Chicago Style Hot Dogs

Get your tools ready

Sometimes I get the urge to travel (I get this urge about every 20 seconds or so during the day).  It’s something I caught long ago when I went travelling and, those who have travelled, will know what I’m getting at here.  Apparently, it’s called the travel-bug.

Anyway, travelling, apart from seeing nice places and meeting nice people, it also introduces you to lots of new, tasty food and drink. 

I’ve never been to Chicago, but my new found Blogger friend and recipe swap guru, Shelly from the blog Vegetarian Ventures lives very near to Chicago and in our latest recipe swap-shop she has encouraged me to give a traditional Chicago style hot dog a go. 

As you can imagine, my arm didn’t need much twisting.  I’d had a hot dog in New York when I visited there and it was really something special – so at the idea of making some Chicago style ones, my tastebuds were jumping up and down and doing a disco dance.

Apart from being absolutely scrumptious, they were so fun to make!  (A great idea to make with kids).  The pickled cornichons (a bit like a gherkin) were very tasty too (and a new discovery for me) and those, mixed with the mustard mayo, the burger relish, tomatos, celery stalks, onion.  Wow…. You’ve got to try them to see exactly what I mean.

Ingredients

Hot dog / finger rolls

Cornichons (pickled in jar)

Tomato and Pepper relish (I used Bransons)

Mustard Mayo (I used Bransons)

A few slices of onion (I used red onion)

A few slices of tomato.

A few sprigs of celery leaves (do you always discard the leaves? Don’t, they’re great to eat!)

A small grating of white cabbage (don’t worry if you don’t have this, it was an added extra I had!)

Hot dog sausages; whatever you like, Pork, Chicken or Beef.  I used some vegetarian Tofu style ones which were delicious!

Cooking spray or vegetable oil

Method 

- Heat up the sausages how you like them cooked – boil in water, BBQ, heat over a frying pan – the choice is your’s.

- Cut open the finger rolls and lightly spray or brush with oil.

- Open-side face down, press the roll into the griddle pan or BBQ and toast up the inside.

- Then place the hot dog inside.

- Squirt with the mustard

- Spread one side of the roll with Burger relish

- Line up some of the sliced tomatos on top

- On the bottom side of the roll, line up some sliced Cornichons.

- Sprinkle some of the white cabbage and celery stalks on top.

- Then lay on some of the onion.

- Give a final squirt of mustard mayo.

- Grab it with both hands, and enjoy a tasty Chicago style hot dog! 

Try it and imagine you’ve taken a trip to Chicago for the weekend and have just grabbed a traditional hot dog from a street vendor.  Yum.

Thanks again Shelly!  Check out the dish she made from my recipe swap earlier in the week - it looks incredible, you have to try it this autumn/fall.