The Great American Hot Dog

Hot dogs are about as American as fireworks are on the fourth of July. Many people don't know the hot dog actually is an American take on a European tradition. A type of hot dog was eaten in the late 1400's in the Holy Roman Empire called a Vienna sausage. It then made its way to Frankfurt, Germany and was called a Frankfurter. It was not quite the hot dog we know and love as Americans but more of a sausage. Finally in America's hands they came to be the tradition we know and were put on a roll 1870 in Missouri. The hot dog itself was perfected in Coney Island New York. Now that the history lesson is over we will move on to the good stuff.

Most people who like hot dogs would never eat another hot dog if they even saw one made. I actually only eat Kosher hot dogs because of the quality of meat after a friend of mine who is Jewish explained how normal hot dogs were made from advanced meat recovery techniques. This basically means special machinery is used to get every last drop of meat, cartilage, and anything else from the bone of animals at the slaughterhouse. They are made from a variety of things including meats, seasonings and spices. The primary meats are beef, pork, chicken, and turkey or a blend of several. Again, kosher beef hot dogs get my vote. The roll will usually be a standard hot dog roll, but some people use bread. Pretzel dogs have also gotten to be quite popular. I like the idea of a steak roll, but typically you will taste way too much bread unless you are using a jumbo or quarter pound hot dog. The steak roll is especially good if you use lots of good messy toppings.

Remember that hot dogs are already cooked, but should be reheated or "cooked" again. There are various ways the people will prefer to do this. Some of the common ways that people prepare hot dogs include barbequing, steaming, rotisserie grilling, split the dog and then pan frying and deep frying. I like barbequing and grilling the best. There are people who microwave hot dogs, but I really don't think that is a great way to eat a hot dog. It does make them edible and many college students prepare them this way.

There are so many ways you can make top a hot dog or accompany it, that the list would be a review itself. I figured I would include some basic toppings and regional favorites. Some of the most popular toppings are mustard, ketchup, bacon, chili, cheese, sauerkraut, onions, fried onions, and relish. There are other toppings that many would not expect like lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayonnaise and other things. Mustard is the most popular according to a program I once saw on the history channel about the history of hot dogs.

Here are a couple of the regional varieties.

Texas Dog

The hot dog can be any type of hot dog but often standard beef and pork blend. The roll is mostly standard, but I will highly advise you to consider a steak roll. What you do is take a hot dog and top it with very spicy chili, cheddar cheese sauce, onions and jalapeño peppers. This is pretty spicy and is designed to get messy.

Chicago Style Hot Dog

These are beef in every example that I have eaten and seen and the bun is a steamed poppy seed bun. The true Chicago hot dog has mustard, sliced tomato wedges, relish, a dill pickle, and celery salt. Ketchup is never used in the official version, but vendors will put it on if you like or have packets of it for you. Most of these toppings do not sound remotely appetizing to me, but I did try one in the interest of a regional experience.

The Carolina Dog

These usually have a regular roll but I still advise a steak roll as in the Texas Dog. There really is not a mainstay that people use for the hot dog. This will include a spicy chili sauce, coleslaw, onions and mustard. Coleslaw is especially popular in the south as is chili.

The Deerhead Dog

This is a hot dog that is more to Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. They make a "secret sauce" that is basically a chili with very little meat. It does contain some. It also contains onions and a variety of other secret seasonings. You then put sauerkraut on that also then a cheese sauce. You can put other items on it if you like. If I am not at Deerhead I will usually use regular chili at other restaurants that I eat hot dogs at.

I also wrote an article about the Dog House in New castle, Delaware if you want to check it out. It is a local spot in the area famous for their foot long hot dogs. They sell other things as well, but have only one location. Enjoy the dogs.

Sources.

Years and years of eating hot dogs and going to hot dog restaurants.