Depression Dog

Depression Dog

Recipes with Chicago Hot Dog

The Depression Dog predates the full seven-topping version. In the 1930s, Chicago hot dog stands sold a stripped-down build: mustard, onion, relish, and sport peppers, with fries piled on top or tucked alongside in the wrapper. Gene & Jude's in River Grove still serves it this way. No tomato, no pickle spear, no celery salt. The fries are part of the dish, not a side.

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

15 min

Servings

2

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

  • 2 all-beef frankfurters, natural casing
  • 2 poppy seed hot dog buns
  • 2 tsp yellow mustard
  • 2 tbsp Chicago-style neon green sweet pickle relish
  • 2 tbsp white onion, chopped fine
  • 4 sport peppers
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • 2 medium potatoes, cut into thin fries (or frozen crinkle-cut fries)
  • Salt

Steps

1

Fry the potatoes in oil at 180°C until golden and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and salt immediately. At Gene & Jude's, the fries are crinkle-cut. Thin-cut works equally well.

2

While the fries cook, bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer and heat the frankfurters for 5 to 6 minutes.

3

Steam the buns briefly over the pot: 30 seconds each is enough.

4

Place the hot dog in the bun. Apply mustard, then relish, then chopped onion. Place sport peppers on top.

5

Pile the hot fries directly on top of the dressed dog, filling the bun and mounding over. Wrap in wax paper to hold everything in. Eat immediately before the paper softens.

Tips

The fries and the dog eat together. Take a bite that gets both. The hot fries steaming inside the wrapper against the mustard and relish is the whole experience. This is not a dog with a side of fries: the fries are structural.