Ingredients
The build
- 4vienesas (long, mild pork frankfurters)
- 4soft hot dog rolls, preferably marraqueta-style completo buns
Palta (avocado)
- 3ripe Hass avocados
- Juice of half a lemon
- ½ tspsalt
Tomato
- 3firm ripe tomatoes, deseeded and finely diced
- ½ tspsalt
- 1 tspsunflower oil
To finish
- 150 gthick mayonnaise, preferably homemade with sunflower oil
- Ají chileno or hot sauce, to taste
- Sauerkraut and American mustard, for a completo dinámico
Directions
- Dice the tomatoes small, salt them lightly and leave in a sieve for 10 minutes so they drain; wet tomato collapses the bun.
- Mash the avocado with a fork with the lemon and salt to a coarse, spreadable purée. It should be thick enough to hold a ridge, not a smooth guacamole and with no onion, coriander or chilli in it.
- Poach the vienesas in barely simmering water for 6–8 minutes until plump and heated through; they are pre-cooked, and boiling hard splits the skins.
- At the same time, steam the buns for 2–3 minutes over the pan, or wrap them in a cloth above the water, until soft, warm and slightly damp. Chilean completo buns are steamed, never toasted.
- Split each bun most of the way through, keeping a hinge, and lay in the hot sausage.
- Spoon the drained tomato along one side of the sausage, packing it in generously.
- Cover the length of the completo with the mashed avocado, right to the ends.
- Finish with a thick zigzag of mayonnaise over the top, add ají if you want heat, and eat immediately with both hands over a plate, before the bread goes soft.
Technique
- This is the completo italiano: green avocado, red tomato and white mayonnaise, the colours of the Italian flag. No Italian ingredients are involved.
- The proportions are un-Chilean if you are timid. A real completo carries far more avocado and mayonnaise than the sausage, to the point that it must be eaten leaning forward.
- Homemade mayonnaise made with sunflower oil and lemon is standard in Chile and thicker than most bottled versions; if using bottled, choose the firmest you can find.
Substitutions
- Beef or mixed frankfurters work if pork vienesas are unavailable; look for a mild, fine-textured sausage rather than a smoky one.
- Ripe avocados are essential. If yours are firm, mash them with a tablespoon of warm water and extra lemon to loosen.
Variations
- Completo dinámico swaps the tomato for sauerkraut and adds American mustard.
- The as (a la pobre) version replaces the sausage with thin grilled steak; a churrasco italiano is the same build in a round bun.
- Completo alemán is simply sausage, sauerkraut and mayonnaise, no avocado.
History
Hot dog buried under tomato, mashed avocado and mayonnaise, introduced to Santiago in the 1920s and standard at fuentes de soda.
Frequently asked questions
What is Completo?
Completo is a street food from Chile: hot dog buried in avocado, tomato and mayo, italiano style. Hot dog buried under tomato, mashed avocado and mayonnaise, introduced to Santiago in the 1920s and standard at fuentes de soda.
How long does Completo take to make?
Completo takes 20 min of preparation and 10 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 completos. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Completo?
Yes, within limits. Beef or mixed frankfurters work if pork vienesas are unavailable; look for a mild, fine-textured sausage rather than a smoky one. Ripe avocados are essential. If yours are firm, mash them with a tablespoon of warm water and extra lemon to loosen.
What is the most important thing to get right in Completo?
At the same time, steam the buns for 2–3 minutes over the pan, or wrap them in a cloth above the water, until soft, warm and slightly damp. Chilean completo buns are steamed, never toasted.
