Smokey Ancho Cheddar Burgers
In honor of festive eats and Mexican flavors on this Cinco De Mayo, we wanted to share one of our latest favorites: Smokey Ancho Cheddar Burgers. Despite the ample use of homemade Garlic Ancho Chile Paste, these burgers are not spicy, but bursting with sweet roasted garlic and smokey, earthy, dried anchos. Tangy melted cheddar, addictive ancho mayonnaise, and bright bursts of Yucatán Quick Pickled Red Onions garnish this delicious burger to mouthwatering perfection.
Yield: 6 medium burgers
Ingredients:
Burgers:
- 2 pounds ground beef (we like a 80/20, lean to fat)
- 3 tablespoons Garlic Ancho Chile Paste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 drops liquid smoke (optional)
Ancho Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoons ancho paste
- 1 teaspoon lime juice (about 1/4 of a lime)
- pinch salt
- pinch pepper
Fixings:
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Picked red onions (we use homemade Yucatán Quick Pickled Red Onions)
- Lettuce
- Buns
Steps:
- Preheat grill on high for 10-15 minutes. Clean grill thoroughly, and whip down the clean grate quickly with a lightly oiled cloth. This will reduce sticking during grilling.
- For the ancho mayonnaise: Combine all ancho mayonnaise ingredients (mayonnaise, ancho paste, lime, salt, and pepper) in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
- For the burgers: In a large bowl, combine all the burger ingredients (ground beef, ancho paste, Worcestershire, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, pepper, and liquid smoke). Using your hands, gently mix until the ingredients are uniformly combined. Don't mix more than necessary.
- Divide the spiced burger meat into 6 equal portions. Using your hands, form each potion into an even patty, about 4 inches across and 3/4 inch tall. Uncooked patties can be frozen for up to one month for later grilling.
- Grill the burgers on high heat for 4 minutes, with the lid open. Flip the burgers, and top with cheddar cheese. Close the lid, and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes depending on desired doneness. We like our burgers medium.
- Top burgers with generous spoonfuls of ancho mayonnaise, picked onions, and lettuce. Serve immediately on toasted buns.
Garlic Ancho Chile Paste
Mexican chile pastes of many hues and potencies dotted our fridge in the days leading up to Easter. After a spirited debate about menu and theme, we decided to cook a Mexican inspired meal for the holiday. Armed with a dozen cookbooks, bags of chiles, and advice from the helpful staff at our local Latin market, we set to work testing the recipes. After many heaps of charred chiles, garlic and herbs were pureed and perfected, we had a winner.
This Garlic Ancho Chile Paste is smokey, slightly sweet, medium spicy, and richly layered with roasted garlic and spices. Chile pastes are common in Mexican cooking, providing a complex base, potent marinade, or vibrant accent flavor. Ancho chiles are one of our favorites. These dried reddish-brown poblano chile peppers are popular in Mexican cuisine. This gorgeous paste is the starring ingredient in our Charred Ancho Mexican Red Rice and Ancho Cheddar Burgers.
Charred Ancho Mexican Red Rice
Charred Ancho Mexican Red Rice has a mellow chile flavor and vivid hue which highlights the smokey, slightly sweet and garlicky flavors of our Garlic Ancho Chile Paste. This spicy rust colored Mexican red rice is complex and filling and can be served as a main, as a side dish to slow roasted meat, or as a starch base. Ancho chiles are ubiquitous in Mexican cuisine, we love their mild fruity flavor and always keep a large quantity on hand. Prolific Mexican cookbook author Rick Bayless, from whom this recipe is adapted, describes the flavor of anchos as “sweet dark cherries, prunes, and fresh tobacco." Charred Ancho Mexican Red Rice is an unusual rice dish, and one that has the benefit of being quick to make and can be easily made ahead, perfect for entertaining.
Yucatán Quick Pickled Red Onions, Escabeche De Cebolla
It’s grilling season, and these cumin and oregano scented quick pickled red onions are the wonderfully vibrant Mexican condiment that recently took our household by storm, summarily ousting ketchup and mustard from first-shelf-fridge-status. Since the weather is warming up, we like to keep a jar of these delicious Yucatán Quick Pickled Red Onions on hand to top burgers, hot dogs, tacos, even salads get piled with a handful of these fuchsia gems. Whip up a quick batch, and try these pickled red onions out with our Turkey Feta Burgers With Yogurt Curry Sauce, Smokey Ancho Cheddar Burgers, Citrus Pulled Pork, Portobello Burger, or with Baked Tofu Rice Bowl.
Turkey Feta Burgers with Yogurt Curry Sauce
On a holiday weekend famous for feasting and barbecues, we wanted to share one of our favorite burgers. These healthy Turkey Feta Burgers with Yogurt Curry Sauce are quick to make, light on fat, and big on flavor. If you are feeling adventurous, you can also substitute the turkey in this recipe for another lean meat like lamb, buffalo, or venison. To top these burgers, we ditch the usual lettuce, and opt instead for the crips fresh accompaniments of cucumber, tomato, and homemade pickled red onions.
Bacon Bison Burgers
It’s the first day of September, an in-between season, with one foot in summer and the other inching towards fall. We created these Bison Bacon Burgers for this time of year, a last hurrah to warm summer grilling, with a nod towards cooler evenings. These are woodsy bison and beef burgers with hints of rosemary, smoky bacon and heaps of sweet caramelized onions. Honestly, these are fantastic burgers, bison lover or not, this burger will captivate your taste buds. And for the labor day weekend, celebrate with a last round of homemade burgers; Smokey Ancho Cheddar Burgers, Portobello Burgers with Green Olive Tapenade, or, my favorite, Turkey Feta Burgers with Yogurt Curry Sauce.
