Flat Stack Green Chile Cheeseburger with a Fried Egg on Top

My inspiration for this recipe are the amazing Hatch green chiles that my home state of New Mexico is famous for.They are so ubiquitous there that you can order your Big Mac with a side of green chile in New Mexico McDonalds! Hands down, the two local favorites are the green chile cheeseburger and flat green chile enchiladas with a fried egg on top. I decided to combine the two to create the ultimate New Mexican comfort food. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

Patties

2 pounds 80/20 ground sirloin

2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons roasted, peeled, and chopped Hatch green chile-substitute with poblanos or Aneheims if necessary

6 tablespoons crumbled queso fresco or any type of crumbly Mexican cheese

Green Chile Sauce

1 and1/2 tablespoon bacon drippings or shortening

3/4 cup chopped white onion

3 tablespoons flour

1-14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained

1-14 oz. can chicken broth

1 cup roasted, peeled, and chopped Hatch green chile-substitute with poblanos or Aneheims [Anaheim / Jill] if necessary

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

Remaining Ingredients

cooking spray

12 corn tortillas, preferably La Tortilla Factory’s Hand Made Style Yellow Corn Tortillas

1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying

6 large eggs

3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 and 1/2 cups prepackaged shredded iceberg lettuce

1 and 1/2 cups chopped fresh tomato

12 tablespoons chopped white onion

Instructions:

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

To make the patties, gently mix the ground sirloin, oregano, cumin, coriander, and 1 teaspoon salt together. Form into 12 thin patties , slightly smaller that the size of the corn tortillas. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon green chile, 1 tablespoon and 1 tablespoon queso fresco on 6 of the patties and cover with the remaining patties, pressing the edges to seal well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to grill.

To make the green chile sauce, heat the bacon drippings in a large grill-proof, non-stick skillet until melted and hot. Add 3/4 cup onion and cook 3-4 minutes, or until softened and transparent. Add flour and whisk about 30 seconds to 1 minute to incorporate. Add the canned tomatoes, chicken broth, 1 cup green chile, garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon salt, whisking to combine. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly. Move skillet to the warming rack on the grill. Cover and keep warm. Return grill to medium-high heat.

Take a piece of foil about 2 feet long and coat with cooking spray. Place a tortilla in the center and give it a spray of water with a spray bottle. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, stacking them on the foil. Wrap the tortillas in the foil, sealing into a packet.

Grill the burgers 3 minutes per side or until desired degree of doneness. Place tortillas on the grill in the last 3-4 minutes, turning them after a couple of minutes. Transfer burgers to a serving platter and keep warm.

Lower grill to medium heat and heat the oil in a grill-proof large , non-stick skillet and fry the eggs to over-medium or each to your guest’s preference.

To assemble, place a tortilla on a dinner plate and spread about 1/3 cup sauce over the tortilla. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheddar cheese over the sauce and top with the patty. Place a second tortilla over the patty and sprinkle with another 1/4 cup of cheese. Place a fried egg on top and drizzle about 1/3 cup more of the sauce over the egg. Sprinkle 1/4 cup lettuce, 1/4 cup chopped tomato, and 2 tablespoons chopped onion over that and serve immediately.