Chorizo Chipotle Cheeseburger

I just had the best burger ever! It wasn't at a fast food joint, greasy spoon, nor a fancy schmancy restaurant.

It was at home.

Bug and I had a burger brainstorm as a result of this week's Serious Eats Weekend Cook and Tell challenge -- burgers.

Ideas ranged from ground chicken with curry and lemongrass to standard hamburgers. We discussed what we wanted out of a burger, and we agreed that we wanted a smokey flavor and some kind of twist, something that isn't found on every street corner, at least not in these parts.

The birth of Bug's burger:

Cheeseburger with a kick

Here is a rough description on what was created.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground chuck
1/4 lb chorizo
2-1/2 peppers with sauce (San Marcos Chipotle Peppers in adobo sauce)
1 c mayonnaise (Hellman)
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
tomato, sliced
iceberg lettuce
avocado, sliced 1/4"
pepper jack cheese
burger buns

4 Yukon Gold potatoes
peanut oil
black pepper, ground medium to medium fine
salt, ground medium fine

Burger: Ground chuck and chorizo mix, grilled to medium
Sauce: Mayonnaise and minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Toppings: lettuce, avocado, tomato, jalapeno peppers, and pepper jack cheese

Fries: Potatoes were cut and deep fried in peanut oil, drained, and set aside. Black pepper and sea salt were ground over the fries.

Bug made the fries in two batches -- one batch was fried straight fron the cutting board. Another batch was washed, soaked in cold water, refrigerated, drained, then dried.

From what we've read, the latter set-up should have produced crisp, nicely browned fries. It did not. What resulted was a batch of wimpy fries. The fries that went from the cutting board to the fryer were perfectly crisp and browned the way I like them.

Chorizo is cheaper than beef and has a nice flavor when used in moderation. This gave the burger a little tang and subtle flavor without screaming over the beef. The chipotle imparted an awesome smokey flavor, and the jalapeno provided a little heat, crunch, and peppery flavor. The lettuce, avocado, and tomato muted the heat from the peppers and added freshness to the mix.

This was the most splendid melding of flavors I have ever experienced in a burger. It's awesome when a plan comes together...and you have a husband who has great ideas and can put them in motion. =)

- Cassaendra