Good Food

One of the iconic Chicago foods that is somewhat known outside the Midwest, other than Chicago pizza, of course, is the all-dressed hot dog. Unlike the Italian Beef, which I discussed in an earlier post, the Chicago hot dog is anything but simple.

The toppings are what separates an all-dressed from an ordinary dog, but it's worth mentioning the hot dog and bun, which are also Chicago specialties. The hot dog must be a Vienna Beef, an all-beef dog with a good smoky, garlicky flavor. I prefer a grilled dog but steamed is also acceptable. The bun must be steamed and, most importantly, covered with poppy seeds.

As I mentioned earlier, the toppings are the key to a true all-dressed. The typical list includes (in order):

Yellow Mustard
Bright Green Relish
Chopped Onions
Sliced tomatoes
Kosher pickle spear
Sport peppers
Dash of celery salt

Sport peppers, which are small green pickled peppers, are hard to get outside the Midwest, but pepperoncinis or pickled jalapeno rings would do in a pinch. All of these ingredients combine to create a taste similar to a well-topped hamburger, but with the underlying smoky sausage-flavor of the hot dog.

If you're not fortunate enough to live in an area where an all-dressed can be purchased, there are Chicago hot dog kits available from Portillos, Lou Malnatis, and Fluky's. Try them and you'll get a little taste of Chicago at home.