The One Thing Martha Stewart Never Does With Chicago-Style Hot Dogs

Bruce Glikas/Getty Images

There are a thousand ways to dress a wiener but only one way to put together a classic Chicago-style hot dog — and according to Martha Stewart, that's sans ketchup. As a New Jersey native, the East Coaster is inherently well-versed in franks. In her line of work, she must have also become well-acquainted with what folks expect from their regional hot dogs. As she pointed out in an Instagram post, when it comes to a Chicago dog, you must have a beef frank piled with tomatoes, diced onions, sport peppers, and a pickle spear, all drizzled with mustard and relish and sprinkled with celery salt. While you'd think adding a dash of ketchup would be no big deal,  Stewart says it's an absolute no-go.

Adding ketchup to your dog in Chicago is a cardinal sin. That could (at least in part) be because of Chicago's large Polish and German populations, who insist that a proper sausage is served with mustard. Additionally, folks on a Reddit thread dedicated to the subject suggest that with the fresh slices of tomato on the Chicago dog, ketchup winds up being redundant. (That apparently doesn't apply to the pickle and relish.) Others say the sweetness and consistency of the ketchup obscures the flavors of all those ingredients and also compromises the texture of the bun, turning it soggy.

Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock

While it seems Martha Stewart has her finger on the pulse of the people of Chicago in regard to putting ketchup on hot dogs, she was singing a different tune a few weeks later when she revealed on Instagram what goes on her ideal dog. She says that bacon, mustard, relish, sauerkraut, and — get this — ketchup are the toppings that make the perfect hot dog. Stewart, who claims that hot dogs are better than burgers, also insists that a grilled bun is a must. 

Her declaration sparked a lot of debate among folks online. It appears that people generally fall into two camps: those who get down with ketchup on their dog and those who believe that the condiment has no place on a wiener. "I love Martha, but ketchup on a hotdog is f***ing diabolical," one person commented on the video. However, it seems many naysayers were actually from Chicago. "No catsup! (From Chicago)!," another writes. Little do they know that despite her personal take on hot dog perfection, Martha Stewart remains a Chicago dog purist.