That's kind of what this post is. I did a burger throwdown against myself last night. The July issue of Southern Living had a Top Rated Burgers article. I decided to make two of them and try them head to head. Either way I win. Either way I lose. I'm kicking my own ass!
I cooked the Editors Choice recipe, Fig Glazed Burgers with Red Onion Jam, for my post over at Our Krazy Kitchen. Click on over there.
Here is the challenger...
Spicy Cheddar Stuffed Burgers
Source: Southern Living July 2010
1 can chipolte peppers in adobo sauce
2 lb ground beef (80/20)
2 tsp Montreal steak seasoning
6 thick slices sharp cheddar cheese
6 buns
Tex-Mex Secret Sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup ketchup
4.5 ounce can green chiles, chopped
1 tbsp cilantro, fresh chopped
Mix the secret sauce together and let rest in the fridge.
Puree the chipolte and adobo sauce in a blender. (Note: You will only use 3-4 teaspoons for this recipe, save the rest for something else.)
Mix together the beef, seasoning, and chipolte puree. I had to add an egg as a binder because it wasn't wanting to hold together.
Divide into 12 thin patties about 4" in diameter. Top 6 of them with cheese and then top with the remaining six patties. Seal the cheese in between the two patties by pressing the edges together, like a Juicy Lucy burger. Chill for 30 minutes to 8 hours.
Grill on a 350-400f grill for 6-7 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the center. Next time I'll go back to my normal cooking times and temps instead. They were done at this temp/time, but I like more searing on the outside (4 min per side at 450-500f w/ two minute flips).
Serve on a cheddar bun, Tex-Mex Secret Sauce, and desired toppings.
Where the fig burgers were a bit too sweet for me, these Spicy burgers were almost a bit "too heat" for me. I like spicy but I went a little too heavy on the adobo sauce. The Tex-Mex sauce was surprisingly not hot, it was sweet and helped offset the spicy burger.
Results
The burger fight went the distance, with neither scoring a knock out. The reigning champ's sweet style was countered by the strikingly different spicy punch of the challenger. Let's go to the score cards.
Round 1 - Creativity/Presentation
Figs on a burger edge out a cheese stuffed burger, but a close round. 10-9 Fig Burger.
Round 2 - Taste
Two contrasting styles, but the fig was too sweet for me. I have to go with the Spicy Cheddar. 10-8 Spicy Cheddar.
Round 3 - Texture
Almost too close to call. The onion jam was a great burger topping. But biting through the Spicy burger and into the cheese was a pleasure. 10-9 Spicy Cheddar.
The winner by majority decision - Spicy Cheddar Stuffed Burger.
What's going on your grill this 4th of July weekend?
