HOLY MOLÉ BURGER

Pairs well with:

Cabernet Sauvignon

This rich red easily complements your homemade chicken dishes, red meats, game, and mildly seasoned pastas.

For years I have been making my own taco seasoning blend for our family taco nights.Recently, I have been making a MOLÉ version that has been quite popular. When I told my wife I was going to submit a recipe for the Sutter Home contest she said I should make one based on my tacos. Since she is usually right, I put pen to paper and created the HOLY MOLÉ BURGER.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
1 ½ teaspoons Pickling Salt
¼ cup, chilled Lard
2/3 cup Hot Water, 100 degrees Fahrenheit

1whole pepper Serrano Pepper
1 large Avocado
1 juiced Lime
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1medium Red Onion
1 cup White Vinegar
1 ounce Fresh Oregano

2 ¼ pounds 80/20 Ground Chuck
2 tablespoons Dutch Processed Cocoa
1 tablespoon Ground Cayenne Pepper
1 ½ teaspoons Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 tablespoon Ground Cumin
2 teaspoons Pickling Salt
2 tablespoons Chili Powder
2 teaspoons Garlic Powder

6 ounces Queso Fresco, crumbled

Instructions:

1) Combine 1 ½ cups of Flour and 1 ½ teaspoons of Pickling Salt in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to mix thoroughly. Add ¼ cup of chilled Lard in with the flour mixture and pulse until the new mixture resembles cornmeal (this will take about 20 seconds). Add 2/3 cup of Hot Water to the same food processor and pulse until a ball of dough is formed. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed for 4 minutes. Once done, form the dough into a disc shape and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at room temperature for an hour.

2) Remove the skin and stone from 1 ripe avocado and coat the flesh with the juice of 1 lime in a medium bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt to the avocado and lime and mash against the side of the bowl with a fork until the mixture is mostly smooth with small pieces of avocado remaining. Grill 1 Serrano pepper until charred on all sides then remove the skin, mince the pepper, and fold it into the avocado mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, making sure to press the plastic onto the surface of the avocado mixture, and set aside.

3) Peel and cut one medium Red Onion from top to bottom. Placing the cut side down, proceed to thinly cut half-moon shaped slices of Red Onion. Place the Onion slices into a bowl along with 1 ounce of fresh Oregano that has been chopped fine. Pour 1 cup of White Vinegar over the Onion and Oregano. Cover the bowl and set aside for at least 15 minutes.

3) Combine 2 tablespoons of Dutch Processed Cocoa, 1 tablespoon ground Cayenne Pepper, 1 ½ ground Black Pepper, 1 tablespoon Cumin, 2 teaspoons Pickling Salt, 2 tablespoons Chili Powder, and 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder. Thoroughly mix half of the spice mixture with 2 ¼ pounds of 80/20 chuck in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Once done, cover the bowl and set in a cool place.

4) Divide the dough into six equal pieces and roll out to form eight inch diameter discs. Heat a cast iron griddle on the grill over medium high heat for three minutes. Cook the tortillas on the griddle for 30 to 45 seconds on each side, flipping when bubbles first start to form. Wrap the cooked tortillas in a clean tea towel and set aside.

5) Divide the beef mixture into 6 ounce pieces and form into ¾ inch thick patties. Evenly dust both sides of the patties with the remaining spice mixture. Then heat a clean grill over medium high heat for three minutes. Using a clean, rolled towel, coat the grill grate with canola oil. Cook the patties for 4 minutes on each side. Placed the cooked patties on a cooling rack for 3 minutes.

6) While the patties are resting, clean off the grill grate and then warm up the tortillas on the grill for 10 seconds on each side. Divide the avocado mixture into six portions and place each portion on the top center of a tortilla and spread it to just under the size of a cooked patty. Place a patty on top of the avocado mixture. Place 1 ounce of crumbed Queso Fresco on the patty. Cover the Queso Fresco with one layer of the prepared onions. Fold the left side of the tortilla over to the right side then grasp the lower right edge of the tortilla and bring it up to the upper left side. Turn the wrapped burger so that it is folded side down on a plate and serve.