Maxwell Street Polish

The Maxwell Polish is a Chicago classic. It is a spicy Polish sausage topped with grilled, caramelized onions and yellow mustard on a toasted bun.

When you make a Maxwell Street Polish, it's important to use a Polish with some heat so you may have to seek out a good specialty meat shop or butcher to find the key ingredient.
I used a "Bahama Mama" sausage, sold at Schmidt's Sausage Haus in Columbus, Ohio's German Village. Schmidt's has been in business since 1886 and they feature a great selection of sausages for carry out.

Ingredients:

• Bahama Mama - cross between a polish kielbasa and a all-beef hot dog but spicier than either - made with beef and pork
• 2 medium yellow onions, cut into strips
• 1 tspn sugar
• 1 tspn salt
  
• mustard, yellow
• butter
• hot dog buns
  

Preparation:

1. Place onions in a skillet with 2 tbsp butter, sugar, and salt. Cook onions over medium-low heat until onions become golden brown.
2. Remove from heat and set aside.
   
3. Cut sausages lengthwise almost all of the way through.
   
4. Place a metal cooling rack on a baking sheet and place in an oven preheated to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the sausages on the cooling rack and bake for about 40 minutes until edges of sausage begin to get crisp.
5. Melt 1/2 tbsp butter in skillet over medium heat. Toast hot dog buns face down on skillet for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
6. Place sausage in bun, apply desired amount of mustard, and caramelized onions. Serve hot.
   

Polish Chicago