Southwest Pantry- The Chile Chronicles
By sandy published on November 14, 2009 in Main Dishes, Southwest Pantry, Uncategorized
The Ultimate Southwest Burger
How do you build a better burger? With chiles of course! It only takes a few ingredients from the Southwest pantry to turn your ordinary burger into the Ultimate Southwest Burger.
Which chile should you use? Now that’s the question. So many chiles and so little time. Every Southwest cook has their favorite chile so, let’s start the first installment of the Chile Chronicles with some of my favorites. The three chiles I use most often to spice up everything from appetizers to desserts would have to be the jalapeno, the poblano and the anaheim. These are also quite easy to find in any grocery store or food market.
Before you buy them, you have to ask yourself one question, ”How hot do I want them?”
The poblano is a rather mild chile and is referred to as a “beginner’s” chile. It has great flavor, mild heat and is the perfect size to stuff with cheese or tasty fillings for a chile relleno (stuffed chile, sometimes battered and fried). The poblano is dark green in color and gets a little darker as it cooks.
The anaheim is hotter than a poblano and has even been known to make a certain Southwest blogger’s eyes water. They are thinner and longer than the poblano but can still be stuffed easily. The anaheim has a brighter green color and keeps that color after cooking.
The jalapeno is the smallest and hottest of the three. I do not put them in the “super hot” catagory. They have less flavor and more heat. I use them quite often when I want to add a little heat to a dish without changing the overall flavor; sauces and soups for example.
anaheim, poblano and jalapeno
So, you’ve chosen the perfect chile for your burger, now what?
First, roast the chile either over a burner or under the broiler. When you think it is dark enough, go a little longer. It should be blistered over the entire surface to make it easier to peel.
Place the roasted chile in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. The steam from the hot chile will separate the skin from the chile and make it easier to peel. Let it cool.
Peel the charred skin away from the chile. Resist the urge to hold it under running water. The water will wash away some of the flavor as well.
Remove the stem and seeds (remember that most of the heat is in the seeds and inner ribs of the chile, so remove as much or as little as you like). Cut into strips.
Layer the strips of chile on a grilled burger and add cheese, bacon, avocado, tomato, onion, lettuce along with any other toppings of your choice.
Now, it’s time to take a bite out of the Ultimate Southwest Burger.
Wow! That burger looks amazing!
Did you see the episode of “Throwdown” where Bobby Flay took on a competitor for a “green chile burger?”
He lost, of course, but neither of them looked as good as yours!
And, I am soooooooo jealous that you can eat it OUTSIDE!
We had about 10 minutes of cool weather the other day. But, as you remember, hot temperatures will be back.