Ode to the Completo Chileno

Chilean hot dog completoPablo Neruda wrote odes to Chilean foods, but he left out one of the most beloved of all: the Completo. Some might think I’m talking about a Chilean hot dog, but don’t be fooled! Don’t believe me? Check out: A Hotdog is Not a Completo.

When it comes to a frankfurter on a bun, it’s hard to beat the Chilean version—the completo—for a colorfully creative revelry in excess gunkyness. And it is so well loved that there are entire Facebook pages dedicated to it!

Serious about Completos: Love ’em or Fear ’em!

Completo italiano y clasico Dominó Santiago

Completos from Dominó. Italiano (left, $1300 CLP) and Clasico (right, $1200)

A completo is one of those love it or fear it sandwiches that gets my vote for the most Chilean of all Chilean foods. Sure, there are plenty of places in the world to get a good dog with the usual mustard, ketchup, relish, and maybe a bit of sauerkraut, but in Chile, that’s no completo… Where’s the mayonnaise? (No self-respecting Chilean sandwich is complete until duly plopped and topped with mayo). What about the green chilies? The tomatoes? If you’re going without, what you’ve got is an “incompleto.”

And, as long as we’re getting all Chilean about our favorite dog, let’s not forget the palta (avocado). Yep, Chileans love their avocado… in fact, I’ve heard that this is the only place in the world that you can find the McDonald “McPalta” burger… but Chilean avocado-love will have to wait for a well-deserved post all its own.

Back to the completo

Anthony Bourdain & Completo during "No Reservations" in Chile

Anthony Bourdain tries his first Completo during "No Reservations" in Chile (2009)

Curiously, the version that seems to be the most Chilean of all—topped with tomato, mayo, and avocado—is actually called the “Italiano,” as a tribute to the red, white, and green colors of the Italian flag. In fact, many Chilean sandwiches can be ordered “Italiano,” which will always get you a heap of these 3 colorful ingredients.

If you’ve never seen one, take a look as  Anthony Bourdain tackles his first completo in Viña del Mar.

The Completo does a World Tour

A while back I posted on the clues to Chilean identity found on a soda fountain window, and in the conversation that ensued in the comments section, our friend Marmo asked John, another regular reader in Japan, how much it would cost to make a completo there. John estimates it would be about US$4–5. Hmmm, I’ll stick with sushi.

With that, Marmo and I got to wondering about the cost of a completo in other parts of the world. He asked a friend in the UK who calculated it to be £6—that’s $4.808 Chilean pesos or a whopping US$9.11! (Jeesh! Fish & chips it is then!)

Sebastián in Germany said it costs him about €1, which he seemed to think was high adding “considering how expensive paltas are here.”

But the best response of all came from Matt Murphy, foodie, friend, and extended family member in Upstate New York (which, FYI, means close to Canada, despite what anyone from NYC seems to think). Before I could finish the detailed description and he had his sleeves rolled up and his shopping cart rolling. He took up the challenge with all the detail of the engineer that he is by day and the delight of the chef that he is at heart.

Matt quickly reported back with pictures and a detailed cost chart that showed that one good Chilean Completo made in February (winter) in Syracuse, NY would cost exactly US$3.00.

“Not a bad dog!” he posted on Facebook, “A little unruly to eat with all the filling (I even bought the heartier ‘steak sandwich’ bun) but then I don’t mind getting my hands dirty for something like this. All in the name of Science.”

So here goes: a serious gringo’s photographic step-by-step guide to the Chilean Completo!

Chilean Completo hot dog ingredients

Chilean completo step 1: the basic ingredients

Making a Chilean hot dog completo step 2

Chilean completo Step 2: bun smeared with ketchup, mustard, relish, and green chilies

Making a Chilean hot dog completo

Chilean completo step 3: the dog goes on

Chilean hot dog, the completo italiano-4b-2010

The completed "Completo Italiano" topped with tomato, mayo, and avocado

Matt Murphy eating Chilean hot dog Completo

Ah! The rewards! Matt samples his first completo!

Chilean hot dog Completo cost chart

What's it cost to make a Chilean completo in Syracuse, NY? 3 bucks!

Thanks Matt! (Let’s talk about empanadas next time!)

Sandwich fan? Want to know more about Chilean sandwiches? You can start by checking out:

Sánguches

Anthony Bourdain Love Lomitos

La historia del sandwich en Santiago, de “Uno Come” de Carlos Reyes, and even an entire blog dedicated to the Chilean Sandwiches: Sánguches.

