Corned Beef and Guinness

4 lbs. whole Vienna Beef Corned Beef Brisket

2 cups brown sugar

16 oz. Guiness beer, or your favorite stout

Preheat oven to 325°F, make sure the corned beef is dry after you rake it our of the package. Place the brisket on a rack in an oven safe roasting pan. Rub the brown sugar all over the brisket top and bottom. Pour the beer into the roasting pan around the brisket, just slightly getting the brown sugar wet on the brisket. Cover, and place in preheated oven. Bake for 2 hours. Add your favorite vegetables in the roasting pan. Cover again and cook for 1 more hour. You may have more beer to cover the vegetables. Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Wash brisket. Make small X slits in the meat and insert garlic and cloves. Place the meat into a stockpot (at least 8 quarts). Cover the meat with water. Add bay leaves, cinnamon, Old Bay, peppercorns, 2 carrots and sliced celery. Bring to a boil, skim off foam and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer 2-3 hours, or until meat is nearly tender. Meanwhile, prepare vegetables. Quarter the cabbage, peel potatoes, carrots, turnips and parsnips. Slice vegetables into 2 inch chunks. During last half hour, add remaining vegetables and cook until tender.

What is your favorite St Patty’s Treat?

So, when I was just a wee-one and March came around I had 3 thoughts dancing in my head …

1)    how I could justify not getting pinched because I wore green underwear (does the green, really have to be visible? … it’s so much more fun to pinch someone back twice because you can prove you are, indeed wearing green …)

2) calculating the difficulty added inches of snow would cause to the adventure of finally cornering that elusive little man in the top hat and tails … there is so much more effort involved in running through 5 inches of snow as compared to grass.

I did, one year, realize I shouldn’t compare catching Santa or the Easter Bunny with a Leprechaun … though the hopping and the ability to shoot up and down a chimney is impressive, having your location marked by only the ever-changing reflection of the sun on water particles makes catching the little guy darn near impossible … no matter how many times you try

And 3) when and how often corned beef would make the menu … lunch, dinner, breakfast … didn’t matter … corned beef was always good!

Let me be Bubba of Bubba Gump, for a moment … corned beef and cabbage, corned beef hash, corned beef sandwiches, cold cut corned beef on whole wheat crackers with a touch of cheese … YUM!

As I have grown up (a bit) the pot ‘o’ gold, though still desirable, has not become any easier to find … I think, now, I’ll focus not on catching the Leprechaun nor planning on ways to use those glistening ingots but rather divert my effort into finding the perfect menu for St Patrick’s Day.

To be nice, as I no longer wear green underwear in the hopes of pinching twice as hard, I would like to share my favorite corned beef recipes with you. I would be most appreciative and excited to see what tasty treats you indulge in for St. Patty’s Day?  Will you be Gump, to my Bubba?

Relishing next week … it’s Madness …

Riding the high of Chicago’s World’s Fair Frank’s family, Hot Dogs, were rapidly becoming local … really … national celebrities!  In a daring move they joined forces with Emil Reichel and Sam Ladany, Austro-Hungarian immigrants they met during their exposition days, to create a Chicago-based sausage factory. One year after the fair, Vienna Sausage Company was introduced on the Near West Side of Chicago on S. Halsted Ave.

The early part of the 20^th century saw the dreams of Reichel, Ladany and the Hot Dog family soar from a humble one-store start to the retirement of horse-drawn delivery carts in favor of Ford’s famous modus operandii of transportation. As The Great Depression hit the U.S. in the 30’s Hot Dogs hit the streets. No soup kitchens for Chicagoans, no, not when a nickel got you a bun, a dog AND the “salad on top”. Vienna offered a nifty, nutritious and affordable meal to her neighbors in a time when no one knew when the dust would settle. A love affair blossomed out of a dust bowl and Chicago-style Hot Dog was born.

An extended family grew throughout the Chicagoland into Indiana, Wisconsin and well, and then the Hot Dogs packed up the Studebaker and headed across the Mississippi.  The patriarch of the family even relocated from the Near West Side to the North Side of Chicago … where they have now resided for the past 40 years.

With all the success Hot Dogs saw in the past they decided to give back to those who made them … Vienna began to help hot dog connoisseurs pursue their ambitions of dog-based businesses. During this time a close kinship between Chicago-style and D. Pickle-Spear developed and in the early 80’s their union brought forth Chicago Pickle. To this day this family is inseparable! Adding to their numbers, the family introduced fraternal twins Bistro and B. Frank, their newest members, the very next year.

