The Chicago-Favorite Relish You Should Be Adding To Burgers

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Chicagoland is known the world over for its hot dog toppings, but one of its other regionally beloved condiments is also terrific on burgers. Giardiniera, the pickled vegetable mix beloved around the Midwest's biggest city, is already compulsory for another Chicago culinary icon, the Italian beef, so why not add it to your patties, too?

The Windy City take on this Italian-rooted relish typically includes pickled cauliflower, bell peppers, carrots, and celery for crunch, plus chili peppers for heat. Like grandmom's Sunday sauce or baharat blend, other ingredients can pop up here and there, too, but the basic principle remains the same. Giardiniera is a convenient way to add texture and flavor to those burgers (or whatever else it's joining) without any additional à la minute work. You can even buy Chicago's own Vienna Giardiniera varieties readymade, but it's also easy enough to prepare at home, if a little time-consuming. Scratch-batched giardiniera also provides the opportunity to tinker with your own proprietary adaptations for a mild or spicier finish.

The most labor-intensive part of making giardiniera is the chopping. You'll need to dice about a third of a head of cauliflower, a couple of carrots and celery sticks, and a bell pepper, and toss it all together. Green bell peppers provide a nice color contrast, but red and yellow varieties are fine, too. The spice-averse can move on to the next step and boil the medley in a bath of water, white vinegar, and salt.

Then comes the longest part of giardiniera prep. The botanicals need to chill out in the refrigerator to pickle for a couple of days until they can be drained and re-packed in oil seasoned with things like fresh garlic, black pepper, and dried oregano to truly transform into a giardiniera. You can also experiment with mustard or fennel seeds, or almost anything else you've got on the old spice rack. Some preparations also skip the stovetop and brine in the refrigerator overnight, then add in the vinegar and seasonings before another two-day hangout in the fridge. All of the potential zags and adaptations are more opportunities to really make a giardiniera your own.

Heat-seekers will want to rewind to the cutting board and toss in those fiery chilis. Sport peppers are fairly traditional for a hotter Chicago-style giardiniera, although they are far from peak pepper intensity. For an even bigger kick, slice some habaneros, Thai chili peppers, or some combination of your preferred pickling picks.