Chicago-style Hot Dog: A Culinary Icon
Posted June 22nd, 2009 by monika
Filed under: Chicago, hot dog, Windy City Celery
Chicago is proud of its culinary traditions, and no visit to the Second City is complete without an authentic Chicago-style Hot Dog. Historians trace its origins to famed Maxwell Street in the late 1920′s, where it earned the nickname “the Depression Sandwich.” A less expensive lunch option, customers got a Vienna Beef weiner with a “garden” on top – supplying both meat and veggies. Today, stands selling these legendary dogs are more prevalent in the city than any other national fast food chain.
As a Chicagoan born and bred, I have eaten plenty of Chicago-style dogs over the years, but have never made one in the comfort of my own home. When I obtained the Windy City Celery Blend from Beyond the Shaker, I knew it was time to go for it. First, the necessary ingredients:
- Steamed poppy seed hot dog bun
- All beef hot dog (steamed, preferably Vienna Beef)
- Yellow mustard
- Chopped white onion (raw)
- Sweet pickle relish (traditionally in a neon green hue)
- Sport peppers
- Tomato wedges
- Crisp kosher dill pickle spear
- Dash of celery salt
Assembling the hot dog took a bit of work – that’s a lot to put on one bun! Once all the condiments were on the dog, I topped it off with the Windy City Celery Blend. The difference here is that Beyond the Shaker’s blend is not your typical celery salt – our chef goes a step further and adds shallots, jalapenos, mustard seeds, garlic, and Murray River Salt to create a gourmet blend that will make your Chicago-style hot dog better than the original. My advice? Pick up the Windy City Celery Blend and make a hot dog for yourself! Just remember – no ketchup allowed!
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