Blazin’ Border Burger

Pairs well with:

White Merlot

Imagine sipping a lighter Merlot. This fresh, pale-pink wine is a nice change from traditional red or white wines.

Ingredients

Chile Morita Rub:
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon hot paprika (chile morita)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Patties:
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1/2 pound mexican style chorizo
1 cup diced sweet onion
1/4 cup minced pickled jalapenoes
1 pound queso fresco quesedilla cheese;divided
Avocado Mayonnaise:
2 medium-size ripe avocadoes
1 tablespoon key lime juice
2 tablespoons Colivita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon Grey Poupon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Smokey Pico de Gallo:
3 cups diced Roma tomatoes
2 cups diced sweet onion
1 cup rough chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
3 tablespoons fresh key lime juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon kosher salt (smoked)
2 tablespoons Colivita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup diced pickled jalapenoes
Buns: 6 large whole wheat bolillos split.
Vegatable oil, for brushing the grill rack and the buns

 

Instructions

Prepare the pit by using a chimney with wood cooking chunks: mesquite and pecan wood. Start with mesquite, then add the pecan. If using a gas grill, heat to medium-high. While the gas grill is pre-heating take a metal pie pan and add wood chunks that have been soaked in water and set the pan on the cooler side of the fire. This will create smoke. Take 1 tablespoon kosher salt and put it in another pie pan and set to the cooler side of the fire to absorb the smoke. To make the dry rub place the salt, garlic, paprika, and cumin in a small bowl. Blend well. Put mixture in a shaker bottle. To make the patties, place the chorizo in a fry pan and cook thoroughly until most of the fat is rendered out. Drain well and set aside to cool. Next take the cheese and cut the piece in half. Grate half of the cheese with the fine side of a box grater. Mix the grated cheese with the cooled chorizo and form into 6 small balls (2 inches in diameter). Take the rest of the cheese and cut it into slices, reserve for later use. In a large bowl, mix the ground chuck, onion, and jalapeno and form into 6 large balls. Take each ball and make a depression in the middle with your thumb. Place a ball of the chorizo cheese mixture in the depression and close the meat mixture around it. Shape the patties into the form of the bolillo rolls. Sprinkle the patties on both sides with the dry rub, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. To make the avocado mayonnaise, take the ripe avocadoes and split them in half. Remove the pit and discard. Scoop out the pulp into a large bowl, with a fork, mash the pulp into a smooth paste. Add the lime juice, olive oil, hot sauce, mustard, and salt. Blend well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. To make the smokey pico de gallo, in a large bowl combine the tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, cilatro, garlic, olive oil, lime juice, cumin, and the smoked salt. Blend well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When the grill is pre-heated, brush the grate while it is off the fire. Place the grill on the fire and add the patties. Cook the patties directly over the coals 5-7 minutes on each side. Continue to cook the burgers 10 minutes more for medium. During the last five minutes of cooking, take the reserved cheese and add two slices to each burger. Sprinkle with a dash of the dry rub and cover the grill to melt the cheese. Pull the burgers and set them off to the cooler side of the grill to keep warm. Take the split bolillos and brush with olive oil, set them over the grill to toast, 1-2 minutes. To build the burgers, take a bolillo and spread the avocado mayonnaise on the cut side of the top and the bottom. Place a patty on the bottom half of the roll and cover it with 2 tablespoons of the pico de gallo. Set the top of the roll on the burger and serve.