What could be more all-American than the hot dog?
The Mexican hot dog? This recent import from south of the border may have improved upon that icon of American cuisine. There’s even a new Spanish word for a street-vendor of the Mexican hot dog: hotdoguero. Hot dog historians argue, local chefs dispute how to make one, and the City of Los Angeles has made them illegal.
But the tourists only ask, “Where can I get one?”
When illustrator Paul Mirocha was asked to paint this Sonoran hot dog for a conference on borderlands food traditions, he researched the most popular hot dog stands in Tucson, Arizona for the secret recipe. Start with a steamed bun, then add pinto beans, a hot dog wrapped in mesquite-smoked bacon, fresh-chopped tomato and onion, mustard, mayonnaise, and finally jalapeño sauce—and don’t forget a live jalapeño on the side.