Ultimate BBQ Burger with Chipotle Ranch Sauce
The spice blend of this burger gives the meat the sweet-smoky flavor of BBQ, while the chipotle ranch sauce heats things up and then cools things off. This one will be a summertime hit at your next backyard barbecue. Try it on the Fourth of July for some real fireworks! Serve with Not Potato Salad or Red, White and Blue Slaw Salad (or both!), which are great with any burger! –RR
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon steak seasoning
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 2 pounds lean ground sirloin
- 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 8 slices cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 chipotle in adobo, seeded and finely chopped, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons chives, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- Leaf lettuce, for topping
- 1 beefsteak tomato, sliced, for topping
- 1/2 red onion, sliced into rings, for topping
- 1 large deli pickle, thinly sliced lengthwise
- 4 Kaiser rolls, lightly toasted
Preparation
In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, steak seasoning, chili powder, smoked sweet paprika, cumin and allspice. Add the ground meat to the bowl and mix. Press the meat down in the bowl and score it into four portions using the side of your hand. Form four burgers, thinner in the middle than at the edges for even cooking and so that you end up with flat burgers once they bulge up during cooking. Wash your hands after handling the raw meat.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with one turn of the pan of EVOO. Cook the burgers in the pan for 3-4 minutes on one side. Flip the burgers and top each one with two slices of cheese. Tent the pan with foil and cook for 3 minutes more. You can also cook these burgers on a pre-heated grill over medium-high flame. Once you top with the cheese, close the grill lid to melt.
While the burgers are cooking, combine the buttermilk, sour cream, chipotle, adobo sauce, dill, parsley and chives in a small mixing bowl. Season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper and reserve.
When the burgers are ready, load them up onto some toasted Kaiser buns and top with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles, and a big dollop of your chipotle ranch sauce. Serve with Not Potato Salad or Red, White and Blue Slaw Salad – or both!
This is one of many "Yum-o!" recipes – it's good and good for you. To find out more about Yum-o!, Rachael's nonprofit organization, go to www.yum-o.org.
