The AWARD WINNING Chili-less Chili Burger

Back in the day when we were younger and going to school in Reno we would have cook-offs with our friends. That is how this delicious burger was created and how it became “AWARD WINNING.” So award winning really means I beat a few friends in the back yard...but it is a pretty good burger anyway. After facing the most worthy of adversaries, the Chili-less Chili Burger continues to satisfy appetites from the West Coast all the way to the Midwest 7 years later.

The Cast of Characters:

-1 tsp Tapatio

-1/2 tsp ground coriander seed

-1/4 tsp onion powder

-1/2 tsp garlic powder

-2 tsp cumin seed

-1Tbsp+1 tsp of ground cumin

-1Tbsp chili powder

-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

-Coarse black pepper

-Sea salt

-1Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

-Homeade salsa and guacamole (see previous recipes August 2012)

-Mayonnaise to taste

-Sliced onion

-Lettuce (baby greens work well)

-American cheese (optional)

-1lb of beef  85/15

-1 package of hamburger buns

Since everyone else was late they didn't
get to be in the picture!

1. Combine Tapatio, ground coriander seed, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin seed, ground cumin, chili powder, Worcestershire and cayenne pepper with ground beef. Combine with hands until evenly distributed.

Work it...

 

2. Form the patties; the thickness will determine the amount of people you can feed, along with cook time and everything else that is important within this recipe. We usually form patties that are about 1/2 in thick and very wide because they do shrink-up during grilling. 

3. To toast or not to toast your bun, that is the questions…it’s really up to you. The AWARD WINNING recipe toasts their buns FYI. If you would like to toast your bun on the grill brush lightly with olive oil beforehand for that extra bit of crunch. 

4. Pre-heat the grill to 375 degrees, while the grill is pre-heating, cover the patties with sea salt and coarse ground pepper and pat into the meat, seriously cover it; this locks in the juice.

5.  Throw em’ on the grill. Once the patties are close to being done, about 3 minutes each side for medium (depending on whether you like it rare, medium or well) that is the time to add the cheese.

6. Now it’s time to build a burger…an AWARD WINNING burger mind you. Therefore how we do it includes putting mayonnaise on the bottom bun, burger, guacamole, onion, lettuce and the homemade salsa. Enjoy…if you want to stray, that is your decision but remember one thing, it will not be an AWARD WINNING BurgerJ 

Music pick,  Lykke Li. Drink pick, St. Lupulin EPA, Odell Brewing Co. 

And Commence GRILL WEEK!

Course 1: Bruschetta

To celebrate our move to Omaha we were limited as to foods we could both make and enjoy because of the freak heat wave hitting the Midwest at this time. We're caught in a double-bind, cooking inside is hot, cooking outside is hot, waiting until the sun goes down so that we can grill....priceless, oh and yeah, cooler...slightly. As a result of this concept, GRILL WEEK was born...and grill we did!

When we dedicate our night to cooking we like to eat over a long period of time, because usually it is our event for the evening. So we choose some great music, pop open a bottle of wine or beer and get to it. We like to separate our meal into different courses so that we can enjoy making and eating each one. Therefore the first series of posts feature one individual course at a time.

To start we made a grilled bruschetta. How more people do not make bruschetta this way is...( we have no words for what it is).

Grilled Bruschetta (serves 2 or however many people you want to serve)
-Choose your bread (any crusty bread will work) it will need to be sliced.
-Cherry tomatoes. You need enough to cover the surface of your bread.
-Fresh Mozzarella sliced. Again, you need enough slices to cover the surface of the bread. 
-Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling. 
-Basil, chopped
-1 clove of garlic
-Sea salt
-Bamboo Skewers

1. Soak bamboo skewers in water for 15 minutes while you're prepping the other ingredients. We use the bamboo skewers to grill the tomatoes, soaking them in water keeps them from catching fire.
2. Slice your bread, into as many slices as you want to eat. Make sure they are about 3/4 of an inch thick.

3. We like to use a muddler to combine our olive oil, basil and garlic.



With a muddler you will place 1 clove of garlic, 2 tbsp of olive oil and 4 fresh basil leaves.

Then muddle away until the olive oil is bright green and the basil leaves are fairly well distributed.

4. Brush the olive oil mixture onto both sides of your sliced bread, coating completely. Now is a good time to pre-heat your grill on medium, about 350 degrees.

5. Skewer the cherry tomatoes, do not leave space between the tomatoes otherwise the skewer may burn. Learned that one the hard way...

6. Slice the mozzarella so that there are enough slices to cover the surface of your bread. Thin slices melt better!

7. Once the grill is pre-heated, lightly toast one side. This is the point where you put the skewers of tomatoes on as well.

8. Once the toasting of one side is complete flip that baby over and add the mozzarella slices. Close the grill, checking occasionally to make sure nothing has caught on fire and better yet to monitor the melting of the mozzarella. Make sure you're turning those tomatoes.

9. When the mozzarella is melted (after about 5 minutes) remove the tomatoes and the bread from the grill.

10. Remove the tomatoes from the skewers and slice to desired size, putting them on top of the mozzarella.

11. Roll ten basil leaves, slice into thin ribbons and sprinkle on top of the tomatoes.

12. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt to taste and then TASTE!

This course was made possible with the help of the Alabama Shakes (music pick) and Geyser Peak, 2011 Sauvignon Blanc (paired beverage or in this case IMpaired beverage).

WELCOME

You found us!  It was an elaborate game of 'Where in the World is Carmen San Diego,' but you solved the puzzle.  If you do not know who Carmen San Diego is we have already started on the wrong foot. Anyway, hope you're hungry because this will seem more interesting if you are. Prepare yourself for food glorious food, music, libations and many destinations. View our recipes, travel guides, and other shenanigans that we have posted (or in this case will post). You will also likely endure much more obscure references than Carmen San Diego. Prepare accordingly.