Last month I posted my green chile burger on Bullz-Eye.com’s Grub for Guys. I have always wanted to experiment with different burger variations, and this Southwest variation on the burger is one that I really had fun with. Mostly though, it came out awesome. Here is the recipe…give it a shot and let me know what you think……

A few years ago, I attended a conference in Albuquerque, and it was the first time I’d ever been to New Mexico or Arizona. But I have always been a fan of Southwest-inspired food. Well, the one thing that was ubiquitous with the Southwest that I noticed was green chile—not the chili you eat in the winter, but the chile pepper. There are, of course, several different types, but typically the one that is symbolic and representative of “green chile” and its affiliated recipes is the poblano pepper. So in the spirit of grilling season, I decided to present a recipe that you guys could surely appreciate—a green chile burger.

Ingredients:
1 pound (or more) of ground beef, preferably 80/20 or ground chuck
Kosher salt
2 large poblano peppers
Olive oil or vegetable oil spray
1 cup shredded cheese blend (I used ½ fontina and ½ extra sharp cheddar)
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup ketchup
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
4 large Kaiser rolls or hamburger buns

Directions:
Preheat grill to medium-high. Make the “secret sauce”—combine mayo, ketchup and cilantro, and set aside. Divide beef into four equal portions and shape into patties according to how thick you’d like your burger. Make an indentation in the center with your thumb to avoid the burgers puffing up. Sprinkle with salt. Spray poblano peppers with cooking spray. Cook peppers on grill until slightly charred but not too burnt. Cook the burgers for 3-4 minutes per side or until desired doneness. When burgers are almost done, sprinkle with cheese, and cook for another 30-45 seconds or until cheese melts. Keep burgers under a foil tent while you prepare the peppers. Carefully peel the skin off the peppers, and then slice peppers into large, flat slices, and discard stems and seeds. To assemble, spread sauce on each bun half, place burger on bottom half, and top with roasted peppers. Now eat that thing like you mean it! Serves 4 (or 2 hungry dudes, or 1 extremely hungry and gluttonous dude).

Greetings, fellow food lovers. Last year I did a feature on Grub For Guys on Hot Dogs for July 4 weekend. Being that July 4 is a month away, I’m going to declare Fridays in June Hot Dog Friday and give you a different hot dog recipe each week. But first I will recap the ones I posted last year in that article, and then give you a few new ones for July 4 weekend. First up, the classic Chicago dog:

Basic Chicago Dog
True hot dog fans have tasted Chicago style dogs and not wanted to ever have them another way. Trust me, they are that good. Here is our take, and it may or may not be authentic, but it’s close enough.

Ingredients
4 all-beef hot dogs
4 hot dog buns
Yellow mustard
¼ cup sweet relish (bonus points if you can find that neon green stuff they use in the Windy City)
1 small dill pickle, chopped
½ medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
½ small tomato, seeded and chopped
Pickled jalapenos or skinny pickled chili peppers
Sprinkle of celery salt

Directions
Grill dogs on medium high heat, and about 2 minutes into the cooking time, carefully (and by that, I mean without burning your hands off) cut a sliver down the center of each dog, about halfway through it. Turn every minute or so to avoid burning, then assemble by placing a dog in a bun and topping evenly with remaining ingredients.

Bring on the summertime!