I’ll admit it: I often make mistakes when cooking and get nervous that it won’t turn out right. It is rare to experience these nerves while making a recipe only for it to turn out deliciously perfect, but that’s what happened when I trusted the process with this Brazilian dish called cachorro com ovo! The name translates to “dog with egg,” as the meat sauce is usually eaten atop a hotdog. However, this recipe encourages you to enjoy cachorro com ovo as an open-faced sandwich, which I fully embraced and enjoyed.

You might think this delectably savory meal sounds like lunch or dinner food. Still, you might be pleasantly surprised to learn that it rounded out Episode 6 of my “5 Breakfasts from 5 Countries” series! And as you might know, I adore sandwiches during any meal. The tomato meat sauce’s stew-like texture is unique, and the Worcestershire sauce, peppers, onion, garlic, and spices come through beautifully. When you pair it with bread, it simply sings–I can only imagine it on a hotdog!

This cachorro com ovo recipe comes from Jéssica, who resides in Florianopolis, Brazil. Although this traditional dish is well-known across many Brazilian generations, Jéssica tells us that it is not widely enjoyed throughout Brazil today. In fact, the only region in which she knows it is prepared is her hometown. However, this dish was beloved within her family; Jéssica’s father ordered it for breakfast nearly every day, and she would enjoy it alongside him. Although she is vegetarian now, this recipe still serves as a fond memory of her father. And I can see why he enjoyed it so often; it is bursting with flavor and interesting texture!

You should definitely trust the process as you make cachorro com ovo. I definitely made some mistakes, and I was highly apprehensive about the notable amount of water used in this recipe. But in the end, the sauce thickened into a unique jelly-like consistency that is indescribably good, and every other facet of the dish turned out well, too. My first bite of this open-faced sandwich was a messy tower of stew, lettuce, tomato, and egg–and it tasted amazing! The flavors were so comforting, and the cassava helped create a texture different from most sauces. 

My cachorro com ovo was a fun cooking experience that challenged and satisfied me. If you love savory breakfasts, you’ll love this sumptuous dish. It is definitely a unique option packed with flavor!