Finally an answer! Why Chicagoans do not put ketchup on hotdogs

[Subdeacon Joe]

3 minutes ago, Pat Riot said:

probably put DelMonte in their bottles.

 

That's all my folks bought.   I used (that's like 40 years ago) to think it was pretty good. Switched to Heinz and pretty much have stuck to that.   Hunts isn't bad,  but doesn't match it.  There was a sooper-dooper special on Del Monte about 5 years ago.  "Why did we think this was good?"  Ended up using it to make BBQ Sauce. 

 

Same thing for pickles.   Mom only bought Del Monte Dill Halves.  After moving out I discovered Vlasic Kosher Dills and later Mount Olive Zesty Kosher Dills.  

 

At the same time I gave the DM catsup another try I bought a jar of their Dill Halves.  Again there was the wondering how we ever thought they were good. 

 

Obviously lots of people like Del Monte products because they  keep making them, but I  don't care for them. 

[Rye Miles #13621]

28 minutes ago, Pat Riot said:

I didn’t care about Kerry’s wife when it belonged to her family. She had nothing to do with the real business of making Heinz products. 
I have tried every other ketchup available and to me the rest just ain’t right. There was a ketchup sold by Smart & Final under their brand name that was actually pretty good, but they screwed it up…probably put DelMonte in their bottles. 

 

 

I also like Hunts ketchup. 
I know Kerry’s wife had nothing to do with the real business but she’s married to John Kerry and I just can’t separate that name with that sleaze bag phony. . I don’t find much different in ketchup that’s why I buy DeMonte or Hunts. 

[Blackwater 53393]

Some folks over in the next county move down here from Chicago and opened a small restaurant.  They serve sandwiches and pizza.  I asked why they moved and the lady replied that they got out because the place had become a war zone!

 

She got a good laugh when I said that at least they brought the proper stuff to make real Chicago dogs and could make a real Chicago style pizza!!

 

They serve some great sausage sandwiches too!!

[Subdeacon Joe]

10 minutes ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

could make a real Chicago style pizza!!

 

 

 

That being in translation, lasagna with a soggy yeast crust rather than pasta.  

[Windy City Kid]

3 minutes ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

 

That being in translation, lasagna with a soggy yeast crust rather than pasta.  

Deep dish is tourist pizza. We prefer tavern style. 

[Blackwater 53393]

2 minutes ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

 

That being in translation, lasagna with a soggy yeast crust rather than pasta.  

Actually, the real Chicago pizza I had was served in a deeper dish that was almost a bowl. The crust was thicker than usual. Not as thick as the garbage you get from the pizza chains, but considerably thicker than New York style crust.

 

It had LOTS of cheese and sauce and generous portions of the toppings that I requested!! It was hot and juicy, but the outside of the crust was crisp like the crust on Italian bread.

 

I’m a fan of cracker thin, crispy crust, but THAT was a good pizza!!

[Rye Miles #13621]

I prefer real Italian pizza which is nothing like the stuff from all the pizza chains at least in my family it wasn’t. My mom and my aunts made it thick with sauce and grated cheese. The crust was crisp but too crisp. There was a little garlic and oregano on it but just a little. We would take a sausage link and wrap it in the slice of pizza! Viva Italiano😎

That said pizza is like s$& even when it’s bad it’s still pretty good 😂 I actually like the store pizza but not as much as the homemade stuff. Theres a couple Italian stores nearby that have pizza that's kinda like my mom made.

[TN Mongo, SASS #61450]

I've got torn loyalty when it comes to pizza. I was born in Queens and lived in Brooklyn until I was 7.  There's nothing like a N.Y. slice, but when I attended college in Chicago, I must admit that I went to "the Dark Side" and ate my fair share of Chicago deep dish pizza. I like both.

 

When I make my own pizza at home, it's always a N.Y. style of pie. It took a lot of research to finally duplicate the sauce used on N.Y. pizzerias pizzas and to get a crispy crust in an ordinary electric oven.

 

I'm such a pizza junky! When I was a kid and a schoolteacher, I even gobbled up the cheap rectangular that they served at school.  

[Pat Riot]

@Rye Miles #13621 you need to go to Trader Joe’s and go to their frozen food section and look for their pizzas with the Italian flag on the box. Those thin crust pizzas are exactly the pizza I had near the docks in Livorno Italy when I was in the Navy. 
There’s one near you.

[Pat Riot]

I love Chicago style pizza. It’s my favorite. I love pizza in general, except for the weirdo foo-foo pizzas in California. Anyone that puts bean sprouts and tofu on a pizza should be treated poorly, often. 
 

