Barbacoa Burgers with Deconstructed Sofrito and Molcajete Guacamole

Traditional Lamb Barbacoa was my inspiration! I stumbled upon a place here in Philly that makes Barbacoa the traditional way (building an under ground BBQ) and loved everything about it. They served their lamb on a tortilla with several different sauces and toppings for ultimate palate pleasing. My top picks were the sofrito, guacamole and the queso fresco crumbles. So, of course my thought was why not take this concept and turn it into a simple, don’t spend all day making burger!

Ingredients:

Sofrito:
1 Red Bell Pepper, trimmed and cut into wide strips
1Yellow Bell Pepper, trimmed and cut into wide strips
3 Jalapenos, halved and seeded
3 tablespoons. Olive oil
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
½ teaspoon Salt

Patties:
2 ½ pounds Ground Lamb
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 ½ teaspoons Cracked Black Pepper
2 tablespoons Chipotle Peppers in Adobo, minced
1 teaspoon Fresh Oregano, minced

Molcajete Guacamole
2 Avocados, halved, peeled and seed removed
1 Lime, juiced
1 teaspoon Salt
½ cup Red Onion, diced
2 tablespoons Cilantro

Oil for brushing the grill

6 Crusty French Rolls, split
2 tablespoons Butter Softerend

1 cup Queso Fresco Crumbles

Instructions:

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

To make the sofrito:
Toss red peppers, yellow peppers and jalapenos in a large bowl with olive oil, garlic and salt until coated. Grill until skins have charred, slightly, around 3-4 minutes. Remove from the grill and chill until ready to assemble the burgers.

To make the patties:
Combine ground lamb, salt, pepper, chipotle peppers and oregano in a large bowl. Mix together using a spoon as to not over work the meat. Form into 6 equal patties, cover and chill until ready to grill.

To make the molcajete guacamole:
Using a large stone mortar and pestle, combine avocados, lime juice, salt, onions and cilantro. Grind ingredients together until a chunky paste forms. Scrape ingredients into a bowl, cover tightly and chill until ready to serve.
Brush grill grates with oil. Place patties on the rack and grill, covered, for 4-5 minutes per side, turning once, or until desired doneness is reached. Brush rolls with butter place cut side down on the grill and toast.

To assemble the burgers, place patties on toasted rolls, top evenly with grilled peppers, guacamole and queso fresco crumbles before serving.