#VIENNA BEEF FACTORY FOR FREE#
#VIENNA BEEF FACTORY FREE#

“It was done for photography’s sake,” says Locaciato. If that sounds unnatural it’s because it is. Neon Green Relish–The relish provides sweetness and is typically bright, almost fluorescent green. Neon-green relish makes up 80% of Vienna Beef's relish sales. Vendors threw hot dogs in vats of pickles to preserve them back in the day before mass refrigeration.įun fact: Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and Jimmy John’s use Vienna Beef pickles in their sandwiches. Pickles were one of the first hot dog condiments, but not for taste. Don’t get fancy with dijon or stone ground. Yellow Mustard–An original topping going back to the first German immigrants that still provides texture and a hint of spice. New Orleans for the muffalata, Chicago for hot dogs and giardiniera. Sport Peppers–They’re bite-sized and provide heat.įun fact: Chicago and New Orleans consume more sport peppers than any other U.S. There were surely dozens of combinations created depending on what was available at the time, but somehow, seven stuck. Hot dogs themselves rose in prices, so vendors like Fluky’s started heaping vegetables atop the dogs to create a more filling meal.

Then, the stock market crashed in 1929 and hot dog toppings went from a fun game to a necessity for feeding families on the cheap. Market, where there were plenty of vegetable stands, and one-up each other with experimental toppings. The “garden” on top of Chicago dogs is the product of a friendly rivalry between Chicago’s Greek and Italian street vendors. Group via Getty Images) Universal Images Group via Getty Images (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images. “A true good snap dog sits in water for 15-20 minutes, and when you bite it the juices explode in your mouth,” says Jim Locaciato, sales director for Vienna Beef.Ī Chicago-style hot dog dragged through the garden. Steaming for about 15 minutes heats them up and grilling gives them a nice charred flavor, but boiling makes them tough. Hot dogs are precooked and can be eaten cold. “Never boil a hot dog,” says Fred Markoff, a sales representative for Vienna Beef and former Chicago hot dog restaurant owner. Once Vienna Beef ships the dogs off to restaurants, they can be steamed or charred. Each package of hot dogs is a pound, so “sixes” are six pieces per pound, “eights,” are eight pieces per pound, and so on. Finally, they’re smoked low and slow for about four hours to get their signature red color. The meat is put in a casing, which gives the dogs a snap when you bite. It’s emulsified into a slurry, then spiced with garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, and other secret flavors Vienna Beef won’t give up. (Shake Shack does use Vienna Beef though, don’t tell New Yorkers).Ībout 75% of meat in a Vienna Beef hot dog comes from lean, older cattle, while the other 25% is trimmings from the company’s corned beef and pastrami. Hot dog companies are very regional, so it’s unlikely to see Vienna Beef in New York, where Nathan’s Famous or Sabrett’s is more common. The company has a 71% market share in the city. If you’re eating a hot dog in Chicago, chances are you’re eating Vienna Beef. (Photo by CD Arnold/Chicago History Museum/Getty Images) Getty Images

Like a wedding DJ, we take requests.Vienna Sausage Place in the Austrian Village at the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, Illinois.

#VIENNA BEEF FACTORY FREE#

The one-hour tour covers trimming and casing, and culminates in a free lunch of-what else?-hot dogs. Senior Veep Bob Schwartz escorts you through the premises as workers turn raw meat into Chicago’s signature hot dogs. Vienna Beef FactoryIgnore the old maxim and find out how the sausage is made. After seeing how all the hormone-free dairy goes from a cow’s udders to your doorstep, you’ll be rewarded with a cup of vanilla ice cream. Oberweis Dairy PlantFamous for still home-delivering its milk, Oberweis holds by-appointment group tours of its plant. At the end of the tour, you get a free half-pound of coffee to take home. Intelligentsia Roasting Works Factory Tour This java-fan fave lets the public spy on its roasting works on the first Saturday of every month. If you come on the right weekend, you might even get to try something still in development.

#VIENNA BEEF FACTORY FOR FREE#

As part of its “Discover Eli’s: Tasting and Traditions,” the company lets you sample its desserts for free every Saturday and Sunday at 1pm. Workers bake and decorate while tour guides rattle off Eli’s trivia. Chicago isn’t the manufacturing town it used to be, but are there still factory tours in the area that I can go on to see stuff get made?- SF, Forest ParkĮli’s Cheesecake World On weekdays at 1pm, watch as thousands of cheesecakes make their way via conveyor belt into the oven.

Vienna beef factory