I’ve been getting a few emails lately asking me what exactly is a Chicago style hot dog and why is it so special. What’s the big deal, anyways? (In Chicago we don’t say “anyway”. We say “anyways?” like it’s a question. FYI)

Here’s a quote, “A Chicago hot dog is probably the healthiest of the variants because of the abundance of toppings belonging to the fruit and vegetable classification”.

Pbbbbbt!

Like anyone really cares – it’s a hot dog for crying out loud. Besides, is it still healthy if I eat three of them in one sitting?

I’ll tell you why it’s so great – it’s so great because of all the flavors, textures, and temperatures that come together in one bite. They really work amazingly well together.

If you’ve never tried a Chicago dog, make some at home and give ‘em a try. Here’s the sequence:

1. Steamed bun – with poppy seeds if you can get ‘em.

2. All beef hot dog – steamed or boiled – Vienna Beef brand is my favorite.

3. Mustard – regular yellow, not brown or spicy.

4. Two tomato slices – wedge between the dog and bun.

5. Dill pickle spear – on the other side of the dog from the tomatoes.

6. Onion – chopped

7. Relish – Neon green from Vienna is the real deal. Yes, it tastes different. You can also use regular sweet pickle relish if you can’t get the neon stuff.

8. Two sport peppers – these can be hard to find, and no they are not jalapenos. I bought mine in 5 gallon buckets from my distributor who ran a truck to the Vienna plant in Chicago once a week.

9. Celery salt – just a light sprinkle but oh, so important. This is the “secret sauce” that ties all the flavors together!

Here’s a clever stop action animation depicting the construction of a proper Chicago style hot dog at one of my all time favorite restaurants, Portillo’s Hot Dogs in Chicago. Dick Portillo started out with a hot dog stand and now owns over 40 Portillo’s restaurants! But that’s a story for another time…

As you saw in the video, you should never put ketchup on a Chicago dog. True!

I have been known to use ketchup on a hot dog from time to time but NEVER on the Chicago version. There is too much sweetness in ketchup and it completely wrecks the savory/salty/crunchy/spicy thing that does the happy dance on your taste buds with every bite.

As Nancy Reagan said, “Just say no to ketchup on a Chicago dog”.

That was her, right?

-Steve

Here we go…

Spaghetti Dogs – Looks like it was made in the Play-Doh Fun Factory press.  The creation of this meal is actually not very labor intensive: Simply puncture slices of raw hot dog with uncooked spaghetti noodles and boil.

The French fry-encased frank is one of many South Korean meat-on-a-stick specialties sold at road-side artisan stands. The above creation is food blogger Phil Lee’s American version of the east-meets-west treat—for which he substituted corn meal batter and homemade French fries.

The Chihuahua – Crif Dogs, the popular New York City eatery located in the East Village, is beloved for its variety of wrapped and overloaded franks. This particular culinary explosion contains a hot dog blanketed in bacon then capped with sour cream and avocado.

The Ditch Dog – That which combines two of the most popular American foods is the Ditch Dog, served at Ditch Plains in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. Hungry New Yorkers can score a slightly-charred potato bun filled with a hot dog and topped with a Gruyere/American/Parmesan mac ‘n’ cheese blend. It’ll only set you back $14!

Egg Roll Dogs – At Eden Wok, the glatt kosher Chinese and sushi restaurant in New York City, diners can find egg roll-wrapped hot dogs on the appetizer menu. The hot dog is encased in a sheet of egg-dipped and deep-fried dough—and goes for $2.50.

The Hot Dog Flower – A cumin-flavored skewered sensation—served from a food truck parked directly under the Manhattan Bridge in New York City’s Chinatown. At the recession-friendly price of $1 dollar each, these creatively carved dogs are the epitome of urban street meat.

Hamdog – Mulligan’s Bar in Decatur, Georgia, is home of the Hamdog. Herein lies the contents of this creation: One hoagie roll, one hot dog wrapped in a half-pound of beef patty then deep-fried and topped with chili, bacon and a fried egg. Comes with a coupon for a free angioplasty.

Corn Dog Casserole – This uncommon casserole takes comfort food to a whole new level. Layers of hash brown patties, crumbled bacon, baked beans, corn and French fries are topped with quarter-inch slices of cooked corn dogs and drizzled with yellow mustard.

Hot Dog Summer Roll – Boldly going where no cook has gone before, Jill Snyder, from season five of Bravo’s cooking show Top Chef, created this spring roll-inspired hot dog wrapped in rice paper and filled with various vegetables.

The Corn Hole – I almost didn’t include this one… it looks friggin’ nasty!  From the center moving outwards, there is corn on the cob wrapped with hickory bacon, which is then surrounded by alternating hotdog slices and Colby-Jack cheese sticks before being encased in ground beef.

original story in Woman’s Day

Check it out!

