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It is pretty common knowledge that
hot dogs were created in Frankfurt, Germany.
It is reported that in 1871 a man by the
name of Charles Feltman opened the first "Hot Dog"
stand on Coney Island. The original name of these "Hot
Dogs" was Dachshund sausages. The original roll
was a milk bread roll used more to hold the hot food
than to actually eat it.
In 1901 a cartoonist for a New York newspaper
named T. Dargan had a friend who would sell the Dachshund
sausages to the people walking on the street. One day
the cartoonist decided to draw a cartoon about the vendor
for the newspaper, the only problem was he did not know
how to spell Dachshund. Since he new that the name was
used because it looked similar to the Dachshund hound
he decided to just call it a "Hot Dog".
Now there are many
legends that fly around about where the hot dog got
started in the ballparks. Some people say it started
in Boston just before they sold Babe Ruth. Others say
that it started at Ebbitts Field by a guy who was hungry
at lunch and went to get some at the deli for everybody
in the section he was sitting in. It seems that there
are stories for every one of the original Steel ballparks.
In reality, the truth of the hot dog is that it has
been around almost as long as the National League
The amazing thing about the hot dog in
our ballparks is that from town to town and in every
major sporting city in the United States there are different
versions for the same dog. In New York they have two,
the Deli Dog and the Street Cart. Chicago has its own
version called the Chicago Red Hot, just make sure you
order it "dragged through the garden". LA
has the Dodger Dog. Fenway has the Fenway Frank and
Cincinnati has the Cheese Coney but, Milwaukee has the
Brat. If your city has a dog that you are proud of let’s
here about it and we will add it to our list.
Hot dogs are best served with what ever
you want on it. People like them grilled, boiled and
steamed. Chili is always good but just make sure you
put onions and cheese on it. Try relish and deli mustard
or ketchup and onions. Sauerkraut is best served on
a dog with a little mustard. Let me know what you think
is best on a dog.
I bet you thought earlier in the article
I was not going to tell you how the different dogs were
made didn’t you! Well here they are:
N.Y. Deli Dog is grilled flat
and served with sauerkraut and deli mustard.
The N.Y. Cart Dog is an all beef
kosher dog boiled with onion sauce and deli mustard
or sauerkraut.
Chicago Red Hot "dragged through
the garden" has yellow mustard, sweet relish,
chopped onion, tomato, pickle spear, peppers and a
dash of celery salt.
The Dodger Dog is a foot long
dog with deli mustard and relish.
The Fenway Frank is served boiled
or grilled on a New England style bun with mustard
and relish.
The Cincinnati Cheese Coney has
a renowned chili topping spiced with chili powder,
nutmeg, chocolate and cinnamon served with mild cheddar
cheese, diced onions and Ohio’s own Bertman ball park
mustard.
The Milwaukee Brat is pork and
beef dog grilled then dipped in a secret stadium sauce
and served on a crusty roll topped with sauerkraut
and spicy brown mustard. Sorry folks I looked for
the secret sauce but could not find it. If you locate
it let me know.
In 2001 Jacobs Field consumed 1.8 million
dogs and there were 26.8 million dogs eaten in the ballparks
around the US. That’s enough to stretch from L.A. to
Philadelphia. So the next time you are in a major league
ball ask yourself where does your Hot Dog fit into that
chain of dogs?
Chef Mike
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