Or check out the Matador tribute to “The World-Wide Wiener: Hot dogs around the world.

92 responses to “Ode to the Completo Chileno

  1. Pingback: Sánguches « Cachando Chile: Reflections on Chilean Culture

  2. Tears roll down my cheeks…
    The only thing I would have changed is the proportion of ketchup vs mayo. Half the ketchup and twice the mayo… It looks really nice, and he found the right bun also! Good job!

  3. Hey Marmo! See? I didn’t forget about our quest for the international completo!
    Twice the mayo? Spoken like a true Chilean! Personally I would have skipped the ketchup AND the mayo and put a ton of mustard in its place… but then, I guess that’s one of the things that’s holding up my total conversion to being Chilean! (that and a pesky gringo accent!)

  4. If you like completos you should go to “dominó”, they have the best completos in santiago. yum! Another good place is fuente alemana, they have good completos too and the mustard is pretty good, in fact they have different types of mustard.

  5. I was waiting for this post, te pasaste, really. Now we have a nice currency convertion tool, in the form a completo.

  6. @Fernando- thanks for reminding me about Dominó… I meant to mention that they are about to celebrate their anniversary with a 2-for-one special… I believe on May 25 and 26!

    @Marmo- Good one! The Completo Conversion Equation! And this post really was YOUR idea- so THANKS!

  7. Dominó´s completos are fine, but too “polite” for me. You should try Sibaritico´s in Viña del Mar, or La Barricada in Temuco. It´s like comparing a nice goldfish with a huge white shark, mmmm!

  8. oh, and de nada, Margaret, you really did a good research here xD

  9. Ah! Sibarítico! That’s the place they took Anthony Bourdain… Where is it exactly? And that version seemed to have melted cheese on it too, no?

  10. The version with cheese has another name mmm “catalana” I think, and yes, they seem to have used that version. Sibarítico is in 5 Norte street, almost in the corner with San Martín av.
    It´s a really small place, with (always) a lot of people waiting for a completo or churrasco, but vale la pena la espera.

  11. And look! This is a coment taken from Trip Advisor:
    Roanoke, Virginia
    7 ene 2010
    this is the smallest place but the sandwich is the biggest in town and the hot dog are the best ( chilean style with avocado,tomato,mayo,ketchup, and some with other add ons)
    if you are hungry you must stop by this place is far the best secret of Vina.

    I was thinking… why is England the most expensive place (so far) for a completo?

  12. I will definitely have to check out Sibaritico…
    And good question… why is England more expensive than Japan, for example?
    Maybe because of the avocado?

  13. BTW- some friends were here recently and tried a completo in La Vega of all places… gave it a total thumb’s up and said it far outranked any Argentine “pancho” they had ever tried!

  14. Avocado also comes to my mind, for England, or maybe food in general is more expensive there, but it surprises me to see it even more expensive than Japan, also.
    Argentines can keep their asados, but in a sandwich deathmatch, Chile has the upper hand, for sure; chacarero, churrasco palta, barros luco, barros jarpa, completo, lomito, or others, can beat panchos any day xD.
    Also, I´ve read that people loves or hates avocado, but really few are indifferent to it.

  15. How could anyone hate palta? But Chileans really go wild over it… my husband has mashed palta on toast every morning for breakfast… good thing we don’t live in the States, $1.50 each, we’d go broke in no time flat! OK, that’s an exaggeration, but how would you explain $15 per month ¿or more? on avocado?

  16. Peg (can I call you Peg in Chile?),

    Great post, I had fun helping. I’m thinking of taking it to Heid’s to see if they’d add a Completo to their menu. Wouldn’t that get the Liverpoolian’s attention.

  17. Hi Matt–of course you can still call me Peg! The whole Margaret bit came up when I realized how hard “Peg” is for Spanish speakers to say! Here’s the whole story: https://cachandochile.wordpress.com/2009/01/08/identity-change/
    I’m glad you enjoyed the challenge, and wouldn’t it be fun if Heid’s bought the idea? (Central New York’s MAJOR hot dog spot! http://heidsofliverpool.com/)
    Or maybe you could set up a stand at the State Fair! Shoot, I’d even come help!

