Southwest Green Chile Chipotle Burgers

Pairs well with:

Zinfandel

Bright and full-bodied, this Zinfandel wine is a curious contradiction in tastes.

Ingredients

Burgers:

2 pounds ground beef

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

6 chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped

1 tablespoon adobo sauce from chipotle peppers

6 green chile peppers (such as Hatch chiles from New Mexico)

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

Chipotle Mayo:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

Other Ingredients:

1 cup shredded lettuce [what kind or lettuce? Jill]

3/4 cup diced tomatoes

6 Monterey Jack cheese slices

6 egg buns, sliced in half lengthwise

1/4 cup olive or canola oil to brush on grill

 

Instructions

To roast green chiles, preheat grill to very high heat. Wash and dry chiles, and place on hot grill. Turn chiles every minute or so for 5-10 minutes, or until mostly charred. Place hot chiles in large plastic zipper bag to steam for about 15 minutes. Remove from bag and scrape off charred skin. Slice each chile open and remove most of the seeds and ribs (depending on how spicy you want the burgers – more seeds equal more spice!).

Combine ground beef, salt, pepper, chopped chiles, chopped chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, garlic, cumin, and onion in a large bowl and mix with hands just until combined. Form into 6 equal-size patties.

Stir together mayonnaise and chipotle chile powder.

Turn grill to medium-high heat. Brush grill with olive or canola oil. Grill burgers over medium-high heat for approximately 5 minutes per side, or until just about to desired doneness. Add Monterey Jack cheese to each burger and grill one more minute. With about 2-3 minutes to go on the burgers, place each bun half on the grill until lightly toasted.

To build the burgers, place a burger patty on each bottom bun. Top with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes. On each top bun, spread the chipotle mayo, and place on top of burger. Enjoy!