Panchos Argentinos (Argentine-Style Hot Dogs)

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell

Panchos are Argentina’s take on hot dogs—a street-food staple that features a vast array of toppings. Condiments typically include mayonnaise, mustard, and chimichurri. We swapped out the chimichurri in favor of a fresh salsa criolla, which takes just minutes to make with easy-to-find ingredients. It tastes even better the longer it sits.

Yield: 4 servings
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

For the Salsa Criolla:
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 small tomato, seeded, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
For the Hot Dogs and Assembly:
- 8 uncured natural casing all-beef sausages (such as Applegate)
- Mayonnaise (for serving)
- 4 hot dog buns, spilt
- Yellow mustard (for serving)

Preparation

Make the Salsa:
1. Mix onion, bell pepper, and tomato in a large bowl. Add oil, vinegar, and lemon juice, then toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then toss again.
2. Do Ahead: Salsa can be made 5 days ahead. Transfer to a jar or airtight container and chill. Let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes before using.
Make the Hot Dogs:
1. Slice sausages in half lengthwise, going almost all the way through so they can be opened like a book, but are still attached on one side. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high until hot. Working in batches, cook sausages cut side down, weighting down with a spatula or a small pot lid and turning once, until slightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
2. Smear a generous amount of mayonnaise on both sides of buns. Arrange 2 butterflied hot dogs on each side of buns, cut side facing the bread. Top with mustard and a generous amount of salsa.