  18. Pingback: Tweets that mention Ode to the Completo Chileno « Cachando Chile: Reflections on Chilean Culture -- Topsy.com

  19. Nice flag counter xD

  20. Thanks! Wish I’d added it years ago. Too bad it doesn’t identify the countries when you hover over the flag!

  21. Ahhh, that new one is even better, it shows the cities, nice. I use that one too. I just had a completo, my happiness is complete.

  22. Confession time Marmo- I remember that you commented on Annje’s blog about your flags so I checked them out. Couldn’t get the revolving globe (the coolest of all) to work though! Don’t know if it’s an anti-wordpress thing or what…
    Wish the resolution was better on the second counter though- looks pretty blurry!
    Glad you got your completo!

  23. Ohh I love my revolving globe! Maybe it works on blogger only… I´m going to look…

  24. yeah, I really liked it… I thought it was a size restriction, but tried in a number of different sizes and couldn’t get it to work… let me know if you find something because it really is cool!

  25. I see there are 3 options:

    -Flash version via JavaScript, display Java version if Flash Player is not installed (recommended)

    -Flash version via HTML (MySpace etc.)

    -Java version via JavaScript, display Flash version if Java is not installed

    ¿Do you have a Mac? Flash doesn´t work too well in those apples. Maybe you could try the 3 code versions, and see what happens.
    And in a completo related comment (xD) the cornerstone of a good completo is the mayo. Artificial ones make artificial taste; nothing beats the natural taste of good homemade mayo, mmmm! (groundhog drooling)

  26. No, I don’t do Mac, but once I started getting into all that Java script stuff I threw in the towel…

    Yes, good mayo is key… although there’s that whole little salmonella problem!
    I was just talking with some family members about the Chilean foods we’re going to have to try next time I visit! I feel and “asado post” coming on!

  27. I´m no programer at all, but it´s not that hard, trust me.
    All I did was copy the code and paste it somewhere inside the other codes xD At first, the globe appeared among the posts, then on the header, and in a last try, where it appears now, hahaha.
    And yes, salmonella is something to seriously consider.
    Chilean asado, not too complex. But I think the asado experience in Chile includes ensalada a la chilena (tomato and onions), pebre, chancho en piedra, good red wine, sopaipillas, ….mmm! They´re maybe even more important factors than the asado itself.

  28. These things are so horrible . As a Brit I automatically hate mayonaise and liquid avacado . However my wifes a Chilean so loves these!
    When I see Chileans and Gringos eat these togather it makes me
    laugh though. The Chilean can pile vomit coloured and flavoured goo on top of a completo several inches high and still not spill a drop down their tops, whereas the average Gringo will be green white and red splattered for the rest of the day.
    I asked my wife where She learned to eat these foul horrors so well and she said at Uni it was all she could afford to eat, hence the expert imbibing skills

  29. “How can anyone hate palta?” Mr. Wilson knows.

  30. @Marmo- one of these days I’ll go back and try again for the nice globe thingie… and yes, the method is the same, copy and paste, I guess WordPress justdidn’t like what I was pasting!
    and
    @Matt W–I knew you hated mayo, but thought it was a personal thing… you’re saying it’s a Brit thing? And really? Avocado is that bad? (I take it from your vivid description that yes, you believe it is)…
    Where I DO agree with you is that it seems to be pretty much impossible for anyone but a Chilean born and raised to eat a full-fledged completo without wearing most of it on their shirt!

  31. Eating a completo, a delicate art. Some have compared it to the Japanese tea ceremony.

  32. hahahaha- I can see that you and Matt W could end up butting heads on this one! thanks for the chuckle!

  33. Hahahaha I love how people fail to read posts. I absolutely LOVE avacado. However the green felch that Chileans squirt porn film style onto Completos is not cup of tea

  34. Typo there “My” should be inserted there before cup of tea

  35. Ah! so it’s a texture thing! (Please note that Matt M’s avocado is pretty textury in the picture!)
    A friend who was just in Argentina told us that there they mix ALL the “pancho” (hot dog) dressings with mayo so you get the greenish mayo sauce, then the reddish mayo sauce and so on… (so I agree with you there… ick!)

  36. I just looked at those photos. Obviously not a Copec or Colchagua style completo there
    I once saw in Argentina people eating marachismo cherries with cheese that was pretty scary.
    Do people ever question the quality of the meat that goes into a completo?

