Hot Dogs With Pico de Gallo

Tanya Sichynsky, a New York Times Cooking editor, tops salty, snappy grilled hot dogs with bright pico de gallo. Combining those two elements of fully loaded Mexican hot dogs makes these easy to cook for a crowd and tote to a cookout. You can prepare the pico de gallo early in the day and keep it in an airtight container until ready to pile onto the hot dogs, split to cradle the fresh filling. Be sure to keep the grill heat moderate. Too hot, and the hot dogs — and buns — will burn and dry out. Too cool, and they won’t take on a smoky char.

Ingredients

2
ripe but firm tomatoes (1 pound), cored, seeded and diced (2 cups)
½
small white onion (4 ounces), finely diced (1 cup)
2
jalapeños (3 ounces), stemmed, seeded (if desired) and finely chopped (1/3 cup)
½
cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
1
teaspoon fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
Kosher salt

Preparation

Prepare an outdoor charcoal grill or a gas grill to medium heat. You should be able to hold your hand 5 inches above the coals for 7 to 9 seconds before it becomes too hot. Or heat a grill pan on the stovetop over medium.
Make the pico de gallo by combining the tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, cilantro and lime juice in a medium bowl. Season with salt and mix well. Taste and add more lime juice and salt, if desired.
Butterfly the hot dogs: Slice them in half lengthwise without cutting all the way through the skin, then open them so they sit flat. Place them on the grill, cut-side down, and cook until grill marks appear, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip the hot dogs and cook skin-side down until the skin deepens in color, 2 to 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, open the hot dog buns and spread the mayonnaise on the cut sides, if you like. Grill, cut-side down, until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes, then flip and grill until lightly toasted, about 1 minute.
Place the grilled hot dogs in the toasted buns, cut-side up, then pile the pico de gallo into the butterflied opening. Serve immediately, with any remaining pico de gallo on the side.