Chilean Completo Italiano
A long hot dog in a big soft bun, buried under diced tomato, salted mashed avocado and a heavy line of mayonnaise, in the red, green and white of the Italian flag.
Chile's official tourism board says Eduardo Bahamondes brought the hot dog home from the United States in the 1920s and sold it at his "Quick Lunch Bahamondes" on Santiago's Plaza de Armas. He swapped mustard and ketchup for other toppings and called it "completo" because it came with almost everything. The board also says the "italiano" is named for its tomato, avocado and mayo, the colours of the Italian flag. Dominó, founded in 1952, is widely called the gold standard, and Fuente Alemana has served completos since the 1940s.
Why it works the kitchen science
Salted, drained tomato
Salting and draining the tomato stops it flooding the bun, so the avocado can sit on top like a lid.
Avocado as the seal
A smooth, level layer of avocado holds the tomato in place and carries the mayo, so each bite gets all three.
Step by step
- Step 1
Put the hot dogs in a pot of cold water, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, about 8 minutes, then simmer 5 minutes, until steaming hot (165°F for higher-risk eaters).
- Step 2
While they heat, toss the diced tomato with the oil and a big pinch of salt, and let it drain in a sieve 5 minutes.
- Step 3
Mash the avocados with salt until smooth. Only salt, no lime.
- Step 4
Warm the rolls in a 350°F oven 3 minutes, until warm with a light crust.
- Step 5
Put a hot dog in each roll. Spoon tomato along it, then spread about 1/2 cup avocado over the tomato and smooth it level with the edges of the roll.
- Step 6
Finish with a thick line of mayonnaise, about 2 tbsp each. Eat right away, by hand, holding the completo level.
Chilean Completo Italiano
Serves 4 (1 completo each) · 4 completos · 30 min total
Dogs and buns
- 4 long hot dogs (vienesas), about 1/4 lb each, or foot-long franks
- 4 large, soft rolls (hoagie or brioche-style hot dog rolls, about 7 to 8 inches)
Tomato
- 2 ripe tomatoes, finely diced (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
- Salt
Avocado
- 2 ripe Hass avocados
- Salt
To finish
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
Method
- Put the hot dogs in a pot of cold water, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, about 8 minutes, then simmer 5 minutes, until steaming hot (165°F for higher-risk eaters).
- While they heat, toss the diced tomato with the oil and a big pinch of salt, and let it drain in a sieve 5 minutes.
- Mash the avocados with salt until smooth. Only salt, no lime.
- Warm the rolls in a 350°F oven 3 minutes, until warm with a light crust.
- Put a hot dog in each roll. Spoon tomato along it, then spread about 1/2 cup avocado over the tomato and smooth it level with the edges of the roll.
- Finish with a thick line of mayonnaise, about 2 tbsp each. Eat right away, by hand, holding the completo level.
Adapted from Tara's Multicultural Table, "Completo Italiano", halved to 4 big completos. Portions follow Lucky Peach's completo as published by The Splendid Table (about 1/2 cup avocado and 2 tbsp mayo per dog, long dogs and big rolls). The Chilean rules (salt-only avocado, dogs boiled not grilled, eaten by hand) come from Pilar Hernandez, Chilean Food & Garden. Tara's Multicultural Table. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
Tips
- Mash the avocado at the last minute so it stays bright green.
- In Chile the mayo goes on generously. Use a squeeze bottle for a neat line.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Named for the Italian flag. Documented (chile.travel). The idea that the Italian Devillaine family, who later bought the Bahamondes business, created it is Folklore.
- Salt only in the avocado, never lemon or lime. Documented as Pilar Hernandez's rule ("never done in Chile"); some US recipes add lime.
- Dogs boiled or steamed, never grilled. Documented (Pilar Hernandez).
- Eaten by hand, held level, never with a knife and fork. Documented (Pilar Hernandez).
- Topping order. Disputed: Pilar puts mayo first under the dog and avocado last as a seal; Tara layers tomato, avocado, then mayo; Lucky Peach levels the avocado and pipes mayo on top.
- The bun. Disputed: a large hot dog bun is normal; Pilar prefers brioche; Lucky Peach uses hoagie rolls; a split marraqueta is a home substitute. The term "pan de completo" is unverified.
- Disputed, the founding date. The 1920s (chile.travel; Wikipedia) vs 1935, claimed by the restaurant El Portal Ex Bahamondes (The Clinic). The inventor's full name "Eduardo Bahamondes Muñoz" appears only in Roads and Kingdoms.
Every other hot dog style
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Chicago-Style Hot Dog
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New York Street Cart Hot Dog
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Detroit Coney Island Hot Dog
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Sonoran Hot Dog
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New Jersey Italian Hot Dog
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DC Half-Smoke
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Seattle Cream Cheese Dog
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American Corn Dog
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Danish Ristet Pølse
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Korean Corn Dog (Gamja Hotdog)
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Coney Island Griddled Dog, Inspired by Nathan's Famous
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25-Minute Air-Fryer Chili Cheese Dogs
Air-fried franks, a quick skillet chili and melted cheddar, on the table in about 25 minutes.
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