Mixtas

Guatemala swaps the wheat bun for a corn tortilla and adds guacamole.

Flag of GuatemalaOrigin: Guatemala City, Guatemala
Mixtas illustrated hot dog icon

The anatomy

Vessel
Warm corn tortilla
Sausage
Split hot dog
Region
Not set
Ingredients

The Mixta is Guatemala's answer to the hot dog bun shortage that never happened, deciding instead that corn tortillas make a sturdier, more logical cradle for a split sausage. This street food staple layers rich guacamole directly onto the tortilla to act as a structural moisture barrier before piling on vinegar-seasoned boiled cabbage and the standard condiment lineup. The result is a taco-style hybrid that you eat standing up next to a metal cart, preferably with a cold local lager. To make it, you butterfly the sausage to ensure maximum grill contact, warm your tortillas until pliable, and assemble with the guacamole on the bottom.

Method

  1. 1Shred the white cabbage and boil in salted water for three to five minutes until soft but not mushy.
  2. 2Drain the cabbage thoroughly and toss with a splash of white vinegar, salt, and pepper.
  3. 3Mash the avocado flesh with lime juice, garlic salt, and salt until smooth.
  4. 4Slice the hot dogs lengthwise without cutting all the way through to butterfly them.
  5. 5Sear the butterflied hot dogs cut-side down on a hot skillet until charred.
  6. 6Warm the corn tortillas on a dry griddle for 30 seconds per side.
  7. 7Spread a thick layer of guacamole across the center of each warm tortilla.
  8. 8Add a spoonful of the seasoned cabbage and diced raw onions over the guacamole.
  9. 9Place the charred sausage down the middle of the tortilla.
  10. 10Drizzle with mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, and a spoonful of tomato chirmol.
  11. 11Dust with crumbled queso fresco, fold the sides of the tortilla upward, and serve.

Sources

Controversies

Modern mixtas should contain the trinity of street food condiments, specifically ketchup and mayonnaise, alongside yellow mustard.

Our take: The original 1930 formula from Mixtas Frankfurt bans ketchup and mayonnaise entirely, relying on mustard and hot sauce to let the guacamole speak. We agree with the founders. Flooding a perfectly good tortilla with sweet corn syrup and warm oil emulsion is a modern mistake that masks the vinegar-sharp cabbage.

The physical concept of the mixta was originally invented by Carlos Dorion's mother in 1930.

Our take: Whether it was Dorion's mother or his Costa Rican mother-in-law who realized that wheat buns would fail in a tortilla-dominant market, the business logic was sound. We credit the mother-in-law for recognizing that the local palate demanded corn over wheat.