July is National Hot Dog Month. It makes perfect sense. July is the peak of summer. You can’t walk through any neighborhood without the smell of a backyard BBQ wafting through the air. What doesn’t make sense is how people can put ketchup on a hot dog. That is blasphemy, people! And while I do enjoy both bacon and hot dogs, sorry LA, but bacon wrapped hot dogs are not my jam.

Without further adieu, the recipe for an authentic Chicago dog (i.e. the only way a hot dog should ever be prepared):

  • Steamed kosher-style, all-beef hotdog
  • Poppy seed bun (it won’t taste the same on a regular bun or even sesame seed)
  • Yellow mustard (nothing too fancy)
  • Chopped white onion
  • Sweet pick relish (if it’s not radioactive green, it’s not the real deal)
  • Dill pickle spear
  • Tomato slices
  • Celery salt
  • Sport peppers

Now that you know how to make a hot dog the right way, you can celebrate National Hot Dog Month with your subscribers. Customize a Benchmark email template for National Hot Dog Month. Share this recipe with them, and spread the word on the way a hot dog was meant to be eaten. Besides, the hot dog subject lines practically write themselves.