Again, with the family growing expansion was necessary … family members retired to Palmetto, FL while others had sunny opportunistic dreams of Los Angeles, CA. while still others wanted to try a more international flavor.

Taking a more active role in politics Vienna, Chicago-style and B. Frank brokered the “Piece Treaty” of 2005 with Rosen’s Buns.

“No longer will the inequalities of quantity turn our sisters and brothers out the door! It is their right to have equal opportunity for use … “ –B. Frank quote taken from 2005 interview.

To this day the family can be seen raising new generations, such as Jalapeno Cheddar and Mini Pretzel, helping in their community (all of them) and continuing the tradition they started 117 years ago.

In doing this research I have found a deeper appreciation for B. Frank, indeed the entirety of the Sausage clan. From a quiet origin to a Columbian social introduction to elevation to local and national heroes, this family … this B. Frank is without question … the epitome of determination, accomplishment, custom, class and taste! One night in a sauerkraut and ketchup, in my eyes, can and will be forgiven!

Join the cause to restore B. Frank’s reputation! Do you have stories in which B. Frank, Vienna, Chicago-style, Hot Dogs or the family, Sausages have impacted your life? Share your stories … they deserve to be heard!!

Relishing next week … C. Beef … the Irish Side of the Family…

We stay our investigation of B. Frank’s questionable citizenship, for the moment, in the interest of world competition … nay, not just world competition but world celebration!!

February 12, 2010 saw the XXI Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada commence! Nations converge on this beautiful host city to support their homeland heroes whether they are on the slopes, on the tracks or on the ice! Hockey sticks to skeleton sleds, razor-sharp skates to granite stones, our athletes, with their tackle and a lifetime of preparation will put it ALL on the line … for a precious medal and world recognition! In the stands or on the sofa we, friends, family and devotees, raise the chants we call our national anthems when one step (or a tenth of a second) separates a gold from a silver, a silver from a bronze.

Some champions have been crowned …some are yet to be determined! Let us take a moment to recognize those, from the shores of our great nation, who have ascended the steps of greatness! Let us do so not with recounting their feats as we can see for ourselves in the papers or in the newsreels… nay, let us recognize them in true Vienna fashion … through their home town (or regional) dogs!

To you, Lindsey Vonn, triumph resounds for your gold and bronze medals in the Downhill and Super-G, from grill to rafter, from your Minnesota “Dome Dog.” 100% black angus rewards 100% dedication!

To you, Seth Wescott, the “red snapper” salutes you! Sweet onion relish and celery salt celebrations will follow you from Route 1, in Maine, all the way down to Johnson County, N.C. where the BBQ “slaw dog,” will brandish for your brawn!

To you, Shaun White, the “Dodger” and the “Original Oki” Dog delight in your Halfpipe dream, fulfilled! The “Original Oki Dog” knows what it’s like to repeat, with its two hot dogs on a flour tortilla, covered in chili and pastrami! You have the WOW factor!

And to our local heroes, Evan Lysacek and Shani Davis, your “Chicago-Style Dog” champions a romp in the garden in YOUR NAME! To your gold medals Vienna would like to add a little light celery salt, a dollop of neon green relish, some onions, tomato wedges, 2 sport “appropriate” peppers, and yellow mustard. We don’t think the gold and yellow will clash!

For our athletes whose state or town doesn’t have a known regional “dog flavor” (and we apologize for not knowing) we applaud you with an honorary Chicago-Style Dog, it is gold in our eyes!

Help us honor ALL of our national and international heroes with their appropriate regional “dog flavors”! We want to know the color of the medal and the taste of the hot dog! Send us your flavorful recipes in tribute to an athlete!

Relishing next week … a Return to Glory or an Explanation of Origin

Digging for the truth is like digging in the earth … you know you’re going to find a worm but when you first touch the cold, squishy, slimy little guy you’re always surprised to do so!

Uncovering the truth behind the hullabaloo surrounding our dear B. Frank has not been easy … so many stories, so many leads … so much confusion! Let me work through what I’ve found … I know there will be uproars, and outbursts of “not so” … patience, my friends. Truth wins out in the end!

From what I can piece together, Franks’ ancestry, the Sausages, was originally thought to hail from Germany, Frankfurt am Main, specifically. However, doing some light reading this weekend it might seem that the Sausages have been around for A LOT longer. A 9^th century BC author by the name of Homer (you might have heard of him) referenced sausages in his famous piece, “The Odyssey.” However, not to be outdone by the Greeks, Nero Caesar, is also credited with their rise in history.

