Hot peppers, tomato wedges, onions and a pickle spear. That's a Chicago dog.
Mustard, kraut and onion — that's New York.
But what's on a Kansas City hot dog? Is it tangy barbeque sauce or simply a Boulevard beer to wash it down? As of now, there isn't a universal version of a KC-style dog. So we asked three local eateries to invent their signature Kansas City dogs. Here's what they created:
Alex Pope, The Local Pig, 2618 Guinotte Ave., Kansas City, Missouri.
- House-made burnt-end barbeque sausage, made with smoked brisket and smoked pork and barbecue seasoning, topped with pulled pork baked beans, and fried onion straws.
Kurt McDonald, Fritz's Smoked Meats, 10326 State Line Rd., Leawood, Kansas.
- House-made beef chuck and pork shoulder hot dog, wrapped in double-smoked bacon and deep fried, smoked and brushed with barbecue sauce (made from three local sauces) topped with brisket, de-boned pork ribs, relish, pickles and onions. Wow.
Will Brown, New York Dawg Pound, 7702 Shawnee Mission Pkwy., Overland Park, Kansas.
- The Ol' Blue: Grilled Nathan's all beef hot dog atop a locally made fresh bun, topped with barbeque sauce, a pickle spear, and fried onion straws.
- The Royal Blue (with extra toppings for the Royal's postseason games): The Ol' Blue plus grilled onions, pulled pork and shredded cheddar cheese.
We asked KCUR listeners to chime in too. Here are your suggestions:
- "Burnt ends, slaw, bbq sauce."
- "Never had a KC specific hot dog but I would imagine it would have BBQ sauce on it."
"My take on the KC dog is I think it should be holed out and stuffed with a chili and cheese mixture, so every bit that you get is like, mmmmm."
- "I like my hotdogs with NUTHIN! But, that's not KC. How about some KC Joe fries on top?"
- "My idea of a Kansas city dog would be a quarter pound dog topped with pulled pork, bbq sauce, onion strings and slaw."
The verdict? As long as it has barbeque sauce and maybe some fried onion straws, its a Kansas City dog. How you elaborate on that is up to you.
