# Hot Dog! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 14, 2014, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771 "2014-01-14T07:43:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771/21 "2014-01-14T16:40:04Z")
We have hot dogs at home several times a month. Our usual: Her: mayo, relish (either dill or sweet) Me: mustard, relish (prefer the dill) On occasions we’ll add chopped onion and even less often, chili. I think it may have been one of the _Dirty Harry_ movies that shamed me away from ketchup. Before that I didn’t mind it if somebody else did the fixins. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771/22 "2014-01-14T16:40:05Z")
I really like Chicago style, but it’s hard to find them in Oregon. Normally I go with mustard, relish and perhaps some diced onion and no fucking ketchup. Occasionally I like to smear on some crunchy peanut butter and a liberal dose of sriracha, but only if the dog is fried in a pan, not boiled. I know it sounds odd, but it’s very good. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771/23 "2014-01-14T16:41:25Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Sport peppers? I have never heard of sport peppers. I just Googled them, and I’d try them in a heartbeat, but we seem to have only hot pepper rings, or Jalapeños around these parts. Yeah, they’re just little peppers about the two inches long, and a similar heat level/flavor profile to serranos or possibly Tabasco peppers. If you ever find those jars of pickled Tabascos, that’s a reasonable substitute for sport peppers. I’ve also seen larger pickled peppers, serranos I believe, labeled as “sport peppers” as well. They are ubiquitous at Chicago area hot dog stands, where they are used on hot dogs, Polish sausages, and sometimes Italian beef (although giardiniera is the usual hot pepper accompaniment for beef.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771/24 "2014-01-14T16:43:16Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I really like Chicago style, but it’s hard to find them in Oregon. Normally I go with mustard, relish and perhaps some diced onion and no fucking ketchup. Occasionally I like to smear on some crunchy peanut butter and a liberal dose of sriracha, but only if the dog is fried in a pan, not boiled. I know it sounds odd, but it’s very good. When I was down in Phoenix for Thanksgiving, I went to a place called Pittsburgh Willys to try the Twilly dog. What’s that? Hot dog in peanut butter, with bacon, served in a split Twinkie. Dare I say, it was surprisingly good. It’s never going to be my go-to hot dog, but it was worth trying and I’d definitely have it again. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771/25 "2014-01-14T16:47:06Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > I prefer my hot dogs naked. Just an all beef tubesteak on a bun. I like them that way. Or with mayonnaise. Or with cheese sauce, pickle chips, and jalapeños. Or with mustard and sauerkraut. Or with catsup. Or with catsup, mustard, and relish. Or without a bun. Or… Whatever. I just like hot dogs! 🙂 While I usually eat them naked ( 😉 ), with mayo, or with cheese and jalapeños, my favourite way is with chili, cheese, and raw onions. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771/26 "2014-01-14T16:48:22Z")
Drag it through the garden. Chicago dog all the way. If at home, I’ll usually do a ‘Red Hot’ with sauerkraut, mustard and perhaps ketchup. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771/27 "2014-01-14T16:54:54Z")
Diced onions Mustard But limiting the discussion so we can’t discuss preparation? Why do you want to kill your own thread when it could just as easily be a 900 post flame war? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771/28 "2014-01-14T17:03:20Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, they’re just little peppers about the two inches long, and a similar heat level/flavor profile to serranos or possibly Tabasco peppers. If you ever find those jars of pickled Tabascos, that’s a reasonable substitute for sport peppers. I’ve also seen larger pickled peppers, serranos I believe, labeled as “sport peppers” as well. They are ubiquitous at Chicago area hot dog stands, where they are used on hot dogs, Polish sausages, and sometimes Italian beef (although giardiniera is the usual hot pepper accompaniment for beef.) Sport peppers are definitely a Chicago thing. My GF, a transplanted New Yorker who thinks she knows hot dogs (and pizza, but that’s another story) \*hates \*sport peppers. I always stop her from having them “held” and eat them myself. Yum! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771/29 "2014-01-14T17:18:34Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Drag it through the garden. Chicago dog all the way. Meh. If I want a salad, I’ll have a salad. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771/30 "2014-01-14T17:51:16Z")
By default: Mustard and fine chopped raw onion. But I’ve been known to enjoy some cheese, hot sauce, and/or chili on there. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771/31 "2014-01-14T17:52:07Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Meh. If I want a salad, I’ll have a salad. > > 😛 A Chicago hot dog does not have _that_ much stuff on it. The only extra vegetables you get beside the standard relish and onions is tomatoes and a pickle spear, and often enough people will eat the pickle spear separately, so really, all it is is a standard hot dog with some tomatoes on it. (And usually celery salt on a poppy seed bun.) Hot peppers are generally left off, in my experience, unless requested. (And, even so, plenty of places in Chicago don’t include tomatoes on their “everything on it” dog.) Now, there are some weird places like Byron’s out there that will put lettuce, green pepper, and cucumbers on it, but they’re by far the exception. In fact, that’s the only place that comes to mind that has such salad-like ingredients. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771/32 "2014-01-14T19:21:03Z")
I also heartily recommend jalapeno relish. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771/33 "2014-01-14T19:22:28Z")
Mustard, chili, and slaw, in that order please. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771/34 "2014-01-14T19:44:23Z")
Nobody has yet mentioned the single best thing to put on a hot dog: Cleveland’s own Bertman’s Ballpark Mustard. Yeah, other mustards are good, but that stuff is God’s gift to sausage. Back when I lived in Montana, I had to bring a couple bottles home with me whenever I visited. But in general, I usually go for the works (which includes ketchup). ---
**Author:** ![llcoolbj77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb9ed0/32.png) [@llcoolbj77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/llcoolbj77)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771/35 "2014-01-14T19:49:55Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Diced onions > Mustard perfection ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771/36 "2014-01-14T20:08:13Z")
Oh, and since it hasn’t been mentioned yet… boiling a hot dog is freaking nasty. d&r Also… what, really, defines a hot dog? Around here, one of the better local brands is from ex-NFL running back [Earl Campbell](http://www.earlcampbellmeatproducts.com/) and his line of sausages. Oscar Meyer is good for those rare times that I want to feel feel some nostalgia (it’s what I grew up with as a kid), but as a hot dog there are far better products out there. ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771/37 "2014-01-14T20:10:46Z")
Vienna All Beefs. Chicago Style on the condiments but I like mine grilled not boiled. Boiled tastes like balony. Poppy seed bun. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771/38 "2014-01-14T20:26:41Z")
I like my hot dogs with melted cheese and ketchup. The best I’ve ever had are at the Hot Dog Shoppe in East Liverpool, Ohio. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771/39 "2014-01-14T20:26:50Z")
Mustard, Onions, Tabasco. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771/40 "2014-01-14T20:27:51Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, they’re just little peppers about the two inches long, and a similar heat level/flavor profile to serranos or possibly Tabasco peppers. If you ever find those jars of pickled Tabascos, that’s a reasonable substitute for sport peppers. I’ve also seen larger pickled peppers, serranos I believe, labeled as “sport peppers” as well. They are ubiquitous at Chicago area hot dog stands, where they are used on hot dogs, Polish sausages, and sometimes Italian beef (although giardiniera is the usual hot pepper accompaniment for beef.) Sometimes they hide the sport peppers in the Italian or Mexican sections of the supermarket. Other times they are in the regular condiment section. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dog/678771.md?page=3)