Recipe for Tijuana style bacon wrapped hot dogs

Oh baby! If you want to die and go to heaven in one full swoop, eat a Tijuana-style hot dog. Hot dogs in Tijuana's famous Zona Norte? Yes! If you look past the hookers, working girls, Adelita's Bar, and all of the other institutions found near the cornor of Articulo 123 and Av. Constituci�n, in Tijuana's "Red Zone" you'll find street vendors that sell bacon-wrapped hot dogs to-die-for. After eating a few of them, duing my travels to Tijuana and after observing the street vendors, I've come up with a recipe to make Tijuana-style hot dogs, that will elevate the hot dog to a whole new level.

Special tools: Grill, indoor or outdoor
Preparation time: About 5 minutes
Cooking time: About 10 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

2 hot dogs, any variety
2 hot dog buns, any variety
2 slices bacon, any variety
1/2 tomato, chopped and diced, preferably a hard Roma variety
1/4 onion, chopped and diced; most Tijuana street vendors prefer white oncions
2 tablespoons fresh jalapeno peppers, chopped, optional
Mustard, ketchup (salsa catsup) and mayonaise to taste; I prefer Hellmann's Mayonesa con jugo de limon, purchased in Mexico

Fire up the grill to medium high. While grill is heating, slice and dice tomato, onion and jalapeno pepper. Wrap 1 slice of bacon around each hot dog. Grill hot dogs, turning once to insure "sear" marks, until bacon is semi-crisp, but still chewy, about 5 minutes. Toast buns on grill for a minute or so, until grill marks appear.

Photo: Bacon wrapped hot dogs are cooking on my George Foreman Grill. Although not commonly used in Mexico, my Foreman grill does a great job and makes things easy. Don't look for a smoky taste, as this thing is powered by electricity.

When hot dogs are cooked, open bun. Garnish with mustard, catsup, mayonnaise, as desired, to bun. Place hot dog on bun. Add diced diced tomatoes, onions and diced jalape�o peppers, if desired. Serve immediately.

I'm a huge fan of jalape�o peppers, but they aren't commonly seen on the streets of Tijuana, as diced tomatoes and onions are the most common condiments, besides the mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise.

Photo: Bacon wrapped hot dogs prepared at home, Tijuana style. These hot dogs include the common condiments of diced tomatoes and onions, mayonnaise, and mustard. I have a hard time bringing myself to put catsup on my hot dogs, as I'm older than 6 years old.

If you're trolling the streets of Tijuana's famous Zona Norte in search of prostitutes, working girls, or just want to take photos and you're hungry and you're sick of tacos, after eating thousands of them, eat a Tiuana-style hot dog, as it will put a smile on your face. If you're not in Tijuana, follow my recipe for a Tijuana treat, a Tijuana hot dog. After enjoying a Tijuana-style hot dog, you'll forget about your Chicago-style hot dogs, or your pathetic boiled Dodger Dogs.

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