By Daniel Hale

There are burgers, and then there are burgers that make you rethink what a burger should be.

I came across these New Mexican Green Chile Burgers while paging through Steven Raichlen’s Raichlen’s Burgers.

This is the kind of burger I had never really considered. Sure, I’ve had plenty of chili cheeseburgers. But a green chile burger? That was something new for me.

So when Melissa’s Produce sent me a box of fresh mild Hatch chiles in the middle of Hatch season, I knew exactly what I wanted to make.

I fired up the Monument Grills Eminence 605 and put Steven’s New Mexican burger to the test.

What Makes a Hatch Chile Different?

Hatch isn’t a particular variety of pepper. The name refers to chiles grown in and around New Mexico’s Hatch Valley.

They can range from mild to seriously hot, but what makes them special is their distinctive flavor—especially once they meet fire. Roasting softens the flesh, concentrates the flavor, and adds a smoky edge that makes green chile a natural partner for grilled beef.

 

Once roasted, the chiles are covered briefly to steam, then peeled, seeded, and cut into strips. Some go into the cheddar topping for the burgers, while the rest can be used to make Steven’s New Mexican Salsa Verde.

Making the Green Chile Burgers on the Monument Eminence 605

The first job for the Monument Grills Eminence 605 was roasting the Hatch chiles.

I fired up the grill and brought the temperature to around 550° to 600°F. That intense heat quickly blistered and blackened the skins while softening the flesh underneath.

 

The Eminence 605’s six main burners made it easy to generate the high heat I was looking for. I placed the chiles directly over the heat and turned them until the skins were blistered on all sides.

While they cooked, I kept an eye on the grill through the Monument Grills app. The Eminence 605 connects to the app via Bluetooth, allowing me to monitor the grill temperature from my phone without constantly lifting the lid.

 

Once the chiles were roasted, peeled, and seeded, they became the ingredient that really sets Steven’s New Mexican Green Chile Burger apart.

The chile shows up twice. First, strips of fire-roasted Hatch chile are combined with grated white cheddar and piled onto the hot burger, where the cheese melts around the peppers.

Then comes the salsa verde. Made with roasted green chiles, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, and oregano, it adds another layer of chile flavor along with acidity and freshness.

The burgers themselves are intentionally simple: ground chuck or sirloin seasoned generously with salt and pepper. After roasting the chiles, I used the Eminence 605 to grill the beef patties and toast the hamburger buns.

 

Steven’s original recipe calls for New Mexican green chiles, Anaheim chiles, or poblanos. If you can get fresh Hatch chiles while they’re in season, use them.

Recipe

New Mexican Green Chile Burgers with Salsa Verde

Recipe by Steven Raichlen

These New Mexican green chile burgers get a double dose of chile flavor from fire-roasted peppers mixed with white cheddar and a fresh New Mexican salsa verde.

Method
Direct grilling

Serves
4

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup roasted New Mexican green chiles, Anaheim chiles, or poblano peppers, cut into 1/4-inch strips (4 to 5 chiles)
• 4 ounces white Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 cup)
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef sirloin or chuck
• Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 hamburger buns
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• New Mexican Salsa Verde

Instructions

1. Place the chile strips in a serving bowl and stir in the Cheddar. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Wet your hands with cold water and divide the ground beef into 4 equal portions. Working quickly and with a light touch, pat each portion into a thick patty. Place the patties on a plate lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate, covered, until ready to grill.
3. Generously, and I mean generously, season each patty on both sides with salt and black pepper. Grill the burgers until they are cooked through. Remove the burgers and cover to keep warm. Leave the grill on.
4. Brush the cut sides of the hamburger buns with the olive oil. Place the buns on the hot grill, cut side down, and, lowering the temperature if necessary, grill until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. You may need to work in batches.
5. Place each of the burgers on the bottom half of a bun and top each with a quarter of the chile and cheese mixture. Spoon some salsa verde over each, top with the other half of the bun, and serve at once.

Fire Up a Different Kind of Burger

I have to say, this burger was fantastic.

You get great beefy flavor up front, followed by the roasted chile and just enough Hatch chile heat at the finish. The salsa verde adds brightness without overpowering the burger.

A great burger doesn’t always need bacon, a dozen toppings, or some complicated secret sauce. Sometimes all it takes is good beef, a hot grill, melted cheese, and one ingredient that changes the whole personality of the burger.

In New Mexico, that ingredient is green chile.

After trying one topped with fire-roasted Hatch chiles, the standard lettuce-and-tomato cheeseburger suddenly has some serious competition.

 

A huge thanks to Monument Grills for sponsoring this post.

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