If you know only one thing about eating a hot dog in Chicago , hump this : no ketchup . It ’s natural to cogitate of a Chicago dog — traditionally served with a heaping combination of topping as improbably delicious as it is bizarre — as specify by its accessory , but its essence is articulated not by what ’s on it , but rather what is n’t .
And catsup is n’t .
Most Chicagoans will secern you , exasperated , that there ’s no ketchup on Chicago hotdog because there just is n’t . Bill Murphy , who ’s served them at Murphy ’s Red Hots in Chicago ’s Lakeview neighborhood for 28 years , has a good explanation : “ Ketchup is very brawny ; it throws the whole flavor profile off . ” And if you want to go off the track , unless you ’re a child or a meaning woman , you ’re on your own : Murphy ’s cooks will refuse to dish out the proscribed condiment .
The most accepted rendering of the Chicago dog ’s origin myth dates back to the Depression , when vendors would load up their hot dogs with vulgar vegetables and sell them to burst customers as a cheap full repast . For a food that ’s never kick the bucket out of style , the Chicago andiron exists in a throwback universe : The most popular vendors are magnanimous - mouthed and lecture tight , answer from antiquated stands with menus that have n’t changed in tenner .
In other speech : Save the ketchup , and savor a classic .
The Chicago bounder you see here was photographed ( and run through ) , rather sacrilegiously , in New York City , at the Shake Shack in Battery Park . At locations globally ( including Chicago ) , Shack make what many Chicagoans see as a adequate , tasty “ Shack - Cago ” dog — though it ’s missing poppy seeds . If you ’re in Chicago , however , we propose visit to Murphy ’s Red Hots , Gene & Jude ’s , Jimmy ’s Red Hots , The Weiner ’s Circle , or Wolfy ’s . Or all of ’em . Photo by Liz Barclay .
The fixin’s include:
1 . Poppy Seed BunPurists take only Rosen’s — their buns best resist a blackguard ’s heat .
2 . Vienna Beef Hot Dog in Natural CasingUsually steam . Charred : also fine . The case gives the dog that cardinal first - bite “ press stud . ”
3 . Yellow MustardThe dewy-eyed part of this .
4 . Neon RelishUsually sweet , and alien - green colored .
5 . White OnionsOnly white , and diced .
6 . TomatoesPreferably wedge .
7 . Dill Pickle SpearSomething cold and crisp — crunch is central .
8 . Sport PeppersServed whole .
9 . Celery SaltA distinct seasoning improbably tying the mess together into a thing of culinary beauty .
GLOSSARY:
Char DogA weenie grilled and charred rather than steamed or boiled
“ Chicago - Style”Never say it . “Style ” implies Chicago ’s red-hot dog are a variationof an original . Diehard Chicagoans argue that theirs is the original .
Depression Dogs[a.k.a . the Minimalist ] Some arrogate this is the original Chicago dog : a regular bun , mustard , onions , peppers , sometimes with relish , sometimes top with a pile of skin - on French fries .
“ Garden - Style”With everything on it ; also acceptable : “ loaded up , ” “ drag through the garden , ” and “ with the whole works . ”
RedHotsSynonym for “ hot detent ” ; refers to the temperature of the dogs and the red dye the Vienna trade name impart for aesthetics . trustfulness vender that use this terminology .
