5 minute read
Hidden Gems: Hot Doug’s
by
JUDITH MARA
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HIDDEN < Gems >
The best dishes that no one knows about…yet
You could argue that Hot Doug’s is not a hidden gem because any food-focused person in Chicago has heard of this encased meat
emporium. After all, Hot Doug’s is what local legends are made of: Doug Sohn avoids a career path but loves to cook so he goes to chef’s school. After he finishes, he’s working as a cookbook editor and eats a bad hot
dog. Two and a half years later he opens Hot Doug’s to bring back the hot dog the way it should be done. “People weren’t doing it justice and I wanted to restore respectability to the sausage,” he explains.
Hidden Gem HOT DOUG’S
Technically (according to our strict requirements), Hot Doug’s is a hidden gem. It’s off the beaten path and you have to seek out the neighborhood and the restaurant. What makes the place easy to find is when the line of hungry humanity curls around the block. Once inside, choosing a sausage from the menu is surprisingly daunting considering Hot Doug’s serves one thing and serves it to perfection—sausages. Yes there are fries, but no burgers, no wraps and certainly no pizza. We gave Doug carte blanche to choose his favorite “gem” to feature. He chose two, giving the persuasive reason that they represent the two sides of his menu––classic and creative. His picks were a Chicago–style hot dog with mustard, sport peppers, tomatoes, pickle, relish and celery salt, and a playful Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage with Truffle Aioli, Foie Gras Mousse and Fleur de Sel.
Chicago-style hot dogs have a long history as a cheap meal dating back to the Depression. It still is today at Hot Doug’s for only $2 per dog. The Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage is pure Doug at his creative best. Using an existing high quality duck sausage and playing around, Doug concocted this fan favorite. He paired the sausage with foie gras mousse, truffles and a sprinkle of fluer de sel and thought it would be funny to offer it on his menu, never thinking it would take off.
For those who will be discovering Hot Doug’s for the first time, here are a few newbie tips. Hot Doug’s only accepts cash. They are hard-core about closing at 4:00 p.m., however if you are in line by 4:00 p.m. you will get served. And the real inside scoop is that on Fridays and Saturdays they serve Duck Fat Fries, iconic fries cooked in duck fat. Just another reason why a humble neighborhood sausage shop is stuff legends are made of.
Be sure to check out Doug’s colorful and irreverent new book Hot Doug’s: The Book, at www.shopbenchmark.com/hotdougs.
HOT DOUG’S
Monday–Saturday: 10:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Closed Sundays 773.279.9550 3324 N. California Ave. Chicago, IL 60618 www.hotdougs.com
by KATHRYN O’MALLEY
BISON
is back
“This scenery already rich pleasing and beautiful was still farther heightened by immense herds of buffalo, deer, elk and antelopes which we saw in every direction feeding on the hills and plains. I do not think I exaggerate when I estimate the number of buffalo which could be comprehended at one view to amount to 3000.”
— Meriwether Lewis, September 17, 1804, near present-day Chamerlain, South Dakota
Once upon a time, the great American bison—often mistakenly called buffalo—flourished in the tens of millions and covered the Great Plains in a blanket of shaggy brown. By the late 19th century, however, settlers had killed some 50 million bison for food, sport and to deprive Native Americans of their most valuable natural resource. Enormous herds were reduced to near extinction.
BISON FACT
Bison are the heaviest land animals in North America, often weighing a ton or more and standing 5 to 6 feet tall at the shoulders. They have large heads, massive humps and sharp curved horns that can grow up to 2 feet long. Despite their formidable size and bulk, bison can sprint at speeds up to 40 miles per hour.
Propelled by the efforts of early conservationists, the bison population began a slow bounce back in 1905. Recent interest in the animals as a healthy, sustainable alternative to beef has only quickened their resurgence. Today, bison can be found at parks, reserves and ranches around the country, as well as on the plates of adventurous eaters.
Joe Ricketts, entrepreneur and philanthropist, has played a powerful role in returning the meat to our menus. In 2003, Ricketts founded High Plains Bison, a retailer of natural bison meat and the official bison vendor at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. At Ricketts’s quiet Wyoming ranch, his bison graze in lumbering herds, heads bowed, with shoulders as broad and jagged as the mountains that stand in the distance. Though much has changed since the days of Lewis and Clark, one thing remains the same: the undeniable thrill at seeing these majestic creatures at home in their natural habitat.
BISON FACT
Bison has a delicious, delicate flavor—lighter and somewhat sweeter than beef—and an impressive nutritional profile. Bison-industry regulations require that bison raised for their meat are never treated with artificialgrowth hormones, chemicals or unnecessary antibiotics. Moreover, bison meat contains far less fat, calories and cholesterol than beef, but higher levels of iron, omega-3’s and other nutrients.
BISON FACT
Because bison is so lean, its preparation requires a little extra care to ensure it doesn’t dry out. This means that steaks should never be cooked beyond medium, and tougher cuts (such as chuck, brisket and short ribs) are best cooked low and slow for the most tender and flavorful results.
