Question: It's tradition for our family to eat hot dogs while watching Monday night football. During a visit to Chicago, my son discovered Chicago style dogs, so I want to surprise him with the real thing. -- Lia Chiang, Cleveland.Question: Readers Lorraine Burch, Scotia, N.Y., and Dolores Pikor, Glenville, N.Y., want the recipe for the good ol' American hot dog with meat sauce.
Answer: The all-American hot dog is a frankfurter with attitude. The term "hot dog" was coined in 1901 at the New York Polo Grounds, when vendors hawked "red hot dachshund sausages" in rolls. In the press box, sports cartoonist Thomas "Tad" Dorgan drew a cartoon of barking dachshund sausages snuggled in warm rolls, but, not sure how to spell "dachshund," he wrote "hot dog." The name stuck.
New York pups beg a sauce, while Dallas broncos hide in crusty cornmeal blankets. The Chicago Dog benefits from a drag through the garden. In the Windy City, Chicagoans buy lunch from one of the 1,800-plus hot dog vendors, who ply their trade from street carts. But when the temperature plunges, franks-on-wheels yield to doghouses, where steamed or "charred" all-beef wieners are a meal on a bun. Savvy munchers dress the dog and not the bun.
Owners of New York state doghouse restaurants such as Newest Lunch in Scotia and Mike's in Schenectady are tightlipped and hold family recipes close to the vest when it comes to discussing sauces. Basically "one all the way" is a high quality dog such as Tobin's First Prize topped with seasoned ground beef in a red-brown sauce (saute 1 1/2 pounds ground beef with 2 tablespoons chopped onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add 1/3 cup catsup or chili sauce, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire or Heinz 57, 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon celery salt -- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper is optional). The sauce is slightly thicker than Sloppy Joe consistency.
CHICAGO STYLE HOT DOG
1 Vienna all-beef frankfurter
1 warm bun
1 tablespoon mustard
2 teaspoons green sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped tomato
1 tablespoon chopped Kosher dill pickle
1-2 medium hot sports peppers (or substitute pepperoncini), sliced in circles
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
Heat in water, steam or grill a precooked frankfurter. Center frankfurter in warm bun and place on serving plate. Dress the frankfurter with mustard, pickle relish, onion, tomato, dill pickle, peppers, and celery salt. Yields 1 loaded Chicago style hot dog.
Diane Howard is a columnist for Hunt House Syndicate. America a la Carte welcomes recipe requests. Send the complete address of the restaurant along with your name, address and phone number to: America a la Carte, P.O. Box 5994, Austin, TX 78763-5994, or fax: 1-512-453-2145 or via e-mail: amercarte@aol.com.