We enter week four on our culinary journey this summer, and I again thank you for being along for the ride.
So far, we’ve made a delicious appetizer, a marvelous pizza, and a juicy medium-rare ribeye fit for a king.
Today, we enter the world of television. Particularly, a TV show about a family who runs a burger joint and hijinks ensue in each episode (stay with me; I’ve got a point).
Bob’s Burgers is an animated show on Fox entering its 13th season in September. Judith and I love this show, along with a lot of other borderline inappropriate shows, as well (Disclaimer: Hot Grill Summer is a judgement-free zone).
One of the show’s hooks is a running gag of pun-named burgers that is unique in every episode. And, as luck would have it, we were given a cookbook by a friend a few years ago that takes these jokes and makes them into actual burgers.
To spare you from watching the show, I’ve pulled one of the recipes that is our favorite to share with you today. In fact, the entire cookbook is found here, and whether you watch the show or not (and you should), it’s worth your while for excellent gourmet burger recipes.
This particular recipe is the “Poblano Picasso Burger” (the puns are cringe, but the burger is magnificent). The star of the show is a poblano and tomatillo based salsa verde that adds pizzazz atop a melted slice of Monterey Jack cheese and a gorgeous tomato slice.
Oh yeah, there’s a patty there, too.
Feel free to prepare the burger patty however you see fit. Personally, I’m a fan of burgers in a skillet, but grilling this one is just as good. We can have the same debate as last week about how you prefer your doneness, so I’ll leave that fine detail to you.
Before you cook your patty, you’ll want to spend time preparing the salsa verde. I know it’s ridiculously hot in your house right now, but I need you to put a stemmed and cut poblano pepper with husked tomatillos under your broiler for about 10 minutes. You’ll cook some onions over the stove top, and after the greenery comes out of the oven, you’ll add a jalapeno (can you tell I love those?) and throw everything into a blender or food processor until all is pureed. This paragraph looks like a labor of love, but I assure you, it’s worth it.
Melt a nice thick piece of Monterey Jack cheese on top of your patty. Add a slice of tomato on top, and then unashamedly douse the salsa verde all over before you put the top bun on. Every note of the burger will sing, and you’ll thank me later.
As always, thanks for reading.
Recipe
4 third-pound beef patties
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 large poblano pepper, seeded and sliced
4 tomatillos, husked
1 jalapeno
Monterey Jack
Sliced Tomato
Instructions:
- Sauté onion in a pan over medium heat until translucent and aromatic.
- Broil poblano and tomatillos for 10 minutes.
- Transfer cooked poblano, tomatillos, and jalapeno into a blender or food processor and puree.
- Cook patties to desired temperature.
- Melt Monterey Jack slice over the patties.
- Put patty on bottom bun. Top with tomato slice and a generous heaping of the salsa verde. Place top bun.
- Enjoy!
