At least twice a day, I pass the same sign in a Chilean bakery's window in Queens, New York. On it, a blurry picture of what looks to be a well-dressed hot dog illustrates the words THE REVOLUTIONARY CHILEAN HOT DOG..! GIVE YOURSELF AN OPPORTUNITY!!
If this seems like a bit of an overstatement for something built upon a plain old American hot dog, it's not. For these precious last few days of hot-dog season (not, of course, that you shouldn't enjoy them off-season), let us introduce you to the completo, which is quite revolutionary and quite simple.
Literally meaning "complete" in Spanish, the completo takes a hot dog and piles it high with chilled toppings — tomatoes, sauerkraut, mashed avocado, and a ton of mayo. This is what makes for a new sensory experience. It's like the Latin American sibling of a Chicago dog. But better. The completo recipe below is sometimes called a completo Italiano because of its resemblance to the Italian flag.
Completo
Ingredients:
Hot dogs
Hot dog buns
Diced fresh tomatoes
Mild sauerkraut
Chilled mayo (homemade if possible, or the best you can find)
Avocado (mashed and chilled)
Preparation:
Cook up your hot dogs and toast your hot dog buns as you normally would. If you're lucky enough to have a neighborhood Chilean bakery, get your buns from there. They're slightly sweet and substantial enough to hold all these toppings.
Assemble your hot dogs and buns so they stay standing, while you top them with sauerkraut and diced tomatoes. Add a schmear of avocado and a really generous helping of mayo.
