- There's a lot of flavor going on in this burger, but not so much as to overshadow the beef itself. Heat, spice, and smoke, along with poblano and red bell peppers create a lip smacking experience. You can use store-bought mayo on the buns, but Chipotle Aioli really makes the burger sing and takes only minutes to prepare.
Neat Trick If you have time, rinse the uncut meat under cold water and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Salt rather liberally (but don't go crazy), place in a glass baking dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and frig for 18-24 hours (or longer). Then chunk the meat just before grinding it. The salt will have permeated every portion of the meat and your burger will thus be perfectly seasoned. No need to add extra salt to the mix.
2 pounds well-marbled beef chuck or boneless short ribs (or combination thereof), cut in to 1-inch chunks and well chilled (aim for 16%-20% fat)
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded, ribbed, and minced (1/2 cup diced)
1/2 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, ribbed, and minced(1/2 cup diced)
1/4 large red onion (1/2 cup finely minced red onion)
6 large cloves garlic, peeled and pressed or minced
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped to a mush
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons crumbled dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon fine sea salt (skip if you salted the meat beforehand)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
vegetable oil, for grilling
Garnishes
Chipotle Aioli (see recipe below)
7 soft, artisan buns ( focaccia , ciabatta , seed rolls , or potato rolls ), cut in half, lightly toasted (and buttered lightly if desired)
sliced aged cheddar cheese, optional
sliced ripe avocado
thinly sliced sweet or red onions
watercress (or arugula or baby lettuces)
Italian Giardiniera , optional
cup best quality mayonnaise (I use Best Foods)
4 baby dill pickles or equivalent (I used Vslasic Garlic, Dill & Onion Petit Pickles)
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce (available canned in Mexican section of grocery store)
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/4 teaspoon smoked mild or hot paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
