Karen Barnaby: South American hotdogs are full of whimsy and enchantment

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It started with Duolingo, and my quest to learn Spanish. That propelled me down the rabbit hole of South American hotdogs. Like Alice in Wonderland, I discovered whimsy, enchantment and things that made me go “hmmm.”

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I didn’t know that South America had a well-established hotdog culture and it sent me through a swamp of heated internet opinions and debates as I searched for common threads in the perro caliente culture of Chile, Colombia and Venezuela. One thing they all do have in common is their colossal size and lavish toppings.

This is by no means comprehensive. Hotdogs are also piled with salami, sausage, shredded chicken, bacon, pepperoni, corn, vegetables, various cheeses, a vast selection of sauces … anything seems fair game for a perro caliente. The dogs themselves are most commonly simmered but can also be griddled, and the buns are usually steamed. Some vendors buy their sauces, others make their own secret recipes. I’ve included recipes for the popular sauces from each country here. If you want to take your hotdogs to the next level, look no further.

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Even though the adage says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, it’s not true at all. I learned a few more words in Spanish and my hotdogs are fully tricked out.

Notes

• Depending on how much sauce you use and how big your hotdogs and buns are, 1 cup (250 mL) is enough for 4-8 dogs. In addition to the sauces and toppings, hotdogs are generously slathered with mustard, ketchup and more mayonnaise.

• For the potato sticks that are essential on Colombian and Venezuelan dogs, I used Hostess brand Hickory Sticks, or you can use crushed, kettle-style chips.

• The hotdogs I used for testing the recipes were 6-inches (15 cm) long and weighed 3 oz (80 g). The buns were 7-inches (18cm) long.

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Colombian Perros

One popular perro in the city of Medellín doesn’t have a hotdog in the bun, it’s filled with chopped bacon and covered with a slab of melted cheese. Another contains bacon with a chopped hotdog, mayo, quail egg and potato sticks.

Typical toppings: salsa rosada, pineapple sauce, dry aged cotijo type cheese (sub Romano cheese), shredded cheese, coleslaw, chopped onion, hard-cooked quail eggs, potato sticks. The dogs are sometimes simmered in a broth flavoured with herbs, chilies and vegetables.

Colombian Style Pineapple Sauce

1 tbsp (15 mL) neutral flavoured vegetable oil

1/2 cup (125 mL) finely chopped onion

1 398 mL can pineapple chunks

1/4 cup (60 mL) sugar

Large pinch of salt

Heat the oil in a small pot over medium low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until soft and translucent but not browned. Transfer to a blender. Add the can of pineapple with its juice, sugar and salt. Puree until smooth. Return to the same pot, turn the heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently until thickened and reduced to about 1 cup (250 mL). Remove from the heat and cool. Store covered and refrigerated for up to one week.

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Makes approximately 1 cup (250 mL)

Colombian Style Salsa Rosada

1/2 cup (125 mL) mayonnaise

1/2 cup (125 mL) ketchup

1/4 tsp (1 mL) granulated garlic

Large pinch of cayenne

Mix all the ingredients together. Keeps for 5 days covered and refrigerated.

Makes approximately 1 cup (250 mL)

Venezuelan Asquerositos

Asquerositos means “disgusting” or “little disgusting things.” How the name came about is inconclusive. It could be based on the actual dish, or the state of the vendor’s establishment.

Typical toppings: Corn sauce, garlic sauce, shredded cabbage, chopped onion, shredded cheese, dry aged cotijo type cheese (sub Romano cheese), potato sticks.

Venezuelan Style Garlic Sauce

This sauce packs a garlicky punch. Reduce the number of cloves to make it milder.

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1 cup (250 mL) mayonnaise

1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice

1/2 cup (125 mL) coarsely chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems, packed

3 medium cloves garlic, smashed

Place the ingredients in the order given in a blender. Pulse until the cilantro is finely chopped. Keeps for 5 days covered and refrigerated.

Makes approximately 1 cup (250 mL)

Venezuelan Style Corn Sauce

Fritz brand Maiz Salsa is a very popular Venezuelan condiment that contains no corn, but it does contain “aroma identical to natural corn.” Resourceful Venezuelans on the internet make their own using canned corn. Their versions are a little sweeter than the recipe here, add the sugar if you like it sweet.

1 341 mL can corn niblets

4 tbsp (60 mL) mayonnaise

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1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL) yellow mustard

1/8 tsp (.6 mL) EACH granulated garlic and granulated onion

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

1 tsp (5 mL) sugar, if desired

Drain the corn well. Transfer to a blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. For a very smooth sauce, press through a fine sieve. Keeps for 5 days covered and refrigerated.

Makes approximately 1 cup (250 mL)

The Chilean Completo

Chile seems to be more orderly in its toppings but of course, there are multiple exceptions to the rule. Two of the standards are: The Completo which typically contains sauerkraut, tomatoes, American sauce (finely chopped pickled vegetables), green chili sauce, and mayonnaise, and the Italian Completo composed of diced tomato, mashed avocado and mayonnaise. The tomatoes on top of the Italiano are held in place by a massive swath of mashed avocado. It’s finished off with a large stripe of mayonnaise.

Avocado and Tomato for Completo Italiano

Some people like chopped onion on this dog and I think it’s a welcome addition.

2 ripe avocados

2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

2 plum tomatoes, finely diced

Mayonnaise as desired

Just before serving, peel and pit the avocados. Mash with a fork on a deep plate until homogenous, yet still chunky. Season with the lemon juice and salt. When assembling, remember to put the tomatoes on top of the dog then smear on the avocado to hold it in place. Garnish with mayonnaise as desired.

Makes enough for 4-8 dogs