How to Make a Chicago Hot Dog

You have not eaten a hot dog until you've eaten a Chicago hot dog. In just a few steps, you can enjoy this unique gastronomical delight, share it with all your friends and join an elite level of carnivorous snobs!

Ingredients

• Steamed poppy seed hot dog bun
• All Beef hot dog (steamed or charred Preferably Vienna Beef)
• Yellow mustard (Preferably French's)
• Chopped white onion (raw)
• Neon Green Relish (Preferably Rolf's)
• Sport peppers (Preferably Alpe Dell's)
• Tomato wedges
• Crisp kosher dill pickle spear
• Celery salt
• No ketchup

Steps

1. Steam a poppy seed hot dog bun until soft; not soggy.
2. Place a cooked Beef hot dog in the bun. (steamed best -- grilled ok)
3. Coat hot dog with yellow mustard in a zig-zag fashion to your liking.
4. Add neon-green pickle relish to your liking
5. Add raw chopped white onion to the dog
6. Put two tomato wedges in between the dog and bun
7. Tuck 2-3 sport peppers next to tomatoes
8. Add a kosher dill pickle spear in between the dog and bun
9. Add a dash of celery salt
10. No ketchup. You may put ketchup on your fries.

Tips

• Use only All Beef hot dogs. There is no substitute for those seeking a genuine Chicago hot dog. The preferred brand is Vienna Beef. Best's Kosher may also be used. Oscar Mayer is unacceptable.
• Use only yellow mustard. Avoid French's, which contains too much vinegar; Plochman's is probably the best to emphasize the flavor of the beef.
• Use of ketchup is prohibited. Seriously. Some restaurants in Chicago will refuse to serve customers who ask for ketchup.
• Relish should be of a neon-green hue.
• Some purists argue that only tomato "wedges" rather than the slices (photographed above) should be used.
• Two cucumber slices can be used instead of a pickle.
• Fries, if served with your hot dog, should be seeping with grease and well salted.