago-style” hot dogs, but most of these are far from authentic - most just assume that it becomes a Chicago style dog simply by piling a bunch of crap on top of any given hot dog. Unfortunately, this concept has even spread around Chicago itself. So, what makes a proper Chicago hot dog? First of all, the dog itself should be a bright red color, should snap when you bite into it, and should have a bit of spice to it - the kind of dogs that are sometimes called “red hots.” The dogs should, traditionally, be steamed, not boiled or grilled, and served on a doughy poppyseed bun, with the following condiments:
- mustard
- chopped onions
- tomato wedges
- “sport peppers” (to be either eaten or thrown at cars - your choice)
- bright green relish (the proper kind should look almost neon)
- a whole pickle spear
- celery salt
Some places add might add cucumber slices, green pepper or lettuce, but any place that adds ketchup when you ask for “everything” is not serving up a Chicago hot dog - period. The best places make you add ketchup to the dog yourself, and some of the truly hardcore places don’t have ketchup on the premises at all - and will laugh at those who request it.

LINK

The “Chicago Style” hot dog got its start from street cart hot dog vendors during the hard times of the Great Depression. Money was scarce, but business was booming for these entrepreneurs who offered a delicious hot meal on a bun for only a nickel. The famous Chicago Style Hot Dog was born! They’d start with a Vienna Beef hot dog, nestle it in a steamed poppyseed bun and cover it with a wonderful combination of toppings: yellow mustard, bright green relish, fresh chopped onions, juicy red tomato wedges, a kosher-style pickle spear, a couple of spicy sport peppers and finally, a dash of celery salt. This unique hot dog creation with a “salad on top” and its memorable interplay of hot and cold, crisp and soft, sharp and smooth, became America’s original fast food and a true Chicago institution.

Before we explain what a Chicago Dog is and what makes it so special, let’s take quick look at what a Hot Dog is. If you look up the definition of “Hot Dog”, you will generally see the following:
hot dog or hot·dog (hot’dôg’, -dog’)
noun.
1. A frankfurter, especially one served hot in a long soft roll. Also called red-hot.
2. A type of cooked meat in the shape of a sausage; it is usually served in a long bun.
3. One who performs showy, often dangerous stunts, in order to attract attention
A Dog With a Difference
A Chicago Style Hot Dog is more than just a Hot Dog; it’s a taste sensation with the perfect blend of toppings. So, what exactly is a Chicago Dog? A Chicago Style Hot Dog is a steamed all beef Hot Dog topped with yellow mustard, bright green relish, onions, tomato wedges, pickle spear or slice, sport peppers and a dash of celery salt served in the all-important steamed poppyseed bun. The toppings are just as important as the order they are applied to the Hot Dog. Add toppings in the following order:

LINK

Chicago is famous for its signature deep dish pizza, Italian beef sandwiches, the Maxwell Street Polish and the Chicago hot dog, which is made of Vienna beef and loaded with mustard, onion, tomato, pickle relish, celery salt, sport peppers and a dill pickle spear; putting ketchup on a Chicago ‘dog’ is completely taboo. A few of the city’s best pizzerias are Bacci Pizzeria, Pizza Broker, Pizza Ria, Edwardo’s Natural Pizza, Pizzeria Ora, Pizano’s Pizza & Pasta, Rosati’s Pizza & California, Pizzeria Uno, Reggie’s Pizza Express and more.

LINK

I can remember every day I spent in that building that had no air conditioning but for a single window unit in the training director’s office. Rank has its privilege. The classrooms were large and noisy. You could smell the Vienna Sausage Company’s products in the air from several nearby hot dog stands on Maxwell Street.

LINK

Give Your Tongue A Kick In The Taste Buds
One taste and you’ll know that where there’s hickory smoke, there’s fire! Our Vienna Beef Spicy Polish is a skinless, hot and spicy beef sausage made with a special blend of cayenne peppers and zesty seasonings, then hardwood hickory smoked for our famous mouthwatering taste. It’s a delicious way to add spice to your life!

LINK

Plump, flavorful and loaded with snap, Vienna Beef Polish Sausages are made with our century-old family recipe featuring fresh, domestic beef and our secret blend of spices. Hardwood hickory smoking adds the famous Vienna taste in every hearty Polish Sausage. Try it with your favorite condiments like mustard, grilled onions and pickles.

