50 States Sandwich Challenge: New Mexico

You may be thinking.  A burger? Is that a sandwich?  Well, technically, yes because its meats, cheese, and condiments in between bread.  But burgers are an entirely separate sub category within the sandwich game that can take months to explore.  However, New Mexico is famous for it's Green Chile cheeseburgers, so much so, that there is a Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail with 63 stops around the state.  No one knows for sure who invented the Green Chile Cheeseburger but the earliest known place to serve the spiced-up burger was the now famous Owl Bar and Café in San Antonio, New Mexico.  Opened in 1945 by Frank and Dee Chavez, the Owl Bar and Café was the famed lunch spot of scientists working on the Manhattan Project.  That's right, folks, those defecting German scientists invented perhaps the most consequential weapon in human history while eating a lunch with flavor for the first time in their lives.  That's American exceptionalism right there.  And what sets this burger apart from any other, is the Green Chile.  First grown by the Pueblo and Hispano communities throughout Santa Fe de Nuevo Mexico established by Spain in 1598, it has become a staple of New Mexican cuisine often served diced or within sauces elemental to dishes such as enchiladas, burritos, and of course our beloved burgers.  The usage really sets this burger apart from your typical summer BBQ burger, and with an extra 15 minutes of preparation, you can also impress all of your friends with this "exotic" delight as you get the flavors of European Spain mixed with Native American vegetables. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1tsp Cumin

1tsp Chili powder

3 cloves garlic

3 tsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion

4 whole hatch chilis (they may be labels "green" or "Anaheim" depending on your grocery store)

4 slices pepper jack cheese

4 burger buns

1. In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, salt, cumin and chili powder.  Mix with hands and form your patties. No frozen shit here.

2. Set your grill to 350 degrees.  While pre-heating, toss the garlic and onions with 3 tsp of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Put them in a pouch of aluminum foil. 

3. Grill the whole chiles and your garlic/onion pouch for about 15 minutes.  Turn the chiles every 5 minutes and the pouch halfway through.

4. Place the chiles in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and steam the skins loose for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile finely chop the garlic and onions and add to medium bowl.  Peel and seed the chile, finely chop and transfer to the garlic and onion bowl.

5. Cook your burger patties on the grill to your desired doneness and top with the pepper jack cheese. 

6. Build the burger.  I added some flair and spread guacamole on each side of my bun before adding my patty topped with the Green Chile mixture.  You can add some hot sauce (I did) or whatever toppings you like on your burger.  

7. (Optional) Drink a million Modelos by the pool.  Happy Summer!