-Steve

Now were do I start, the fact that you could spend 30 minutes in line during lunch for a hot dog? or the fact that if you so chose, you can have fish in a tube covered in wesabe mayo? and why should you spend six plus dollars on a hot dog?

The selection varies depending on what cart you venture to, and in this case I’ll be reviewing the Burrard and Pender location since I’ve had most of their hot dogs. Personally my favorite hot dog is the Korokke dog ($6.00). Served on top of the all beef sausage is mash potatoes, cabbage, Japanese mayo and Korokke sauce. Other than the traditional all beef sausage other menu items include different types of dogs.

The Okonomi dog ($6.25) is a Kurobuta pork sausage smothered in cabbage, Bonito flakes, Japanese mayo and Okonomi sauce. When I had this it was pretty good but they seemed to have been in a rush and the Kurobuta pork was kinda slimy in an non-cooked kind of way.

The Terimayo is their supposed top seller that breaks it down to the basics. Meat, bun, shredded seaweed with teriyaki and Japanese mayo.

The Sakana ($6.25) is a fish sausage (Gyoniku) topped with tuna, Japanese mayo, soy sauce, and mixed orangic leaves. Overall this was pretty tasty but for me it’s a try once kind of dog.

So that’s Japadog, friendly service, mile long lineups during lunch and a tasty alternative to Vancouver’s street meat scene. If you live in Vancouver and haven’t had a Japadog I’d highly suggest you try it right away. If you’re visiting the city put this on you’re must do list. That way when you watch a travel show featuring Vancouver you can then point at the TV and yell “I’ve been there!” in turn making your friends jealous and you will be the master of the universe and everything in it.

The Good:
Imaginative menu
Unique style
Friendly staff

The bad
Kind of pricey
The lineups at lunch

original post at OM NOM

Q: “Steve,  I bought your book etc. and have been listening to the cd’s on the way to & from work. I wish i’d have bought them sooner.  I’m planning on purchasing a Top Dog hot dog cart and will have the capability of griddle “flattop” cooking. Don’t they taste better that way?    Thanks,   Dave J. -  Dave’s Dogs”

A: Hey Dave!  Grilling and steamimg are two very different prep methods which produce very different tastes even in the same hot dog brand. Now I’m a Chicago guy so I grew up on steamed Vienna Beef franks in a nice soft steamed bun (so soft that it sticks to the roof of your mouth…mmmmm.)

Having said that, there are a whole slew of folks who will violently disagree with me.  For them a slightly blackened crispy-smokey dog is heaven on a bun and I must admit I like those too!

Steaming is covered in my Carts of Cash course, but if you are grilling here’s a trick you’ll want to know. Whether you use an open flame or  a flat top, grilling dries the hot dogs out very quickly. What you want to do is grill them to perfection, then pop them into the steamer to keep them warm without turning them into jerky.

Do not put them directly into the water, rather place a perforated insert into your pan to keep the dogs high and dry but still warm and steamy.

But remember this – you are not your customer. It makes no difference what YOU like. The trick is to know which ones your CUSTOMERS prefer. For more on finding out exactly what will sell in your particular area, read this.

Now that I’ve given you something to chew on, let me know what works for you.  Join the conversation by leaving a comment below…

Happy grillin’ (or steamin’ )

-Steve

“In fact there’s a guy who has a hot dog cart in down town Anchorage who sells reindeer hot dogs with onions that he caramelizes in Coke and they are TO DIE FOR. He’s so popular that plenty of competing carts have sprung up over the years and I read in the paper that he sells enough reindeer dogs (an oxymoron if ever there was one) to spend his winters in Hawaii. That’s the life.”

Yes Michelle, it is!

Scribbit

- Steve

Listen up – here’s a tip worth thousands of dollars a year:  Vegetarians and vegans are passionate about their lifestyle and passionate customers are an absolute goldmine.  You will NEVER see more loyalty than when you tap into serving a passionate market such as this.  You must first determine if there is a market for veggie dogs in your community.  Just buy a few, advertise them prominently on your cart and see if they sell.  Odds are you’ll have a major hit, especially in this increasingly health concious society.

The increase in customers and word of mouth (the most powerful advertising of all) will increase sales of your traditional all beef weenies as well. A synergistic effect, if you will.  Just be sure to cook the veggie dogs in a separate steamer.  Vegans won’t touch them if they have touched real meat of any kind.

All right boys and girls, get out there and test your market.  Start slinging some V-dogs!

- Steve

That changed in 1964 when Gregory Papalexis, now the owner of the Sabrett brand approached Geisler to create a standardized version of the sauce, which is made from onions, olive oil, and tomato paste.  The condiment was a great success and the two men formed a company called Tremont Foods to distribute it under the brand names “Tremont Foods” and “House of Weenies”.

The sauce which is made in Brooklyn generates several million dollars a year in sales.

-Steve

original article at Daily Record