Written by Margie of More Please by Margie.

If you’re reading this, chances are you regularly seek out and prepare recipes with multiple degrees of difficulty. But I humbly submit that you should occasionally put aside your daring deeds in the kitchen and serve up this simple comfort classic – a hot dog -- a Chicago-style hot dog to be more precise.

I realize there are other ways to dress a hot dog, but having grown up on the south-side of the Windy City, it’s the Chicago-style hot dog by which I judge all others. A perfect balance of flavors and textures that hits all the right notes: savory and sweet, spicy and sour, crunchy and tender, meaty and delicious.

A Chicago dog starts with an all-beef frank, steamed or simmered till steamy hot. (Although feel free to grill the dog.) There are several brands that fit the bill (e.g., Vienna Beef, David Berg), but one of my favorites, more easily found outside the Chicagoland area, is the all-beef Kosher hot dog by Hebrew National. Don’t even think about using reduced-fat hot dogs.

A proper Chicago dog is served on a poppy seed bun, which can be difficult to find outside Chicago. Having lived away from the city for many years now, I’ve developed a simple solution, brush plain hot dog buns with melted butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Most Chicago hot dog stands steam the poppy seed buns till soft and warm. Although I never admit this in public, I sometimes skip that step at home.

Of course, it’s the toppings that give a Chicago dog its unique character. Food writers are fond of describing a Chicago-style hot dog as “dragged through the garden.” But no self-respecting Chicagoan would ever say that. When you go to your neighborhood hot dog stand and order a “hot dog,” by default you get it Chicago-style.

Authentic toppings for a Chicago dog start with yellow mustard. Be sure your mustard is not brown, or fancy, or Dijon – just yellow. You risk ridicule if you ask for ketchup on your hot dog.

Next is a trio of pickled toppings: sweet pickle relish, sport peppers, and dill pickle. The relish is sometimes a bright neon-green, but always sweet and often called piccalilli. The sport peppers, small and medium-hot, are always used whole, usually two to a hot dog. If you can’t find sport peppers, substitute another style of spicy, not-too-hot, pickled pepper. A crisp, tart, deli-style, dill pickle spear balances the sweet relish and adds a bit of crunch.

In my opinion, a fresh cucumber slice can replace the dill pickle. But my husband says I’ve been brainwashed by coastal elites and worries I’ll start putting arugula on my hot dogs.

A Chicago dog is not without fresh vegetables however. Chopped onions and fresh tomato slices are both requisite toppings. Use white onions if you want to play by the rules, sweet or red onions if you’re feeling rebellious. The tomato should be red and ripe; my preference is for plum tomatoes because they’re not-watery and slice up into perfectly sized, half-moons.

Once you’ve stuffed your poppy seed bun with a steamy all-beef frank and piled on all the toppings, you’re ready for the final Chicago-style flourish: a generous sprinkle of celery salt. A blend of ground celery seeds and fine-grained salt, celery salt adds a punch of celery flavor with a salty exclamation.

Although I would never say this within earshot of a Chicagoan, there is no single best way to serve a hot dog. The variations are countless, starting with the meat. You can find hot dogs made from beef, pork, chicken, turkey, or tofu. When you expand the category to include fresh sausage, like bratwurst or Italian sausage, the possibilities are infinite. Toppings run the gamut from bacon, sauerkraut, roasted red peppers, chili, cheese, tomato sauce, you name it.

It seems every town the world over has a signature style for tubular meat on a bun. I’d love to know what you consider the perfectly dressed hot dog or sausage. I suspect that even the most daring among us have a few guilty pleasures regarding the humble hot dog. Please share your “tube steak” wisdom in the comments.

If you're interested in more details about Chicago style hot dogs, check out HotDogChicagoStyle.com.