Have you been craving a hot dog, but can’t or don’t want to deal with the bun? Then allow me to introduce you to this delight from the Philippines. Throughout my recent series, I’ve been learning about how people from around the world eat hot dogs. The latest series has brought me to the Philippines for the hot dog with Manong Sauce.

The submission itself is from Monica, who was born and raised in Manila in the Philippines. This hot dog is full of nostalgia for her, as it was a common snack throughout her childhood. Monica has fond memories of getting out of school or playing with friends and then being lured into the mouthwatering scents from a street vendor selling these hot dogs with Manong sauce. In fact, that’s exactly how the sauce got its name in the first place. Manong is a term used out of respect for an older man that also happened to reference the vendors who were selling various foods paired with this signature sauce. So the manongs ended up selling the Manong sauce. 

The sauce itself is a slurry of soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, water, diced garlic, and chopped chilies like Thai chilies. It can be paired with virtually anything like tofu, eggs, fried food of any variety, and of course, hot dogs. Manong sauce is definitely the star of this hot dog, but it’s not the only thing that goes into the recipe for a hot dog with Manong sauce. You’ll need a hot dog of your choice and skewers to begin. For this version, the hot dogs are gently scored, placed onto a skewer like a kebab, and then grilled either on a charcoal grill or stovetop grill. Seriously no bun needed.

However, as you cook the hot dog skewer you will need a basting liquid that’s one part vegetable oil and one part banana ketchup. To be clear, banana ketchup is not a mixture of bananas and ketchup – it is a condiment that’s unique to the Philippines. It was developed by a food scientist in the 1940s as a way to produce a ketchup-like product from bananas after a tomato shortage. And banana ketchup has been a staple ever since and is now a staple in this truly amazing hot dog with Manong sauce.