Hot Doug's Mastermind Doug Sohn On The Only Sausage He Couldn't Sell
This story is part of the Food Republic Butchering and Charcuterie Series, which will run through the spring.
Doug Sohn, owner of Hot Doug's, Chicago's most glorified hot dog stand, has sold all sorts of sausages over the years, from the classic Windy City–style Vienna beef dog to the "Tuben," his tubular take on a traditional Rueben sandwich.
Sohn's often obscurely titled franks ("The Shirley Hardman," anyone?) span virtually every type of meat in your butcher's repertoire and probably beyond, including an ever-revolving "Game of the Week" special, which spotlights a different wild animal: alligator, crawfish, pheasant, snake — you name it, he's probably stuck it in a bun, added some unusual toppings for good measure and sold it.
Only one weird wiener has ever turned out to be a total dud, according to Sohn: the andouillette, which he explains is the French word for, basically, "intestines stuffed with more intestines."
This tube of tripe is considered a delicacy in parts of France — and one with its own official trade group: Association Amicale des Amateurs d'Andouillette Authentique, which roughly translates to "the Friendly Association of Authentic Andouillette Lovers," also known as 5A.
In the Midwest, however, lovers of this particular brand of offal proved few and far between, at least among the patrons of Sohn's popular sausage spot. And that included the proprietor himself, who seems to have added the one-time menu item as a bold experiment — against his better judgment.
It's "the only kind of sausage that didn't sell," says Sohn. "And that was mostly me talking people out of it! This was a long time ago, and I would ask people, 'Have you had this?' And they're like, 'No.' I'm like, 'Yeah, you don't want it.'"
Part of what makes andouillette seem so odious to otherwise undaunted eaters is its distinctive strong odor. (No wonder, given all that intestinal matter.) "It's funky!" says Sohn.
Yet, despite his own distaste for the stuff, Sohn isn't ruling out a possible return for the funky French frank in the future. "I might do it again at some point, because now, I mean, things have changed," he says.
Other poor sellers in the past have proven quite popular with the passage of time, Sohn points out: "We've been in business 12 years. We did blood sausage, like, 10 years ago. Barely any sold. I did it again eight or nine months ago. No problem. Sold out of it and people were real positive about it."
Sohn explains the reversal as a function of diners' evolving palates. "There's definitely been a change, particularly in Chicago," he says. "People are more adventurous. Some of it is just trusting in us. We've got a great number of regulars who are willing to try the different things."
As for Andouillette: Part Deux, well, it's "still a possibility," Sohn says. "But a number of other new sausages have superseded it."
In other words: maybe later. You know, when he gets up the guts.
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