  37. No, Matt M would be highly offended if you compared one of his creations to a gas stations variety dog! When it comes to food, he’s right on top of things! In fact, we’re planning a Chilean-style asado the next time I’m in town… I’m wondering how we’re going to get our hands on a few lambs and goats though! Think Hernán will lend me one of his animal crucifixion-style spit-grill thingies?
    And what goes into a hot dog–uf–a whole different topic pues! Don’t even wanna go there!

  38. Feeling sad over here. One thing I really miss since returning to Australia is my palta. Here they are the equivalent of 1.500 pesos each. Yes, I did say EACH!

  39. Hi Lauren- Wow! And I thought they were high in New York! So… could you come up with a rough estimate as to how much it would cost to make a completo (with ta) there in Australia?
    If you notice, Matt M used half a palta in his version (his were “only” US$1.28 each)… Maybe an Aussie completo could just use a third!

  40. @Matt Wilson. The “These things are so horrible”, and near the end “I asked my wife where She learned to eat these foul horrors so well” parts made me believe you hated completos in general. Then, you love your “avacado”, but maybe not in a completo.
    I also hate that strange thing they call palta at Copec or any gas station. It seems to be made of green apples or something like that.
    Now that I think about it, I have a brother in NZ, I´ll ask him to make a completo there, and see also how much it is xD.

  41. @Marmo- Matt W later confessed to me that the completo pictured here looks much better than the common Copec variety! Maybe I’ll convince him to wander into Sibaritico someday! (although the sheer size of those things would scare just about anyone!)

  42. Calling all Completo Eaters!
    I would love to hear from anyone out there who can report on the cost of a Chilean completo anywhere outside of Chile…
    Also, as a reference, a gringo foody friend just had one at La Vega–and loved it–and said he was amazed at what he got for a mere $700 CLP (less than a buck-50).

  43. I agree, gas station completos suck. Everything somehow industrialized lose its charm, same goes for completos, burguers, or pizza.
    I thought we were talking about real completos all the time. I sent a msg to my brother in NZ to find out about the “kiwi” completo. xD (Kiwi as in natural from NZ, not the bird or fruit, hahaha)

  44. Just a note to let you know I’m still stopping by. All this talk just makes me want the summer get together even more! And where is the button I push to share on FB?

  45. Hi Barb-
    Yep! Get ready for an all-out Chilean-gringo Asado-BBQ sometime this summer!…
    Push the FB button? you’re getting ahead of me here! but please feel free to copy the link and pass it along to all your FB friends (as often as you like!) The more the merrier!

  46. OMG!! My completos!! I Miss them so much now that I am in China!
    But I always eat an Incompleto, I’ve never liked mayonaisse.

  47. Oh I just realize you are asking for prices. Well I just have to answer palta here cost aprox “8 lucas” for 6 immature ones. With that, all my enthusiasm of making a completo in China went away.

  48. I was just going to comment on the insufficient mayo but I see that a real Chileno beat me to it 🙂

    I don’t even eat completos but I know a good one when I see one!

  49. @Brian– sounds like completos are your Chilean comfort food, ¿no? one of those simple food pleasures that you miss when away from home and can’t get them? and wow! avocados are REALLY expensive there! Can you get the hotdogs themselves? As in, if one was desperate, could a completo be made and how much would it cost do you suppose?

    @Kyle- ah! so you’re one of those mayo-eating gringas, huh? I was amazed at how much mayo people ate when I first got here… and then realized that I was too! on tomatoes, on corn, etc., but I have to draw the line with hot dogs! BTW- I’ve cut WAY back on mayo in general these days!

  50. Margaret, i think you forgot to mention completo dinamico, it’s a mix between italiano and completo, i never tried it. It must be disgusting.

  51. Dinámico is an italiano with chucrut?

  52. Completos are just my guilty pleasure. But I am like you, I preffer mustard and I don’t like mayonaisse. (I’ve never been a tipical chilean, I mean I dont like football)
    Well I think if I wanted to I can make a completo, but the problem here is that chinese sausages are not good at all. Anyway besides the avocados, eveything here is really cheap so I believe the maximum cost to make a completo would be between 9 or 10 lucas.

  53. @Fernando- completo dinámico? that’s new to me! But I do like sauerkraut (chucrut)…
    @Brian- don’t like mayo OR football? Wow! There don’t seem to be many Chilean men that can say THAT!
    and REALLY?? 9 or 10 LUCAS for ONE completo?
    Wow!!