LINK

You can smell the grilled onions from 290 when you’re driving with the windows down in the summertime! Exit at Independence Ave. and on the south side of 290, 24 hours a day, here lies the gate to the best polish sausage you’ll find in Chicago. Hidden in a heap of grilled onions lie several cooked polish sausages waiting on a hot grill to be served on a soft bun with sport peppers and mustard. Juicy, flavorful, the grease squirts in your mouth…*Homer Simpson drool*…it’s like a cigarette after sex…a cold beer after mowing the lawn…seeing Flanders lose. Anyhow, despite the destruction and ruin that Maxwell Street has seen (thank you, sterile University Village for ruining another great Chicago tradition), another Chicago gem still holds ground. Yes, Jim’s Original is stil there at Roosevelt/94, but for how long? The richies from their overpriced new condos have already been complaining about the onion smell. I simply can’t stand the sight of the new Maxwell St., which is why I have been frequenting this location for many years. And frankly, the fries are better here! I swear, they must use red potatoes… Like I said, you can smell this from the freeway, and it a’int the nasty smell of McDonalds! (or Taco Bell)

LINK

VIENNA® BEEF MAXWELL STREET POLISH DOGS – THE BEST IN THE WORLD!! With a sharp knife score both ends with an X or score diagonally along every inch of a Vienna® Beef Polish Sausage (either a 6-inch or footlong cut in half). Grill or deep fry to a crispy, charcoal brown to release the distinct and delicious flavor. Place in a steamed poppyseed bun or warm roll and top with the following condiments:

Yellow or Dusseldorf Mustard

Grilled Onions (See “Tip” below)

Garnish with Sport Peppers

Tip: To grill onions, add a teaspoon of sugar to each whole sliced onion. Then add a pat of butter or grill with the natural juices from the Polish Sausage to give the onions a sweet taste and an even gold brown color.

Joey Clams Answers Your Questions: Old Chicago Dogs

Get Your Dog On
There’s no mistaking that famous “snap” when you bite into a Vienna® Beef frank. Always firm and juicy, the meat we use inside our hot dogs is 100% domestic beef and beef trimmings. We’ve got a frank for every taste, too, with a variety of widths, lengths and casings, from party-size Cocktail Franks to Footlong and Jumbo Franks. They’re all fully cooked; just steam, boil, grill, deep fry or microwave, then enjoy.

As far as food goes, Chicago is known for two things - deep dish pizza, and hot dogs piled high with unusual condiments. Good pizza is easy to get in any city, but no city in the world can match Chicago for it’s hot dog eateries, either in terms of sheer numbers (there are more independant hot dog joints in the city than McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger Kings combined) or in terms of quality. In Chicago, hot dogs, maligned elsewhere as the lowest rung of the fast food chain, can become a true gourmet experience - usually for under three dollars.

All across the country, restaurants and food stands exist that purport to sell “Chicago-style” hot dogs, but most of these are far from authentic - most just assume that it becomes a Chicago style dog simply by piling a bunch of crap on top of any given hot dog. Unfortunately, this concept has even spread around Chicago itself.

So, what makes a proper Chicago hot dog? First of all, the dog itself should be a bright red color, should snap when you bite into it, and should have a bit of spice to it - the kind of dogs that are sometimes called “red hots.” The dogs should, traditionally, be steamed, not boiled or grilled, and served on a doughy poppyseed bun, with the following condiments:

- mustard
- chopped onions
- tomato wedges
- “sport peppers” (to be either eaten or thrown at cars - your choice)
- bright green relish (the proper kind should look almost neon)
- a whole pickle spear
- celery salt

Some places add might add cucumber slices, green pepper or lettuce, but any place that adds ketchup when you ask for “everything” is not serving up a Chicago hot dog - period. The best places make you add ketchup to the dog yourself, and some of the truly hardcore places don’t have ketchup on the premises at all - and will laugh at those who request it.

In my last post I talked about turkey wraps, and hot mustard, and what people eat for lunch. Then Jean from Renovation Therapy commented on Stage Deli mustard and her sudden craving for hot dogs, and now I want a hot dog. It’s a regular blogging food chain.

