The Ranchlands Burger
by Tess Leach
Serves four
We crafted this recipe after falling in love with the "smash burger," but always felt like it needed something more. We combined Ranchlands Ground Beef with five staple ingredients to create a flavor profile that is rich and distinct. Unique but not overdone and simple enough to make anywhere, our crew loves it and so will you.
INGREDIENTS
BURGER
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb Ranchlands Ground Beef
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
- 2 large sliced tomatoes
- Frilly lettuce
- 1 small sliced yellow onion
- 1 package cream cheese
- 8 whole roasted green chilies, peeled, de-seeded and stem removed
- 1 jar Los Poblanos Green Chili Jam (optional)
- 4 brioche buns
GARLIC AIOLI
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup avocado or safflower oil
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt + few grinds of pepper
- 3 teaspoons dijon mustard
DIRECTIONS:
- Begin by prepping all your vegetables and making the garlic aioli (directions below).
- Add the oil to a cast iron pan and heat on medium. While the pan heats, mix the beef well with the salt and pepper and roll into 4oz. meatballs.
- Add the meat to the pan, evenly spaced, and with a flat spatula, smash the meat into a 1⁄4-inch patty on the bottom of the pan.
- Cook on medium heat for ~ 2 minutes, and then flip. Once flipped, add a few spoonfuls of cream cheese to the top of each patty, and lay two green chilies on top of the cream cheese on each burger.
- After 2 minutes, use your spatula to smash the green chilies onto the cream cheese. Turn the heat to low.
- While the burger is finishing, put a couple small spoonfuls of Garlic Aioli on the bottom bun and spread around. Add a leaf or two of lettuce on top.
- Turn the heat off the pan and add the burger on top of the lettuce, and then the sliced tomatoes and onions on top. Smear green chili jam if using on the top bun and add to the top of your burger. Enjoy!
Note: If you are unable to source whole roasted green chilies, the Los Poblanos jam is a great alternative. Or, if you are, the jam is still a great addition and adds a little sweetness to balance the heat of the green chilies.
GARLIC AIOLI DIRECTIONS
Start by adding 1 cup of oil into the liquid measuring cup and then add all the other ingredients. Place the immersion blender on the bottom of the dish, with the blade directly over the top of the egg and garlic. Turn it on and after about 10 seconds you’ll notice that the bottom starts to turn creamy. Once you see this, slowly bring the blender up to the top until everything is completely emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If the Aioli comes out runnier than you’d like, add more oil and emulsify again. The extra Aioli is great for dipping fries in or turning into a salad dressing and keeps for up to 10 days if covered in the fridge.