  54. My brother just reported (via Facebook), that in NZ 3 avocados cost him 5 dollars, 1 kilo of tomatoes 4 dollars, 6 vienensas for 4 dollars, and 6 buns similar to Chilean ones 5 dollars. Mayo was cheaper than he thought, 4 dollars, and some ketchup.
    He spent 33 dollars to make 6 completos for him and his friends, and considering NZ dollar at 400 CLP, the total cost was $13.200 CLP, so a single completo costs $2.200.
    So, Kiwi Completo is expensive, but affordable.

  55. Thanks Marmo (and Marmo’s brother) for the kiwi report! So yes, 2 lucas for a completo is high, but if you need a fix, it’s still possible!

    Anyone else have info on what it would cost in another country to make a completo?

  56. Well, when I quoted about a dollar in your last post I was not considering a weanie of those proportions! I don’t know where I’d find one like that.

    oh, and I love homemade mayo, salmonella risk and all.

  57. Ok, enough’s enough! I’m an omnivore, I miss Chile (only 3 more years to go!) and I have to confess to fits of late night munchies in Santiago that found me dragging my wife around in search of a decent completo. The pics are great. I can almost feel the mayo and palta running down chin. Slurp!

  58. My Austrian friend told me a chilean completo in Austria would cost aprox. US$4.50

  59. @Poor John! sorry we’re causing you such angst… but glad we’re having an effect… so did you find your Japanese completo? We were talking on the radio last night about those street cart trailer completo stands that open late at night… did you find one by any chance? Or maybe a late-night noodle shop? What DO Japanese eat late at night?

    @Brian- thanks for the dato- I’m going to update all this and probably put it on my other blog, Tasting Chile… stay tuned!

  60. Hermoso, maravilloso. Pero por que el tomate esta en la parte superior? (en la foto del dominó), se que el sabor es el mismo, pero ahí el tomate corre riesgo de derrumbe!!!!.

    El dinámico es un Italiano con salsa verde y americana (creo que esta última esta demás)

  61. ¡Me parece que el riesgo de derrumbe es parte de la idea! En términos de construcción el completo es o un desastre o algo un poco milagroso… pero en todo caso, al parecer, nunca tenía en mente la idea de ser práctico!
    Respecto a la dinámica, es cierto… no tiene chucrut… Según Dominó lleva “Palta, Americana, Salsa Verde, Tomate y Mayo Dominó”.

  62. Un buen consejo para hacer completos italianos, según yo.
    Primero es mejor poner la vienesa, y luego la palta. Así al poner el tomate y la mayonesa, éstas se entierran en la palta y hay menor riesgo de caídas :D.

    La verdad, yo soy una gran fan del completo. Y cuando le pregunto a mis amigas de otros países con respecto a como los comen allá… me hace pensar que si voy a otras partes extrañaré mucho la palta y el completo.

  63. Hola Paloma- ¿y si pones la vienesa última? (¡pregunto de ignorancia nomás!) Y, te aconsejo… antes de decidir a cuál país ir, mejor que averigues el precio de la palta!! 😉

  64. How do you spell COMPLETO in Japanese… R-A-M-E-N! You betcha, ramen is the Japanese equivalent of the Chilean completo. Ramen is a quick meal of noodles in a broth, but that’s just the beginning. The are an infinite number of varieties; the broth can be beef, chicken, miso, or fish based. The garnishings are limitless; a fried egg, slabs of very fat porc or even tofu. As a concession to vegetarians there are vegetable based ramens garnished with even more vegetables! An entire industry revolves around the ramen world, drive-thru, take-out, delivered, but the best ramen is the late night munchies ramen. They’re everywhere, throbbing neon signs, fake ambulance rotating lights, ticker tape message boards beckoning the late nocturnal gourmand to try the best, the biggest, the most exotic ramen available. Alas, they are all the same; steamy, crowded, loud J pop blaring and the sounds of dozens of clients slurping in unison. This is where the Japanese ramen kicks Chilean completo butts. The louder you slurp the greater the connoisseur you are, no one will dare to argue your judgement of taste. All of this for the reasonable price of between $5.00 and $8.00. Slurp on!