As a native Chicagoan I’d like every lunch to include hot dogs, preferably Vienna Beef. It is very sad for me here in Lawrence, without the hot dogs. Over the years many good-intentioned “Chicago” places have come and gone, trying to get it right.  But they don’t steam the dogs, they use the wrong relish or serve the wrong buns - and just when I decide to eat them anyway, the doors close and I’m dog-less again.

Here is a wholesome lunch from Michael’s, up in the north ‘burbs. It’s the real thing.

Hot Dogs and the Food Chain | Simmer Till Done

I think it really is true what they say. Girls grow up to become their mothers. In my case, that’s not a bad thing. Juderonomy is a great role model, and one of the things she always did that I’ve adapted into my own housekeeping style is generally keeping junk food out of the house. My husband thinks eating right means having iceberg lettuce once a month, and I know that the lack of junk food in the house has driven him to our neighbor’s stocked pantry more than once. In fact, I know “I gotta go to Kevin’s for a bit” is code for “I hope they aren’t out of Doritos.” Anyone who knows me knows I am passionate about food. I love to cook, I love to try exotic and even disgusting foods of the world. There are few foods that I don’t like, and I’ll even try them again periodically, hoping to overcome my aversions so I can truly become omnivorous. I’m not a strict eater, despite my tendency to keep junk out of my house. I’m a foody, not a moron. I know there’s definitely a time and a place for processed, artificially delicious snacks. I like to eat right, but every now and then I have to submit to one of my guilty pleasures: Chicago-style hot dogs. I’m going to say right now that my critical analysis of a proper Chicago-style hot dog (and if you are a true Chicagoan, you say “haht dahg”) is not open for discussion or argument. Just like certain features must be present for a particular vehicle to be called an airplane, certain ingredients are necessary for a true Chicago-style hot dog. It goes a little something like this: A steamed bun (poppy seeds are a fantastic detail and score major points, but are negotiable), the hot dog, of course (which doesn’t have to be a Vienna Beef, but it doesn’t hurt. And if it’s deep fried or grilled, so as to give the dog an intestinal-casing-licious pop when bitten into, all the better. The Wiener’s Circle on the North side of the city is competitive in that field), diced white onion, yellow mustard, two wedges of tomato, pickle relish (the bright green kind is preferred), a dill pickle spear, sport peppers (and they must be sport peppers) and a generous sprinkling of celery salt. Most importantly, there must be not a trace of ketchup on a Chicago-style hot dog. It is blasphemy, culinary sacrilege to put ketchup on any sausage product at all within the confines of Cook County unless you are younger than five years old. It may be a misdemeanor. Let me research that and get back to you. Anyway, today I gave into my urge and I feel guilty on a variety of levels. First of all, I went for convenience, not quality. Mickey’s of Tinley Park can turn out a mean rack of ribs, a tasty gyro and a decent Polish. But I knew better, and instead of going twenty minutes out of my way to go to my friends’ restaurant, Windy City Subs, I did the Mickey’s run, and here’s why I’m disappointed:
Shoulda Woulda Coulda: The Chicago Style Hot Dog: A Critical Analysis

Learn how to make a Chicago Style Hot Dog - watch those peppers though!
INGREDIENTS:

* Vienna Beef Hot Dogs
* Poppyseed Buns
* Mustard
* Relish
* Fresh chopped onions
* Tomato wedges
* Kosher pickle spears
* Sport peppers
* Dash celery salt

PREPARATION:
Heat in water, steam, grill or microwave hot dog. Place the authentic Vienna Beef Hot Dog in a steamed poppyseed bun. Then pile on the toppings in this order:

1. Yellow Mustard
2. Bright Green Relish
3. Fresh Chopped Onions
4. Two Tomato Wedges
5. Kosher Pickle Spear
6. Two Sport Peppers (careful!)
7. Celery Salt

For the kids, you might want to leave off the onions and peppers, maybe even the mustard, relish, tomatoes and pickle too…maybe just add some ketchup.
Vienna Beef Chicago Style Hot Dog - Fun in the Kitchen - Illinois