No Sport Peppers? Put These On Your Chicago Hot Dog Instead

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In Chicago, pickled peppers bring a cherished touch of heat. They're melded alongside other vegetables in giardiniera, a tangy, spicy, and slightly sweet condiment that dresses classics like Italian beef sandwiches. You'll find them as a topping on deep-dish pizza, lending a dash of brightness alongside the tomato sauce. Yet — perhaps most importantly — they're one of the quintessential ingredients placed on a Chicago-style hot dog.

On this dish, it's specifically sport peppers that deliver a burst of acidic and hot flavor. The small green chile has a composition ideal for pickling, with a meatier consistency that stands up to vinegar. And the heat level is just right: the peppers' Scoville rating is similar to that of serrano and tabasco chiles. Yet despite a dedicated following in the Windy City, these peppers can be hard to find elsewhere. So if you're looking for a suitable replacement, consider options like pickled jalapeños, serranos, pepperoncinis, or flavorful banana peppers. While not an identical match, such choices will nevertheless deliver the Chicago hot dog experience.

As part of the Capsicum annuum species, sport peppers have thousands of similar relatives. Yet finding an exact replacement isn't easy, as few commonly pickled varieties offer quite the same texture and level of spice. For instance, pepperoncinis may look interchangeable and can be placed on a hot dog to delicious effect. However, they won't deliver the same level of heat.

A similar sentiment applies to pickled jalapeños and banana peppers. The former offers a similar shape, and the latter a comparable crunch, but both fall short in spice. The best replacement option is a pickled serrano. Also green and similar in size, this pepper delivers just enough bite.

Just take note that when you opt for a different pickled chile, you're no longer making a traditional Chicago hot dog. Sport peppers are deeply intertwined with the dish for several reasons. For one, they're simply a tasty candidate for pickling: Their flesh holds up well in preservation, letting diners enjoy a whole pepper atop their dog. Not to mention, Chicago diners love to stay loyal to the classics, often reaching for the flavors of Vienna Beef brand sport peppers to accompany their favorite frank producer. So to craft a perfect Chicago dog rendition, you'll want to buy a nostalgic-looking jar of Vienna Sport Peppers online.