Spicy Poblano Burgers with Chipotle Cream

Tags

beef, burger, chile, chipotle, poblano, sandwich, sour cream

I know, it’s been forever since I last posted… and I’d like to say I have legitimate excuses, but they would only be excuses! I have been keeping busy, though. My husband and I are moving in a couple of weeks so we’ve been getting things set up for that, and I’ve been working on setting things up for my own pet sitting business. Cross your fingers for me, please! My other big distraction has been due to my nerdy side. Diablo III came out, and I just had to try it! Yay for video games. Hehe 🙂

So, onto the burgers. I’ve been coming across a lot of burger recipes on the blogs I follow, and with summer coming and the weather warming up, they’ve all sounded really good. I have quite a few burger recipes I’m hoping to try this summer! These were the first ones I tried, and they were fantastic! I’m not usually a fan of spicy things, but I read that poblano chiles were relatively mild and they sounded too good to pass up. Besides, I love to try new things! The burgers were incredibly moist and delicious, and the chipotle cream was the perfect topping. Even on its own, the cream was wonderful and I’m hoping to find other uses for it since I loved it so much! But all in all, these burgers are awesome, and you should definitely add them to your summer menu!One Year Ago: Portobello Fettuccine

Spicy Poblano Burgers with Chipotle Cream
Yield: 4 burgers

2 poblano chiles
1 tablespoon milk
1 (1 oz) slice white bread, crusts removed and torn into ½-inch pieces
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 pound ground beef
½ cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeds removed and finely chopped
2 teaspoons adobo sauce
4 hamburger buns, toasted
lettuce, tomato or other toppings

To prepare chiles with a gas stove, turn one of the burners to high. Using tongs, char the poblanos on all sides until black. To prepare the chiles with an oven, preheat the broiler. Place the poblanos on a foil lined baking sheet and broil until black, using tongs to turn the chiles to blacken all sides. Transfer the blackened poblanos to a resealable plastic bag and seal the bag; set it aside for 15 minutes. Remove chiles and peel them; discard the seeds and membranes to lessen the heat, if desired, then finely chop them; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the milk and bread, using a fork to mash them together into a thick paste. Add the chiles, 1½ tablespoons cilantro, cumin, coriander, paprika, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; mix to combine. Add the ground beef, and use your hands to gently combine the mixture, making sure to not overwork it. Divide into four equal portions, and shape each into a ½-inch thick patty. Using your thumb, make an indent in the middle of the burger (this helps keep the burgers flat instead of doming in the middle). Let patties sit at room temp for about 15 minutes before placing them on the grill.

Whiles the burgers rest, preheat your grill to medium-high heat (about 400 to 450 degrees F). Oil the grates lightly.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together the remaining 1½ tablespoons cilantro, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, sour cream, lime juice, chipotle chile, and adobo sauce; set aside.

Place the burgers on the grill and cook for about 3 minutes. Flip the burgers and cook for about 3 more minutes, or until cooked to desired level of doneness. Serve on toasted hamburger buns with the chipotle cream, lettuce, tomato, or your favorite burger toppings.

Source: Tracey’s Culinary Adventures, via Cooking Light

Advertisement

Baked Chipotle Beef Taquitos

Tags

beef, cheese, chipotle, lime, Mexican, tortilla

This may be blasphemous to say, but I’m not a big fan of Mexican food. I love Chipotle burritos, which I realize are very Americanized and are not really Mexican burritos at all. Other than that, if it’s Mexican but it’s not fried, I probably won’t like it. I used to love tamales and enchiladas, but something in my taste buds changed a while ago, so now I really only like taquitos, flautas, tacos, and nachos.

These taquitos are baked, so they’re healthier than their fried counterparts but still have the tasty crunch necessary for taquitos. I’ve made these multiple times over the last couple of months, and doubled it last time so I could save them in the freezer. They’re a perfect quick lunch or dinner, or even a snack! And if you love taquitos, make sure to try these baked creamy chicken taquitos. It never hurts to have variety in your freezer!Baked Chipotle Beef Taquitos
Note: Leftover beef can be used from pot roast or other slow cooked beef, as long as the seasoning isn’t overly strong. Also, chipotle chili powder can be used in place of the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, just add a little to start and increase to taste.

1½ to 2 pounds beef chuck pot roast
1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning
½ teaspoon minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
3 teaspoons adobo sauce from the canned chipotle peppers
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
zest from one lime
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
12 ounces cheese (Queso Fresco or sharp cheddar cheese), crumbled
20 to 25 6-inch white corn tortillas
Cooking spray
Kosher salt

Place beef roast and 1 cup water in a 5-quart slow cooker, fat side down. Sprinkle the packet of taco seasoning on top of the roast. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. When meat is cooked and tender, remove the roast and use 2 forks to shred the meat; shredded beef should total about 3 cups. Slice any larger pieces of roast across the grain so the beef is shredded into ½ to 1-inch pieces and place in a large bowl.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly spray baking sheet with cooking spray.

To prepare chipotle peppers, slit the pepper open. Remove the seeds either by scraping carefully with a knife or running the open pepper under a slow stream of water until the seeds have been rinsed away.

In a small bowl, combine chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, garlic powder, coriander, cumin, chili powder, lime zest, and lime juice; whisk well.  Pour over the beef and gently toss to coat.

Wrap a pile of about 10 tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 1 minute to soften. Working with one tortilla at a time, crumble about 1 tablespoon cheese in a line across the center of the tortilla.  Top with 1 to 2 tablespoons shredded beef mixture.  Tightly roll and place seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Continue to roll until all of the tortillas are filled, reheating more tortillas as needed.

Lightly spray the top of each taquito with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.  Serve warm with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.

To freeze: Prepare taquitos through spraying with cooking spray and sprinkling with salt. Lay taquitos in a single layer on a baking sheet, lightly spaced out and place in freezer. Once frozen, store in freezer bags. Bake at 425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.

Source: Adapted from Our Best Bites