Roasted Poblano Pepper Burgers

I browse the web quite a bit looking for good recipes and this one stood out so much that it wasn't on my "to-make" list for very long before I actually made it. Frankly, I've been thinking about eating this burger ALL DAY. And, I'm quite happy I made it for dinner tonight, the subtle heat from the poblano, and the juciness of the burger really hit the spot.

The original recipe called for the burger to be topped with pickled onion and chipotle cream. While those would be delicious partners to this burger, my hunger on a weeknight meant I ditched the fancy sauce and veggies for cool crisp lettuce and tomato instead so that I calm my growling stomach.

On this initial go round with the recipe, I only tweaked it subtly, the only change being omitting the fresh cilantro because I'm not a huge fan and didn't have any in the house. I also noticed that the coriander and cumin came through lound and strong so I'll probably dial it back a little the next time I make these. I cooked these in a covered cast iron skillet. That gave the exteriors of the burgers a nice char while leaving the center juicy. Highly recommend this method hen you run out of charcoal or it's 30 degrees below zero!

Here's the original recipe, from Cooking Light, makes 4: Spicy Poblano Burgers with Pickled Red Onion and Chipotle Cream
Ingredients:

• 2 poblano chiles
• 1 tablespoon 1% low-fat milk
• 1 (1-ounce) slice white bread, crusts removed, and torn into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• Cooking spray
• 4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns, toasted
• 1/4 cup Pickled Red Onions (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Place poblano chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet, and broil for 8 minutes or until blackened, turning after 6 minutes. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel chiles, and discard the seeds and membranes. Finely chop.
3. Combine milk and bread in a large bowl; mash bread mixture with a fork until smooth. Add poblano chile, 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, cumin, coriander, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and beef to milk mixture, tossing gently to combine. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, gently shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Press a nickel-sized indentation in the center of each patty. Cover and chill until ready to grill.
4. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
5. Combine the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in sour cream, shallots, and juice. Remove 1 chipotle pepper and 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from can; reserve remaining chipotle peppers and adobo sauce for another use. Chop chile. Stir chopped chipotle and 2 teaspoons adobo sauce into sour cream mixture. Set aside.
6. Place patties on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes or until grill marks appear. Carefully turn patties; grill an additional 3 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun; top each serving with 3 tablespoons chipotle cream and 1 tablespoon Pickled Red Onions