The cheeseburger is the most popular dish bearing green chiles, but as one chef shows us, it's not the only one worth trying.
Butcher Burger Southwestern Style
Courtesy of Chef Jason Hoffman of IVY Kitchen, Dallas
Restaurants across the country use the New Mexico green chile and its cousins year-round. “When Hatch chiles are in season, I use them in the Butcher Burger,” says Jason Hoffman, executive chef of IVY Kitchen in Dallas. Other times, he uses Anaheim, a chile that is essentially a California-grown clone of the original New Mexico chile, the No. 9. “Chiles for me are a given,” Hoffman continues. “When I was young we used a lot of chiles. My mom always grew chiles in our garden growing up. She would roast them, dice them up, and we used them in everything. At IVY Kitchen, we turn up the burger with pepper jack cheese and chipotle aioli.” The combination makes for a seemingly simple but bracing dish that thanks to its core, the green chile, is an expression of the Southwest.
Chipotle Mayo
2 cups mayonnaise
¼ cup chopped chipotle in sauce
½ teaspoon ground cumin
⅛ cup lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and reserve.
Roasted Green Chiles
2½ pounds Anaheim green chiles
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
Toss green chiles and oil in a bowl and place on large sheet pan. Bake in a 500-degree oven until skin is blistered on top side. Flip over peppers and blister other side. Remove from sheet tray and store in sealed container to steam peppers. Once cooled to handling temperature, peel outer skin and discard. Chop roasted peppers into ¼-inch pieces. Mix in seasoning and remaining oil.
Burger
3 teaspoons chipotle mayo
½ cup shredded romaine lettuce
1 grilled burger patty seasoned with Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 slice pepper jack cheese
2 tablespoons roasted green chiles (warm)
Build to preference in a bun.
Green Chile Brisket Enchiladas
Courtesy of Chef Jason Hoffman of IVY Kitchen, Dallas
(Serves 12)
“The recipe for the green chile brisket enchiladas is an example of an evolved dish,” Hoffman says. “We had stacked enchiladas on the menu, but we also had the green chiles for the burgers. In some ways it’s also an improvement of something we already had.” Instead of a green chiles-chicken combination, Hoffman and his team decided brisket and chiles would make a great pairing. A couple of weeks of refinement and the brisket enchiladas were ready for the dining room. But the dish isn’t on the menu. “It’s an off-menu featured dish that’s been very popular for a couple of months.”
Enchilada Sauce
2 cups chicken stock
3 cups roasted and diced green chilies, plus extra for garnishing
4 teaspoons chipotle chiles
2 tablespoons chicken base
4 cups sour cream
½ tablespoon salt
¼ tablespoon black pepper
¼ tablespoon granulated garlic
Combine the chicken stock, green chiles, and chipotles in the blender and blend until in a liquid state. Pour into a large saucepan and place on stove on medium heat. Stir in chicken base, sour cream, salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Stir until all ingredients are mixed well. Remove from heat immediately and refrigerate.
Brisket
1 10-pound brisket
Barbecue dry rub
1 quart cold water
½ cup liquid smoke
Using a shaker, cover both sides of the brisket in dry rub seasoning, do not cake the seasoning. Combine the water with the liquid smoke. Add the liquid smoke and water to the bottom of a 4-inch roasting pan. Place the seasoned brisket in the pan fat side up. Cover the pan with 2 layers of clear wrap and 1 layer of foil. Cook in a preheated oven at 300 degrees for 4 hours until the meat is tender. Pull the brisket, remove the foil, and clear wrap and allow to cool on a rack. Shred brisket, removing fat.
Enchilada Filling
3 pounds pulled brisket
1 tablespoon ancho powder
3 cups ¼-by-¼-inch chopped onions soaked in cold water and drained
1 cup chopped cilantro with stems
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon barbecue spice
2 cups green chile sauce
2 quarts shredded pepper jack cheese
Place the brisket in a bowl and add all ingredients except cheese, and mix together gently. Fold in cheese until just combined, do not overwork mixture. The filling should be loosely combined.
Serving Enchiladas
Add 4 ounces green chile sauce to enchiladas on a platter and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave until enchiladas are 120 degrees for approximately 2 minutes. Remove and sprinkle pepper jack over enchiladas to coat. Sprinkle queso fresco over enchiladas. Move to pan and place under broiler until cheese is melted and the queso fresco is lightly caramelized. Top with more green chiles. Sprinkle the enchiladas with chopped cilantro.
Read about New Mexico’s Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail in the May/June 2016 issue, and about the science behind the green chile here.