Cachorro Quente

Translation: Hot dog

Pronunciation: Ca-sho-ho kein-chi

Hotdog is a dish of that almost everybody in the world knows of. Every country has its own version of a hot dog and toppings. Brazilian hot dogs are entirely different from its original American counterpart. Instead of just putting things on top of the hot dog, in Brazil they cook the hot dogs in a tomato sauce for extra flavor. Even within Brazil, the condiments and style of preparation change significantly. Some locals in Sao Paulo might prefer to add mashed potato to their hotdog while in the central region, corn and potato sticks are more likely to appear as toppings. Some states in the Northeastern area use a mixture of sausage and ground beef and in the South, where German influence is strong, sauerkraut makes an appearance.

Since it is an easy meal that can feed a lot of children, my grandmother would make hot dogs for every birthday party my mom, aunt, and uncle would have. A little family fun fact: my grandma had immense cravings for it when she was pregnant with my mom, and it turns out, Brazilian hotdog is my mom's favorite junk-comfort food.

Personally, I am not a big fan of hot dogs but I love a cachorro quente. I didn't like it when I was younger but now I have grown to love the flavor of the corn and tomato sauce.

Recipe:

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

6-9 servings

Difficulty: 2/5

Ingredients:

1/4 cup diced or grated onion (can also be beat in food processor)

1/2 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp garlic

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 can tomato sauce

Salt*

Pepper*

1 can corn

1/4 tsp parsley

Pack of hot dogs (can use any amount but 6-9 is best)

* to taste

Instructions:

1. In a pot fry the onions with the oil on medium-low heat until onion is golden brown.

2. Add the garlic and bay leaf and fry until garlic is golden brown.

3. Mix in the tomato paste, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, corn, and parsley.

4. Put the lid on and let the sauce sit for 5-10 minutes

5. Add hot dogs and mix into the sauce.

6. Cover with the lid and let boil on low for 15-20 minutes. Stir the mixture occasionally so bottom doesn't burn.

Tips and Tricks:

• In Brazil there is a very popular energy drink called Guaraná (which can be bought on Amazon and some Brazilian stores) that goes very well with cachorro quente.

• If you want even more flavor in your hot dogs, I recommend cutting the hot dog so it takes in more of the sauce.

• This can be eaten with a hot dog bun but I prefer eating it by itself.