Some variations also include hot dogs where everything inside even the hot dog is deep fried. While you can use ketchup for the Italian hot dog it is frowned upon by locals, as Hank Shaw a New Jersey native himself says, “I've even heard of a few versions of this sandwich that use ketchup, a condiment which, when combined with a hot dog, will get you whacked in most parts of Jersey.” One popular variant in Belleville uses two long hot dogs,  french fries, fried peppers and onions, topped with tomato sauce and placed in a  pizza bread roll. The roll, spelled "apizza" and pronounced "abeetz", is cut along the side into a pocket.
Additionally, some variations include deep-fried hot dogs where every component, including the hot dog, is deep-fried. Locals tend to frown upon using ketchup on an Italian-style hot dog, as Hank Shaw, a native New Jerseyan, remarks, “I've come across a few versions that incorporate ketchup, which would be considered taboo in most areas of Jersey.” A popular variant in Belleville consists of two long hot dogs, french fries, fried peppers and onions, topped with tomato sauce and nestled within a pizza bread roll.