The perfect hot dog starts with an all-beef dog, grilled until the skin blisters and splits and the ends curl up just slightly, caramelized in its own fat. Nestle it into a toasted brioche bun—soft and buttery, with just enough structure to hold its ground—and finish it with my relish and seasoning mix, which I’ll get to in a moment. Now, I grew up in Chicago, and I have a deep and abiding respect for the classic: yellow mustard, neon green relish, sport peppers, a poppy seed bun, and absolutely no ketchup, so help you God. But this one has it beat.

Ingredients

All Beef Dog (Hebrew National or Nathans Famous)

Brioche Buns

Relish Ingredients

Relish (Makes about 1 1/2 Cups of relish)

1/4 Cup Rough Chopped Banana Peppers

1/4 Cup Rough Chopped Red Pickled Onions

1/4 Cup Sweet Pickle Relish

2 Tablespoons Mayo

3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

1/3 Cup Ketchup

1 Tablespoon Siracha

Directions

1. Heat up your grill and put diagonal hatch marks on both sides of your dogs. This allows for better carmelization.
2. Mix all the relish ingredients together.
3. Grill your dogs, put the buns inside down on the grill about halfway through the dog grilling process.
4. Cover both sides of the buns liberally with the relish and place the dogs inside.