What's summer without hot dogs? As the mercury level increases, so does America's red hot passion for this savory snack. The hot dog has been grilled, griddled, boiled and steamed into American culture. It plays a starring role at Independence, Memorial and Labor Day festivities. It's become a permanent fixture in our starting line-up at a ball game. It traveled with us on our nation's initial moon expedition. And when he uttered his first words, 'hot dog,' Mickey Mouse found his voice and transitioned from the silent screen. Whether our love stems from childhood nostalgia of eating them at the beach, BBQs and baseball games, or because they symbolize simple pleasures and recreation in a hurried, pressure-filled world, one thing is certain: Americans keep coming back for more. A whole lot more in fact. According to the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, this year we will consume 20 billion hot dogs, 7 billion between Memorial Day and Labor Day and 2 billion in July (which happens to be National Hot Dog month). It seems everyone has something to say on how to prepare and enjoy hot dogs. Humphrey Bogart opined "a hot dog at the ball park is better than a steak at the Ritz." Even Marlene Dietrich declared her favorite meal to be hot dogs...washed down with champagne of course. And cities around the country all have an opinion on what constitutes the perfect dog. Whether it's an Angus Beef frank or a foot-long wiener, each city is proud of their contribution to the modest hot dog's culinary heritage. Let's take a look at the hot dog Hall of Famers:
•Chicago dog: Like this city's pizza, its hot dog is stuffed full of ingredients.
A steamed all-beef dog sits in a steamed poppy seed bun. It is then given a
squirt of yellow mustard and topped with radioactive green relish, diced white
onions, tomato wedges and sport peppers. A dill pickle spear is then laid on
top and the entire dog is sprinkled with celery salt. You may be tempted to
add a touch of ketchup to this dog...don't, unless you enjoy being ridiculed.
•Sonoran hot dog: Found in Arizona and neighboring Sonora, Mexico, this hot
dog is the perfect mix of the cultures in the Southwest. An all-beef hot dog is
wrapped in mesquite-smoked bacon and grilled on a griddle until hot and crispy.
It's then nestled into a fluffy, steamed bolillo roll and topped with fresh chopped
tomatoes, onions, shredded yellow or cotijo cheese, tomatillo or red chile sauce,
pinto beans, mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard. And in case you have a cowboy
appetite, it's served with a side of chili.
•Dodger dog: Named after the Major League Baseball franchise, the Los Angeles
Dodgers, that sells them, this dog has become iconic. So much in fact, it actually
boasts its own bobblehead figurine. Although called a foot long, this steamed
dog actually measures in at 10 ¾ inches. The dog sits in a steamed bun garnished
with mustard and relish.
•Fenway Franks: These franks are served at Fenway Park, the historic home
of the Boston Red Sox. Each frank is first boiled and then grilled before being
placed into a top-split, New England-style bun and smothered with yellow
mustard and relish.
•Detroit Coney Island dog: Despite the name "Coney Island dog" it has no
relation to the Coney Island in Brooklyn. This dog is a Midwest creation. It
starts with a beef and pork hot dog in natural casing on a steamed bun. It is then
drowned (you may need silverware to eat this dog) in Coney sauce: a very loose,
wet, bean-less all-meat chili seasoned with allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg. It is
finished off with yellow mustard and a healthy sprinkle of diced yellow onions.
•Cincinnati Cheese Coney dog: This is a closely related cousin to the Detroit
Coney Island dog. An all-beef dog in a steamed bun is topped an all-beef chili
topping, sometimes known as "Greek chili." The chili is renowned for its unique,
spicy seasoning blend containing nutmeg, cloves, chocolate and cinnamon. It is
then topped with mustard, diced onions and a heavy helping of shredded cheddar
cheese.
•The South Philly hot dog: New to the roster, this became the official dog of
Citizens Bank Park in 2010. An all-beef dog is placed in a crusty Italian roll and
topped with broccoli rabe, spicy roasted peppers and sharp provolone cheese.
New York 'push cart' dog: Sometimes referred to as a 'dirty water' dog
referencing the hot water bath the all-beef kosher franks sit in until they are sold.
They are then placed in a steamed bun with deli-style mustard and a sweet and
spicy onion sauce seasoned with ketchup, hot sauce, chili powder and cinnamon
or sauerkraut.
•Rhode Island New York System Weiner: These veal and pork wieners (never
called hot dogs) are cut into 4-inch long sections and placed in a steamed
bun after being cooked on a low-heat griddle. A dog ordered "all the way" is
covered with a meat sauce seasoned with cumin, paprika, chili powder, clove
and allspice...although the exact spice mix is top secret. They are then topped
with yellow mustard, chopped onions and celery salt. The traditional preparation
method for these dogs is "up the arm" which entails the hot dog chef balancing as
many as a dozen dogs on buns on his forearm, wrist to his elbow, and then using
his free hand to apply all the toppings.
•Southern slaw dog: Many dogs below the Mason-Dixon line use a grilled or
steamed hot dog in a steamed bun as the starting point. They are then topped with
yellow mustard, diced onions, hearty chili and a creamy coleslaw. However, you
may find a zesty vinegar or mustard based coleslaw depending where you are in
the South.
*Chef Catherine De Orio is a paid spokesperson with Sara Lee Corporation.