Chicago Style Hot Dogs Archives - 2 Sisters 2 Cities

Chicago-Style Hot Dog

As I mentioned in my post about Chicago Deep Dish Pizza and my homemade hot dog bun recipe, my entire family met up in Chicago for my cousin’s wedding a few months ago. My boyfriend and I had some time to walk around before the rehearsal dinner, so we set out to find hot dogs “dragged through the garden” (or a hot dog with everything as I now call them).

Chicago Style Hot Dog

Chicago-style hot dogs (with everything) are a delicious steamed hot dog on a steamed poppy seed bun, then topped with mustard, relish, chopped onions, a slice of dill pickle, tomato wedges, sport peppers, and celery salt. They are quite an amazing concoction and I had been craving them since our trip. After discovering the recipe for hot dog buns with poppy seeds, I decided that we could try to recreate them.

I am obsessed with dill pickles (Claussen is the only type people- let’s get serious here) so I happened to have them on hand, as well as sweet green relish, onions, mustard, tomatoes and celery salt. I ran out to the store and picked up some Nathan’s Original beef hot dogs, since the Chicago Vienna hot dogs with natural casing are not available around here. Nathan’s is an East coast brand, but for some reason they carry them out here which I am thankful for. I couldn’t find sport peppers either so I picked up some pepperoncini peppers and sliced them on top. I know this isn’t the traditional pepper, but I think these ingredients are hard to find outside of the Chicago area.

Chicago-Style Hot Dogs

Author: 2 Sisters 2 Cities

Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 all beef hot dogs
2 poppy seed hot dog buns
yellow mustard
sweet green relish
yellow onions, chopped
2 dill pickle spears (Claussen)
4 tomato wedges
celery salt
sport peppers, or pepperoncini peppers if you live outside the Chicago area

Instructions

In a medium sauce pan, add ½ inch of water to the pan. Heat on medium until a small simmer starts. Add in the hot dogs and cook for about 8 minutes rolling them back and forth every few minutes.
Once hot dogs are cooked take out them out and set aside. Place a steaming basket or metal colander above the water. Place hot dog buns in the steaming basket/colander for a minute or two, covering, until steamed and softened.
Add the hot dogs to the buns. Top with mustard, onions, and green relish (all to your liking) Stick a dill pickle spear on one side between the hot dog and bun, then on the other side wedge the tomato wedges. Top with sport peppers or sliced pepperoncini and finish with celery salt.

Delicious Hot Dog Buns

sisterk (2)

The other week, my boyfriend and I were craving the Chicago-style hot dogs that we experienced on our first trip to Chicago a few months ago. We were reading recipes online and I found a recipe for homemade hot dog buns. I got really excited about this because I have been wanting to make my own hot dog roll for some time now. Also, I could easily make these homemade buns into some poppy seed buns that are required for Chicago hot dogs.

Although the hot dog bun recipe has poppy seeds on them, you can make these plain by skipping the topping instructions. Bread-making wise, these are really easy to make and you won’t believe how good they taste! Make them now and put them in the freezer for your Fourth of July party. Your friends and family will be super impressed when you say “ Yeah I made these, no biggy!” (yes I totally just made up this scenario, but it could happen!)

Homemade Hot Dog Buns

Author: 2 Sisters 2 Cities

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water
1 cups warm milk
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
3 cups (plus more if needed) all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 tbsp. of cold water
2 tbsp. poppy seeds (optional)

Instructions

In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together sugar, yeast, and warm water. Let the yeast mixture sit for 5 minutes. It should get foamy.
Add in warm milk, vegetable oil, salt and 1 &1/2 cup of the flour to the yeast mixture. Mix on medium-high for about 2 minutes. Switch to the dough hook attachment and turn mixer onto low. Work in additional flour, ¼ cup at a time, until the dough come together and pulls away from sides of the bowl.
Let the mixer go to 8-10 minutes on low to knead the dough.
Oil a large bowl. Form dough into a ball and place into the oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour. It should double in size.
Ones the dough has risen, punch out the dough on to slightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 8-10 equal sized balls. (I used my kitchen scale and measured the dough to divide it. I also made 8 rolls and they were a little big for normal sized hot dogs.)
Roll the dough balls into long rolls in your hands. You will want them to be about 4 and ½ inches long, then flatten each slightly with your palm.
If using topping, sprinkle baking sheet with poppy seeds and lightly roll each dough piece in poppy seeds.
Place the rolls on baking sheet so that they are equally spread out. Cover with towel and let rest for about 45 minutes.
When there is 15 minutes left to the dough resting, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Whisk together the egg and water in a small bowl to prepare egg wash. Brush the top of each roll with the egg wash and sprinkle each with poppy seeds (if using.)
Place the roll in the oven and bake the rolls for 20 minutes. The roll will be lightly golden brown when done. Remove from baking sheet and let cool on wire rack
When ready to serve rolls, slice lengthwise pulling the knife only ⅔ the way through, leaving other side closed. Store in airtight bag or container.

Source– Adapted slightly from Curvy Carrot

Recipe for Chicago-style hot dogs to come!

Mmmmmm….