[Rye Miles #13621]

33 minutes ago, Pat Riot said:

@Rye Miles #13621 you need to go to Trader Joe’s and go to their frozen food section and look for their pizzas with the Italian flag on the box. Those thin crust pizzas are exactly the pizza I had near the docks in Livorno Italy when I was in the Navy. 
There’s one near you.

 

Thanks but I can get good pizza freshly made at Alesci’s and Ferrara’s and Galucci’s which are all closer than Trader Joes plus they’re fresh. If I’m up there I’ll try it but it’s a good half hour from me.

Galucci’s is too but they have all kinds of Italian food!

[Subdeacon Joe]

1 hour ago, Windy City Kid said:

Deep dish is tourist pizza. We prefer tavern style. 

 

OK, that's regular pizza cut into squares rather than wedges.   

 

58 minutes ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

Actually, the real Chicago pizza I had was served in a deeper dish that was almost a bowl. The crust was thicker than usual.

 

As I said above....

 

58 minutes ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

Not as thick as the garbage you get from the pizza chains, but considerably thicker than New York style crust.

 

 

Crusts from "the chains" is all over the place as far as whattheir standard thickness is,  and usually you have several options,  from barely there to more like foccaia baked with a hint of toppings.   As was said above 

 

1 hour ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

That said pizza is like s$& even when it’s bad it’s still pretty good

 

and I agree here:

1 hour ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

I actually like the store pizza

[Subdeacon Joe]

Re: small pizzeria v. evil chains v. store brand take and bake.   

 

For me and my wife the difference in price point between the small family owned pizza place an the others isn't worth it.   North of $45 for a 12 inch, compared to $30 from a national chain,  or under $10 for a store brand (e.g. Safeway Select or whatever the  Walmart brand is) take and bake.   I'm not saying that there is no difference,  but that for us it's not enough of a difference to justify the jump in price.

 

 

[Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme]

On 3/22/2025 at 10:16 PM, Sedalia Dave said:

 

I'll bet the Mushroom Powder would be.

With the right psilocybin level......mushrooms, and mushroom powder are good on every thing.

[Cypress Sun]

 

Boy, I hate square cut pizza.....unless it has the special mushroom powder on it....

[Windy City Kid]

OK OK, close the subject before Cyprus Sun suggests putting Miracle whip on it and Texas Maverick's wife adds malt vinegar!

[El Chapo]

On 3/22/2025 at 6:31 PM, Subdeacon Joe said:

So instead of catsup to cover the taste of rancid meat, Chicagoans let the meat spoil more and cover it up with a pungent yellow mustard,  alien green relish, onions,  pickles,  peppers, celery salt, and tomatoes. 

 

 

Makes sense to me!

 

 

I think you missed the message.  It's not about "rancid" meat, it's about the fact that hot dogs were historically made from what was left over.  It's still fresh, it's just a far less flavorful part of the animal that a hot dog is made from.  Nobody in this video said anything about eating rancid meat, which is what the chef would turn you into if he saw you try to put ketchup on a hot dog.  Chicagoans are really serious about this.  My mother would probably have inflicted injury upon me if I'd tried to put ketchup on a hot dog.  Usually, she would just say "ketchup is for hamburgers," but in a very serious tone.

[Subdeacon Joe]

16 minutes ago, El Chapo said:

It's not about "rancid" meat, it's about the fact that hot dogs were historically made from what was left over.  It's still fresh, it's just a far less flavorful part of the animal that a hot dog is made from.  Nobody in this video said anything about eating rancid meat,

 

Nor did anyone say anything about "less flavorful."  And I can't see a butcher saying  "bad meat" when he meant poorer or less flavorful cuts.  

 

I interpreted "meat that was not good" and "bad meat" as spoiled or rancid. 

[Blackwater 53393]

42 minutes ago, Windy City Kid said:

OK OK, close the subject before Cyprus Sun suggests putting Miracle whip on it and Texas Maverick's wife adds malt vinegar!

I LIKE square cut pizza!!  I can grab the pieces with little or no crust when I’m in the mood!  Been known to grab a corner and a center piece now and then too!!

[Rip Snorter]

First encountered round pizza cut in squares freshman year of college in the Midwest.  Not a big deal, but I never understood the logic - more work cutting, more mess eating.  Same taste if good pizza.  Never cared for the thick crust.

[Windy City Kid]

23 minutes ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

I LIKE square cut pizza!!  I can grab the pieces with little or no crust when I’m in the mood!  Been known to grab a corner and a center piece now and then too!!

My kids were convinced the chef tasted the pizza cuz a few corner mini pieces were gone when I brought the pizza home. 😉

[Pat Riot]

3 hours ago, Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme said:

With the right psilocybin level......mushrooms, and mushroom powder are good on every thing.

After eating those you don’t want anything to eat…so I’ve been told. 

