The Volpi Dog
Baseball fans unite. If you believe in gilding the lily, this dog is for you. The snap of a good dog in a squishy bun is already a thing of beauty. But we take it further, wrapping the dog in Mortadella AND Pancetta, crisping it up, then melting some cheese on the bun and topping with zingy giardiniera in place of traditional relish. This knocks other dogs out of the park.
Directions
Preheat the broiler with the rack about 6 inches underneath. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until a splash of water sizzles away immediately, about 7 minutes.
Open the hot dog buns and place them on a small baking sheet. Then arrange 2 of the cheese halves on each bun, cut side out, so one piece is a little higher on the bun and one a little lower. The main point here is to not have any cheese hanging off the bun so it drips on the oven.
Wrap each hot dog with a slice of Mortadella and then a slice of Pancetta.
Put the dogs in the skillet and cook, turning as the pancetta on each “side” browns and crisps, about 5 minutes per side.
When you are ready to brown the final side, pop the buns under the broiler to melt the cheese, about 1 minute. Put a dog in each roll. Top with 1/4 cup of the chopped giardiniera.
