[Original artwork and photographs: Hawk Krall]

For Super Bowl week I thought I'd change things up at Hot Dog of the Week and test out my recipe for bacon-wrapped Mexican hot dogs, known as Tijuana Dogs, or Danger Dogs in Los Angeles and Sonorans in Arizona. There are some regional differences but both stick to the basic formula of bacon-wrapped dogs and a cornucopia of Mexican garnishes.

Street vendors put everything from pinto beans and pineapple to American condiments such as pickles, ketchup, cheese whiz on these but I stuck to the basics with fresh-made toppings and the results were delicious. It's a great balance of texture and flavor; hot and cold, both spice and temperature-wise.

Cutting the Bolillo rolls.

I went all out using halved Mexican Bolillo rolls toasted in bacon fat, but regular hot dog buns will work just as well. Although I definitely recommend making the guacamole and pico de gallo from scratch. It's so easy and the pre-packed stuff is not really worth eating. If you can't find Mexican cheese—Whole Foods usually carries it, although it's cheaper and better at a Mexican grocery—farmer's cheese would make a fine substitute.

You can use your favorite brand of hot dog although I would recommend using a longer-than-average frank to hold up the toppings and keep the dog from getting lost. (I used Hebrew Nationals.) Avoid thick-cut bacon which will take forever to cook and probably fall off of the dogs.

The Components

Hot Dogs: Wrap each hot dog in one slice of bacon. Place the wrapped hot dogs in a container or plastic wrap and refridgerate while you work on the garnishes. Letting them sit for a while will help to keep the bacon in place while cooking.

Rolls: If you are using Bolillo rolls, cut them in half, then cut off about three-fourths of an inch of each end to create a flat surface. Then split the resulting piece leaving about a half-inch on the bottom uncut, very much like a New England bun. (See diagram above)

Lime Crema: Pour heavy cream, a half-inch of the white part of one scallion, a handful of cilantro, squeeze of half a lime and pinch of salt into a Pyrex or similar container. Use a stick blender to combine and then whip the cream. Move the stick blender up and down slowly, and just barely out of the liquid, to help push air into the cream.

If you don't have a stick blender you can just whip heavy cream with the lime juice and fold in finely chopped cilantro.

Roasted Garlic and Chiles: Toss 4 Anaheims and 8 cloves of garlic (still in husk) in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 375°F for about 15 minutes or until everything is done. You want the chiles to be dark but not black. Let cool, and peel garlic cloves. Clean and de-seed the chilis if you want.

I like the look and heat of a whole roasted chili on the hot dog so I didn't do any of this. But you might want to cut them in half or use milder peppers for your less adventurous friends (although the avocado and crema do a mighty fine job of cutting down the heat).

Pico De Gallo: Dice tomatillos and tomatoes. Finely dice half of the onion, and 2 or 3 stalks of scallion (about 1/3 cup of each). Mince about 1/4 or less of a fresh Anaheim chile. Chop another handful of cilantro. Combine in a bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil and the juice of 1 lime and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Guacamole: Finely mince the shallots and half of the white onion. Finely slice 2 or 3 stalks of scallion, and chop about 1/2 cup of cilantro. Add to bowl. Remove flesh from two avocados and place in the bowl, adding the juice of one lemon immediately to stop oxidation. Mash everything up with two forks, leave some chunks, you don't want a puree. Add olive oil, salt and pepper, and more lemon juice to taste. Cover with a paper towel soaked in lemon juice and refrigerate until ready to use.

Hawk Krall is a Philadelphia-based illustrator who has a serious thing for hot dogs. Dig his dog drawings? Many of the illustrations he has created for Hot Dog of the Week are available for sale: hawkkrall.net/prints/.