Hatch Chile Burger
It’s Hatch Chile season again and I couldn’t be happier. While the season started about three weeks ago, there are still a couple weeks left to enjoy fresh Hatch chiles, which means you still have plenty of time to use them in everything from hummus to salsa to ice cubes. Since it’s Labor Day weekend I decided to use them to make some burgers.
See, it’s been quite warm here in Los Angeles recently, and when it’s this warm out all I want to do is barbecue. I love grilling steaks, chops and chicken, but since it’s a three-day weekend filled with parties, the most popular choice is usually hot dogs or hamburgers. I’ve never been a fan of your basic hamburger, though. I always like cheese or bacon or grilled onions or all three with a little mustard and ketchup. So, since I like to spice up my burgers, I thought why not spice them up with chiles. But I’m not just piling them on top of the burger, I chopped them up and mixed them into the hamburger along with some cojita cheese and of course plenty of salt and pepper.
If you’re concerned you may not be able to find any Hatch chiles, this late in the season, there are still plenty of places that not only sell them, but roast them, too. You want to buy those chiles now though, because there really are only a few weeks left before they’re gone. See, Hatch season starts in August and only goes five or six weeks. After that, you’ll have to wait until next year to get your hatch chile on… Unless you freeze them, then you’ll have them year round. That’s what I do and then I use those chiles to make some great guacamole for Super Bowl.
Want to know what my favorite thing about these chiles are, though? They come in various heats. That’s right, there are mild chiles, medium chiles, hot chiles and ridiculously hot chiles. As a matter of fact, Hatch chiles are the only chile that’s actually grown according to its heat. There is one problem, though: they all look the same. So, if you’re concerned about getting the right temperature, make sure you ask your produce department, or do what I do and order them from Melissa’s Produce. Since I’m not a big fan of super spicy things, I usually get the mild chiles, but all are delicious and great for whenever a recipe calls for them.
Since I didn’t want to overpower these burgers with spice, I used the mild Hatches, but you can use whichever version you prefer. It just depends on how spicy you like your food. Don’t forget there’s cojita and soy sauce to add flavor as well. When I mixed all the ingredients together, I got a great burger that was full of flavor. Add a cold beer (or margarita) and you have an awesome dish that’s perfect for this holiday weekend whether you’re hanging with friends or family.
Hatch Chile Burgers
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 egg
- 1 roasted mild Hatch chile, seeded and minced
- 1/2 cup cojita cheese, crumbled
- 1 slice of wheat bread, torn up
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat the grill to 400°F.
- While the grill heats up, mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined. Form into eight patties and grill until charred on the outside and pink inside, about 8 minutes for medium-rare.
- Place the cooked patties on buns and top with more crumbled cojita cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes and whatever else you like on your burgers. Serve and enjoy your holiday weekend.
