Brazilian Hot Dog (Cachorro-Quente)
Cachorro-quente Say it: ka-SHOH-hoo KEN-chee
The Brazilian cachorro-quente is a hot dog turned into a full meal: a soft bun loaded with a sausage simmered in tomato sauce, a generous spoonful of creamy mashed potato, sweet corn, peas, fresh tomato-and-onion vinagrete and a fistful of crispy shoestring potatoes. It is sold from street carts and corner lanchonetes all over the country and made at home for birthdays and late-night suppers. The result is messy, hearty and layered — soft, saucy and crunchy all at once.
Brazilian Hot Dog (Cachorro-Quente)
Cachorro-quente
Pronounced ka-SHOH-hoo KEN-chee
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg, mustard. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
The hot dogs
Mashed potato (purê)
Vinagrete
Toppings
Method
Make the vinagrete first so the flavors settle: toss the diced tomato, onion, parsley, vinegar, olive oil and salt in a bowl and set aside at room temperature.
Boil the potatoes in salted water for 15–18 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance. Drain well and let the steam escape for a minute.
Mash the hot potatoes with the butter, then beat in the warm milk and salt until smooth, thick and fluffy. Cover and keep warm.
Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat and cook the onion for 4–5 minutes until soft and translucent, then add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes, water, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and no longer tastes raw.
Slip the sausages into the sauce, lower the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes, turning once, until they are plump, heated through and lightly stained by the sauce. Keep them in the sauce off the heat.
Warm the buns in a low oven or cut-side down in a dry pan for 1–2 minutes, until soft and just toasted at the edges.
Build each hot dog. spread a thick layer of mashed potato inside the bun, add a sausage, spoon over plenty of sauce, then add corn, peas, vinagrete and a squeeze of ketchup and mustard.
Finish with a shower of batata palha and a drizzle of mayonnaise and serve immediately, while the potato sticks are still crisp.
Regional variant: Pressed Hot Dog (Cachorro-quente prensado)
Very popular in São Paulo, this version is assembled with the mashed potato, sauce, vinagrete and a slice of mozzarella or grated cheese inside the bun, then pressed in a hot sandwich grill (or a heavy pan weighed down with a pot) for 3–4 minutes per side. The bun turns crisp and golden, the cheese melts and the fillings fuse together; the batata palha and mayonnaise go on only after pressing.
Cook's notes
- Mash the potatoes while they are hot and stop as soon as they are smooth — overworking them makes the purê gluey.
- Keep the sausages in their sauce and reheat gently; boiling them hard makes the skins split.
- Add the batata palha at the very last moment so it stays crunchy against the soft bun.
Serve with
Cold Guaraná or a fresh sugarcane juice, with plenty of napkins.
Make ahead and storage
The tomato sauce, mashed potato and vinagrete keep refrigerated for up to 2 days; reheat the sauce and potato gently and assemble the hot dogs to order.