I ponder the whereabouts of the Sausages in other works of literature … were they known in England as William Shakespeare penned his sonnets? Were on the mind of Miguel de Cervantes as Don Quixote became real? Have you read a classic mentioning Sausages or Hot Dogs or other nomenclatures of the dynasty? I would be interested in finding out …

Whether of Greek or Roman origination Frankfurt celebrated the Sausages’ 500^th birthday in 1987 at the same time Vienna (Wien), Austria tried to prove their claim through a nomenclature-based argument as the home of the Sausages.

As with the entirety of European history (well, let’s not limit it to European history)… it’s difficult to determine who is right and who is wrong …this is not the Crusaders, for heaven’s sake!

Courtesy of Boston College of Fine Arts

Getting a bit closer to the present … and a bit further away from controversy … the Sausages sailed across the Atlantic to make a home in the New World.  In the early 1800’s, a new generation of Sausages, came into recognition- the Hot Dogs. It is unclear where they settled.  Some historians argue they débuted at baseball parks and push carts on the East Coast while others believe their ride on Ferris’ wheel with Buffalo Bill Cody on the shores of Lake Michigan in 1893 was their social introduction into American society. Other than making social appearances at such events as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition and the New York Polo Grounds in 1901 it would seem Hot Dogs kept a low profile.

This low profile was only a disguise, however …

Relishing next week …Of Dogs and Men …

how a hot dog became a frank

Being a celebrity has its own rewards … hmmm, some might say … hazards.

Fame … you pride yourself on how many times you see yourself on a 52.8 ft x 72.6 ft movie screen but are upset when your “after party” photo hits the news stands on an 11 x 17 front cover.

Fashion… everyone recognizes your face and killer body on the red carpet but that one time you stepped out of the grocery store in baggy sweat pants, hoodie and flip-flops still haunts you, to this day!

Notoriety … T.V. entertainment shows have interviewed you repeatedly about how you became a “star” but they never seem to get the details quite right.

No, I’m not talking about the Kennedys, Mel Gibson, Britney Spears or even Marilyn Monroe … no, unfortunately B. Frank, heir to the Vienna Frank family fortune and spokesperson for the Vienna Beef Company (Chicago, IL), is well acquainted with the dichotomies of fame, fashion and notoriety all too well.

Like his celebrity brethren, B. Frank is known nation-wide for his role as the Chicago Style Hot Dog but has felt the questioning looks from fans when after a chilling New York City debut he was caught on tape wearing a thick sauerkraut covering and red scarf. Some called Frank un-Chicago and doubted his true origins. The media got wind of this in no time and inquiries into his “citizenship” have arisen.

So, who is B. Frank? Where does the clan Sausage (as his ancestors are otherwise known as) hail from? When did Vienna become Chicago? Is B. Frank truly of Chicago? I NEED the truth, every red-blooded hot dog lover should demand it! 

I will have it!!

In true investigative journalistic fashion I’m going straight to the source … the public … send your knowledge of B. Frank’s origin, the history of Sausage, and whatever pertinent information you can provide to get to the root of these hideous allegations. It is of the utmost importance to the entire Chicago Style Hot Dog fan-nation!

Everyone enjoys a good controversy … if we didn’t have controversies dinner would just be … well, dinner. UNCOMFORTABLE!! However, let your controversy NOT be about our beloved B. Frank. Help the cause with your comments.

Relishing next week … I found more than WORMS in the Garden

Welcome to the Vienna Beef Blog … where everything sausage-, scrumptious- or Chicago-related is fair game!

For one hundred and sixteen years we have put our heart and hard work into making the city’s … I mean, the nation’s …wait, what I meant to say was … the WORLD’S best sausages. In our humble opinion, we think we’ve done a pretty “dog-gone” good job!

During this time we’ve stepped across the borders of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire, sailed the Atlantic Sea, set up shop at the intersection of Fullerton, Elston, and Damen Avenues, starred in Hollywood hits such as Blues Brothers, started a pickle, chili and soup company, supplied 1,800 plus Chicago stands, soloed on the south side and at the “Madhouse on Madison” … and we’ve done all this with a single-minded motto – to provide the BEST we have to offer!

Today, we begin a new adventure … that of straddling the line of cyber-space. You’ve seen us on the web and then befriended us on Facebook … we’ve even tweeted …why wait to blog?

Check us out weekly … or more often if your blogging addiction is on par with your hot dog addiction … let us know if we cut the mustard …

Relishing next week …

Another Celebrity with a Controversial Chronology …

don’t pretend you’re not intrigued