Hot Dog
A grilled or boiled beef or pork sausage in a soft steamed bun with yellow mustard, relish, and onions.
Origin Story
German immigrants brought frankfurter sausages to the United States in the 1860s and 1870s, with particular concentration in New York and Chicago. Anton Feuchtwanger is credited with first placing them in a bun around 1880 at a St. Louis food fair. The term 'hot dog' appeared in print in 1892. The Chicago-style and New York-style diverged early and permanently.
Cultural Context
The hot dog is one of America's most debated foods on a single question: is it a sandwich? Legal scholars, food taxonomists, and ordinary people have argued the point with surprising fervour. The US National Hot Dog and Sausage Council says no. A 2015 Merriam-Webster tweet said yes. It remains unresolved. Regardless, approximately 20 billion hot dogs are eaten in the US annually.
Recipe
Grill or boil an all-beef frankfurter until heated through with some char marks. Steam a soft white hot dog bun for 30 seconds. Place the frank in the bun. For Chicago style: add yellow mustard, sweet green relish, diced onion, tomato wedges, a dill pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt — never ketchup. For New York style: yellow mustard and sauerkraut.