American | Green Chile Cheeseburger Sliders

Posted on June 16, 2011

I wasn't at all familiar with green chiles or any chiles really. I have been avoiding cooking with them for some time. We made these in a class, and I sort of didn't like them. Then I realized the instructor forgot to grill the chiles and onions first. So I decided to make these at home, this time grilling the veggies. They turned out really good, also note that the sauce is really better the next day. I have a new appreciation for chiles! The recipe comes from Bobby Flay's "Grill It!" cookbook.

Yield: as many as you want

Ingredients

mini hamburger buns, split and lightly grilled

ground chuck 80% lean

canola oil

kosher sea salt, to taste

freshly ground pepper, to taste

slices of Chihuahua or provolone cheese

Green Chile Sauce (recipe below)

thick slices of beefsteak tomatoes

pickled jalapeno chiles, thinly sliced (optional)

 

Method

Heat your grill to high.

Form meat into burgers. Brush with canola oil and season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Place on the grill and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the burgers over and continue cooking to medium, about 4 minutes longer. Note that cooking time is less if making mini-burgers. Really depends on the thickness of your burger.

Place slices of cheese on each burger, close the lid or tent with foil, cook until the cheese had just melted, about 1 minute.

Assemble: bottom bun, meat and cheese, green chile sauce, tomato slice, pickled jalapeno, and top bun. Eat!

 

GREEN CHILE SAUCE

2 poblano chiles, grilled, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1 medium red onion, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, grilled and chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or oregano leaves

1 tablespoon of honey

1/4 teaspoon kosher sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

 

Combine the poblanos, onion, garlic, cilantro, 1/4 cup cold water, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Adjust the salt and pepper. Bring to room temperature before serving. This sauce can be made 1 day in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator.

 

(Ref. Sur La Table's "Green Chile Cheeseburgers" recipe, "Bobby Flay's Grill It!" class.)