  65. Now you’re making ME hungry!! YUM! Honestly? As much as I love Chile and respect a good completo, truth be told, I think I’d be happier with the noodles! Jeeze, it’s 1 in the morning; where am I going to get noodles at this time of night?
    So there you go… when you come back to Chile, you can set up your own late-night noodle stand! I’ll be first in line!

  66. Respecto a la estructura al menos, acá en Temuco ponen la vienesa al fondo, luego el tomate (así empapa el pan), luego el chucrut, lo invierten y lo dejan sobre la plancha boca abajo. Luego de un par de minutos, lo sacan, aplican la palta, la mayo y espolvorean una suave capa de merkén sobre la mayo… Con un café, en la madrugada, es como amanecer a las 4 AM.

  67. Wow- ¡con merquén! y en la madrugada! De donde vengo yo, lo que hacemos cuando se cierren los bares a las 2 de la mañana (sí, en serio)–salimos a “desayunar” y un favorito es “steak & eggs”… muy parecido a un bifstek a lo pobre–en la madrugada!

    Where I come from the bars close at 2 am (yes, really) and we all go out for “breakfast” and a favorite is steak & eggs–sure to either knock you dead or put the life right back into you! (No in between)

  68. Oh Noodles, here in China they only cost 3 yuan (2oo pesos) and they are sooo good! I like ramen too, but I definitively preffer chinese noodles, I hope I can get one of this one I go back to Chile.

  69. Oh Noodles, in China they only cost 3 yuan (200 pesos) and they are so good!! I like ramen but definitively preffer the chinese noodles (originals), I hope I can get one of this in Chile when I come back.

  70. Hahaha, that word, steak, in Chile has so many different forms, bifstek, bistec, bistoco, bife… It comes from beek steak, and, like “cachay” (cachando, from to catch) has been “Chilenized”.
    If you “construct” a completo the way the do here, there are small to none chances to drop anything.

  71. I love noodles too xD

  72. What late night choices! Completos, steak & eggs, or soupy noodles! Yum! I’m getting hungry!
    I wonder what late night foods they eat in other countries?

  73. Barbecue! Unless in my city (Chongqing), people at night eat barbecue, very different from the one in Chile and very spicy, I love it!.

  74. Late night barbecue- Yum! that sounds good!

  75. There will be no goats on crosses in my backyard – authentic asado requirement or not!! I am looking forward to a good asado though!

  76. Awe… can we have a lamb then?

  77. Pingback: Food « Ironically dull?

  78. They certainly are messy!!

  79. Como propietario del Sibarítico, puedo asegurarle a Marmo que es peligroso que el tomate “empape” el pan, ya que eso puede hacer “partir” el pan. Normalmente debe usarse un tomate colado y no muy jugoso.
    Debo agregarles que me he entretenido mucho con las diferentes intervenciones que he leído aquí.

  80. And by the way, I would like to know why gringos had telling to me that they have tried to make the same kind of completos in the States, but had not found the aproppiated products, as mayonesse (they said are different) or bread (too soft over there, trending to get “destroyed” ( like “puré”) whith the liquid products…

  81. Hola Ricardo-
    Me siento honrada que hayas pasado por aquí y te agradezco tus consejos “completísticos”!
    Aún me debo una visita al Sibarítico… Es decir, es tanto mi “deber” como antojo conocer el famoso completo de Sibarítico tan re-recomendado!
    Gracias por tus comentarios!

  82. Al contrario Margaret. Soy yo el que estoy muy agradecido yhonrado de que los que escriben en este sitio se hayan fijado en el Sibaritico, y más honrado me sentiré cuando lo hayas visitado.
    El secreto de los completos no es más que algo técnico. Nunca usar pan con ya muchas horas de fabricado. Con consistencia justa para ser suave pero no hacerse puré con los líquidos. Productos siempre frescos, ( y obviamente de una calidad que sea mayoritariamente aprobada). Catidades generosas. Y algo que siempre se falla cuando se trata de emular los completos en casa: La temperatura del pan. Hay una gran diferencia en comerse un completo con un pan frío que uno entibiado. Incluso personalmente me gusta el pan cuando comienza a volverse algo “crocante” ´por el calentamiento en la plancha. Obviamente una plancha de un negocio donde se han freído tantos y tantos churrascos y lomitos, que está “curada”, es decir impregnada de sabores que de alguna manera se trasmitirán al pan. Y el pan….tiene que ser chileno. No he encontrado en otros países un pan tan adecuado como el nuestro a este tipo de sandwich. Obviamente no conozco todo el mundo, perosí he
    vivido en Australia, Bolivia, Brasil, un corto período en EE.UU (Maryland y Virginia, y posteriormente con viaje de trabajo como ing. agrónomo a California), y pasajes por Argentina, Paraguay, Perú y Bolivia. Y al menos en esos países no recuerdo haber encontrado un pan tan adecuado para sandwichs como el nuestro. Obviamente esa aseveración tiene mucho de “cultural”, y no niego que en otros países encontrarán el pan del Mc Donald como el más apropiado.
    Ojo: No sirve calentar el pan en microondas. Lo pone latigudo.

