![]() ![]() To test the hot dogs, I tasted them boiled, without condiments or buns at first. ![]() It wants to sit on a plate with potato salad, not fight for room in a bun. Instead, it was made with a mixture of pork, beef and veal. The wiener wasn’t all-beef, like most Chicago hot dogs. But while the sausage was one of my favorites, it didn’t taste like an American hot dog. I picked up some wieners from Stiglmeier Sausage Co., an excellent German-style sausage producer in suburban Wheeling. According to Bruce Kraig’s “Hot Dog: A Global History,” the American hot dog was inspired by a few European sausages, including frankfurters and wieners, “though the Thuringer might also be a model.” purchased the company in 1993 before closing it in 2009.įinally, I spiraled down the hole of what actually qualified as a hot dog. One brand that didn’t make it was the beloved Best’s Kosher, which opened in Chicago in 1925, after getting its start in Cincinnati all the way back in 1886. I also spent untold hours figuring out whether certain brands still existed. Even when you can purchase sausages, sometimes you’re forced to spring for a 5-pound box. Not every sausage company has a retail operation, so their products are nearly impossible to purchase unless you’re a restaurant. I’m sure there are more, but tracking down this many sausages was more complicated than I imagined. I was able to pick 21 different, Chicago-made hot dogs to try. While some companies have closed or left, there are still a number of places carrying on the fine tradition, from small butcher shops to major sausage manufacturers. Thanks to the Union Stock Yards and immigration from sausage-loving countries like Germany, Chicago developed a robust sausage industry early in its history. For this list, I only looked at sausages produced locally. Now all you need is the beefiest, juiciest and most satisfying frankfurter in Chicago. Just skip the ketchup in favor of the approved standard seven toppings: chopped onion, mustard, relish, tomatoes, sport peppers, dill pickles and celery salt. You already know about the poppy seed-crusted bun. Let’s say you wanted to construct the absolute best Chicago-style hot dog at home. ![]()
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