In life, there are few moments more exhilarating than smelling the street dog cart on the corner after a long night.

Exit any arena, bar, or concert and there they are– sizzling griddles flooded by a gulf of bacon-wrapped hot dogs, onions, and jalapenos, manned by a bustling artist and their tongs. A few words, a flurry of hand movements, and a hot dog is ready and handed over, fully fixed. It’s a sublime experience, one that has been absent from many of our lives lately, for obvious reasons. 

Because of that, our latest recipe, in collaboration with Bumble Bee Seafoods, is made to bring you to the streets of LA, street dog in hand, via your own kitchen. Looking to give the dogs some flair, we made our own, from scratch, with tuna, Anaheim chilis, and bacon.

Do this by draining 2 pouches of Bumble Bee® Albacore Solid White Tuna, and toss it in a bowl with a ½ cup of mayo, 1 cup of shredded cheese, 1 cored, seeded, and diced jalapeno, 1 tsp of liquid smoke mesquite, a tsp of kosher salt, and ½ tsp of black pepper. This spread of ingredients complement each other quite well, forming a unique hot dog replacement. The liquid smoke works to make it reminiscent of a hot dog, while the tuna itself gives the dish a refreshing texture and the distinct sense of umami that comes from fish. 

Stir until everything is fully integrated.

Then, de-stem, de-seed and halve 6 Anaheim Peppers. Spoon some of the tuna mix into the pepper halves and use 6 strips of bacon to wrap each one, securing with toothpicks if necessary. These are what make this dish truly feel like a street dog. Nothing gets sidewalk lurking noses perked up like the smell of roasting peppers and sizzling bacon.

One last piece of prep work follows: slice 3 bell peppers and 1 small red onion into thin strips. 

So far, so easy.

Heat up a skillet coated with 1 tbsp of vegetable oil to medium-high heat. Once hot, sauté the veggies until browned, adding salt and pepper to taste. Remove the veggies and add another tablespoon of oil, letting that heat up a bit before throwing in the stuffed chilis, face side down. For these, just rotate the “dogs” until the bacon is cooked thoroughly, and they’re good to go. 

Beyond this, it’s just a matter of assembling the dog. Spread the guacamole on a hot dog bun, along with whatever other saucy condiments you prefer. Place a dog on that beautiful bed of guac, and then garnish with the veggies, a drizzle of sour cream, shredded cheese, and cilantro. Building this hot dog should come naturally, really, like the inclination to buy one on a night in the city.

And, until we actually can do that, catch me munching on these at home.