Wet hot dogs, or “completos mojados” in spanish are a regional variation of the Italian-style completo, particularly popular in the Maule region of Chile. This unique sandwich has become a signature dish of the city of Talca.
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How to make Wet Hot Dogs?
Although still relatively unknown to most Chileans, the talquino-style completo is distinguished by two main features: steaming the bread to make it moist and soft and using grated tomatoes instead of chopped ones.
Nutritional facts
Each serving of talquino-style hot dogs contains approximately 750 kcal, 70 g of carbohydrates, 45 g of fats, 20 g of proteins, 6 g of fiber, 8 g of sugars, 50 mg of cholesterol, and 1200 mg of sodium.
Chilean Wet Hot Dogs recipe
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 20 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 4 sausages
- 4 hot dog buns
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1 large avocado
- Homemade mayonnaise
Preparation
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and cook the sausages for about 5 minutes (check the specific instructions for your brand). Avoid overcooking, which can cause them to split.
- Peel the tomatoes and grate them finely to form a smooth tomato sauce. Peel and mash the avocado into a smooth puree. Optionally, season the avocado with a pinch of salt.
- In a large pot, add about 3 cm of boiling water. Place a colander over the pot, ensuring it doesn’t touch the water. Cover the colander with a clean kitchen towel, place the opened buns on top, wrap them with the towel, and steam them for about 5 minutes. The buns should become soft and slightly moist.
- Carefully place one sausage inside each bun. Add a layer of tomato sauce, followed by a layer of avocado puree (completely covering the tomato), and top generously with homemade mayonnaise. Optionally, you can add sauerkraut, relish, ketchup, and mustard to taste.
Additional tips
The secret to a perfect Talquino-style hot dog is the soft and moist texture of the bread, achieved by steaming it—a crucial step for authenticity.
History of the Wet Hot Dog
The origins of the “completos mojados” trace back to the street food carts on 6 Oriente Street in Talca. Vendors adopted the steaming method to speed up the preparation process, evenly warm the buns, and enhance their softness.
Did you know?
In 2023, two architecture students from the University of Talca, working on their thesis titled “Talca: City of the Hot Dog,” attempted to break the Guinness World Record for the longest hot dog, creating one that stretched over 450 meters!