  83. A propósito Margaret, no tienes que viajar a Viña para probar un completo del Sibarítico, ya que también hay en Valparaíso, Reñaca, Concón, Quilpué, Villa Alemana, Las Condes (Stgo.) y Rancagua. No sé donde vives, pero puedes escoger el más cercano a tu casa.

  84. Y como último punto (para no dar tanta lata ya) me reí mucho con las fotografías de un completo que el Sr. Murpphy fabricó. ¡Nadie en Chile iba a comer un completo así! El Ketchup debe ir sutilmente colocado haciendo diseños (personales) sobre la mayonesa. Ycomo lo aprieta y pone la abertura del pan hacia un costado para comérselo…debe haber quedado con todo sobre su camisa!!!! Pero vale un gran aplauso por su disposición.

  85. Muchas gracias Ricardo! Nos has entregado muchos de tus secretos, pero me imagino (y me gusta pensar) que algo queda bajo la manga! Me sale agua de la boca con tu descripción y es increíble que, aunque hacen “hot dogs” en todo el mundo, en ninguna otra parte hacen un completo. Interesante también lo que dices del pan. Y es cierto. A mi entender es cosa de la harina. Lo sé más por extranjeros que intentan repetir sus panes en Chile y no pueden porque la harina es diferente, así es que por supuesto va a ser lo mismo al revés.
    Así es que ya tengo mi tarea planificada… un ítem saliendo arriba de mi “bucket list”… muy luego voy a comerme un completo del Sibarítico!

  86. Ricardo- Acaba de ver estos últimos dos comentarios… No sabía que ya son tantos secursales de Sibarítico! Bueno saberlo, pero creo que cuando de leyendas se trata, hay que comenzar con la fuente misma! Nos veremos en Viña en algún momento!
    Respecto a la técnica del completo de Matt Murphy-no es su culpa… las instrucciones de cómo hacerlo le di yo… y tenía que inventar su propia manera de comerlo por falta de modelo chileno para enseñarle. Ve los comentarios de Matt Wilson sobre este mismo tema! Comer un completo sin que todo caiga sobre la camisa es un secreto que guardan los chilenos y no nos cuentan–quizás para entretenerse al vernos hacer el intento!

  87. Well, I’m late to the party here … great post again!

    Nothing to add, except for another picá for good completos in Santiago: El Munich (Vicuña Mackenna / Sta Isabel). One completo there is a “complete” meal (no pun intended). The place is a traditional one for chilean standards (it’s been around since the 60’s – at least), has plenty of old memorabilia (mostly futbol one, signed posters, etc, etc), the nice old waiters will sometimes “agarrarte pal webeo”… a 100% chilean place. Add kunstmann beer available. For me it doesn’t get any better when talking about completos and getting the whole “Fuente de Soda” experience: crappy napkins that don’t wipe, big foamy schops, horrible lighting, looking at the maestro sanguchero crafting these monsters, etc, etc. Somehow you end up loving all of that.
    Igor

  88. Thanks Juan Carlos–You’ve sold ME! It’s now on my list of places I have to check out–thanks for the dato!

  89. Pingback: Cachando Chile… and Beyond? | Cachando Chile: Reflections on Chilean Culture

  90. Increible, un articulo de completos y la palabra “chucrut” solo aparece en los comentarios. Soy de concepción y los completos tradicionalmente son: pan, vienesa, chucrut, mayonesa, moztaza y opcionalmente ají. Pero hablo de los años 80 y de antes, porque depues llegaron los con tomate y palta…. pero los con chucrut “del Llanquihue” no los ha superado ninguno que haya comido después… A todo esto no entiendo porque le dicen “as” alos completos sin vienesa… es como raro…. en fin..estos santiaguinos…

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