The Sonoran hot dog — Mexican food absorbing its context

The Sonoran hot dog is a perfect example of what happens when Mexican food culture meets a neighbouring food tradition and produces something that is recognisably both and completely its own. Origin: Hermosillo, Sonora, where it developed in the 1980s. A bacon-wrapped hot dog in a bolillo-style roll, topped with pinto beans, tomatoes, onion, mayonnaise, mustard, and salsa. It is Mexican in flavour and DNA but the format is American. I make a version at home: good pork hot dog, thick-cut bacon wrapped tight, grilled until the bacon crisps. Bolillo roll, split and griddled. Warm whole pinto beans (with their broth), fresh tomato, white onion, a thin line of mayo, a thin line of yellow mustard, a drizzle of tomatillo salsa. It is extraordinary and worth knowing about.