Beef, cheese, poblano and beer - an addictive burger emerges

This recipe repurposes that burger with fresher ingredients and sharp cheddar.[Photo/IC]

The ancestor of this recipe was a beloved burger on the menu of a bar where I was a cook back in my college days.

Working on a flat-top grill (the same surface used in diners to cook hash browns), we'd top the burger with a special mix of veggies, top the veggies with a slice of American cheese, douse the whole concoction with beer, then cover it with a dome lid and steam the burger until the cheese melted.

It was addictive - and I don't even like beer.

This recipe repurposes that burger with fresher ingredients and sharp cheddar. I call for ground chuck because it's not too lean. The higher percentage of fat makes the burger juicier and more flavorful. Whenever you add fat to a recipe, it's just going to taste better.

The poblanos are roasted for three reasons: to soften the chili's texture, to make it easier to remove the tough peel, and to develop a slight char taste. I recommend roasting them under the broiler, but if you have gas burners, you can place them right on top of a burner and char them over a low flame. If you want to skip this step to save time, you can swap in canned chilies instead.

These burgers need to be cooked on a burner on top of the stove - not on a grill. That's so the juices that accumulate in the bottom of the skillet can be deglazed with beer and turned into a "sauce" (more like drippings) to pour onto the burger at the end. If you're a beer lover, choose a robust brand, which will amp up the burger's flavor.

I can't pretend that this is a low-cal dish, but I do think it's a justifiable (and delicious) end-of-summer indulgence.

CHILE CHEESEBURGERS STEAMED IN BEER

Start to finish: 1 hour (40 active)

Servings: 6

1 large poblano (about 4 ounces) or one 4.5 ounce can chilies

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided plus extra oil for oiling the chili

2 cups sliced onion

salt and black pepper

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons minced chipotle in adobo

1 1/2 pounds ground chuck, divided into 6 patties (shape them so that all of them will fit into one large skillet without touching)

6 ounces sliced cheddar cheese

1/2 cup beer

6 toasted buns

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