[Pat Riot]

If you want a good frozen pizza try Motor City Pizza Co’s Detroit Style Pizza in the frozen food section of Walmart. <$8.00
If frozen pizza is beneath you, commenting to this post should be too…if you know what I mean. 
I always add a bit more shredded Mozzarella & Provolone, also from Walmart. 
18-21 minutes in your toaster oven and it’s good! 

[Rip Snorter]

I buy quality plain cheese frozen pizza, add my own sausage or pepperoni, spices, more sauce & cheese.   Inexpensive, and if it is not good, no one to blame but me!

[Pat Riot]

My wife and I finally found a decent pizza place after the only one we knew of here that’s nearby apparently couldn’t care less if they got your order right or even make your order at all. The old place was call Fat Angelo’s. It’s a family chain here. They all suck and will never see a dime of my money again. 
The new pizza place is called Big Al’s. They have a couple of restaurants here locally. Good pizza at decent prices. Mmmmmm

 

 

 

[El Chapo]

2 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

Nor did anyone say anything about "less flavorful."  And I can't see a butcher saying  "bad meat" when he meant poorer or less flavorful cuts.  

 

I interpreted "meat that was not good" and "bad meat" as spoiled or rancid. 

 

My dad used to always say that a hot dog was made from when the butcher blows the "meat" off of the cow's nose.

 

I have no idea if that's true but I can't imagine it'd taste that great.

 

He also would murder me if I put ketchup on a hot dog.

[Subdeacon Joe]

3 hours ago, El Chapo said:

 

My dad used to always say that a hot dog was made from when the butcher blows the "meat" off of the cow's nose.

 

I have no idea if that's true but I can't imagine it'd taste that great.

 

He also would murder me if I put ketchup on a hot dog.

 

I hear that it's rather gelatinous,  but tasty.   I've tried pig snout and it was pretty good.   

 

I did sample some beef headcheese and it was right tasty.  So maybe I have had beef nose.

[Rye Miles #13621]

Cow's nose, tail, ears, eyes it’s all beef so everyone just relax! 😂

[Pat Riot]

It’s odds and ends. 

 

Darn tasty odds and ends…with ketchup and onions. 
 

I actually have several favorite ways to dress up my hotdogs:

1. Ketchup and onions

2. Brown mustard and onions

3. Mayo, American cheese and a dill pickle slice. 
4. Carolina dog - mustard, chili, cole slaw

5. Sauer kraut and yellow mustard

6. Just cole slaw - my Cole Slaw. 

[Cypress Sun]

Just now, Pat Riot said:

It’s odds and ends. 

 

Darn tasty odds and ends…with ketchup and onions. 
 

I actually have several favorite ways to dress up my hotdogs:

1. Ketchup and onions

2. Brown mustard and onions

3. Mayo, American cheese and a dill pickle slice. 
4. Carolina dog - mustard, chili, cole slaw

5. Sauer kraut and yellow mustard

6. Just cole slaw - my Cole Slaw. 

 

See folks! I'm not the only one!

[Pat Riot]

1 minute ago, Cypress Sun said:

 

See folks! I'm not the only one!

I draw the line at Miracle Whip. I liked it up until I was in my 20’s then my taste buds changed or something. Actually I haven’t tasted it in 40 years. Maybe I might like it again now. 

[Blackwater 53393]

I deep fry the Nathan’s Colossal all beef dog.  Chopped onions and tomato, shredded Velveeta, kosher dill slices, bacon, (two strips the texture of good jerky) chopped jalapeno, and horseradish mustard.  Wrap it in a toasted flour tortilla.

 

Prep all your stuff and toast the tortilla while the dog is frying and assemble it hot!!

 

I often substitute the sport peppers from the Chicago dog for the jalapeno.

 

 

[Rip Snorter]

3 minutes ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

I deep fry the Nathan’s Colossal all beef dog.  Chopped onions and tomato, shredded Velveeta, kosher dill slices, bacon, (two strips the texture of good jerky) chopped jalapeno, and horseradish mustard.  Wrap it in a toasted flour tortilla.

 

Prep all your stuff and toast the tortilla while the dog is frying and assemble it hot!!

 

I often substitute the sport peppers from the Chicago dog for the jalapeno.

 

 

Batter up?

[Blackwater 53393]

Just now, Rip Snorter said:

Batter up?

DANG, Rip!  That’s a heck of an idea!!  

Take the aforementioned dog recipe and instead of frying the dog and toasting the tortilla, assemble it all , batter it, and THEN deep fry it!!

[Grumpy Old Man]

About 20 yrs ago, we went to the NASCAR race in Martinsville, VA. They have a very red hot dog. The standard order has kraut on the dog. Very good. Still don't know what brand it it is, but unique to Martinsville.