Chicago-Style Hot Dogs

Description: A long-time family favorite. The authentic stands use Vienna Beef franks and buns with poppy seeds and that trademark green relish and yellow mustard. If you're not fortunate enough to live near a stand (like us), this home version does nicely (with my own preferred changes of course)! The natural casing frankfurters have a pleasant "pop" when you bite them and are far superior to normal hot dogs. I don't advise using serranos in place of sport peppers as they are not the same type of chile and the serranos are MUCH hotter (as well as not usually being found pickled).

Ingredients:

• 4 natural casing beef frankfurters (I like Boar's Head brand)
• 4 hot dog buns (with poppyseeds if you can find them)
• 1 small onion, diced fine
• 3 -4 teaspoons sweet pickle relish (bright green type if you can find it!)
• 1 cold-pack kosher dill pickle, quartered lengthwise
• 1 small tomatoes, sliced into julienne strips
• 4 -8 pickled sport bell peppers or 4 -8 tiny hot peppers (Kroger sells these)
• dusseldorf-style brown mustard, with horseradish,to taste (may use yellow mustard)
• celery seed
• poppy seed (omit if using seeded buns)
• beer, for simmering (standard golden lager preferred; not authentic) (optional)

Steps:

1. Simmer frankfurters in beer or water for approximately 10 minutes.
2. Warm buns in microwave, until slightly warm and soft.
3. To assemble hot dogs, place frank in each bun.
4. Add mustard to taste; top with dill spear, relish, onion, tomato, and 1-2 sport peppers (Jalapenos"might" be a reasonable substitute if you are desperate to find the sport peppers, but the taste won't be quite the same).
5. Sprinkle with celery and poppy seeds.
6. Serve.