Sweet ‘N Spicy Texas Burgers Stuffed with Armadillo Eggs

In Texas, we serve “Armadillo Eggs” at every party…that is, cheese-stuffed whole jalapenos usually dipped in a sweet sauce to cut the heat.So naturally, I figured a true Texas burger would include Armadillo Eggs in some way. After stuffing my Texas burgers with Armadillo Eggs, I finished the flavor balance with a sweet sauce on Texas Toast – Yummy and Yeehaw!

Ingredients:

3 pounds freshly ground chuck
1 TBS ground cumin
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
12 whole pickled jalapenos, jarred
1 cup softened cream cheese
12 slices of Texas Toast
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 cup seedless strawberry jelly
6 large Bibb lettuce leaves
6 slices of sweet yellow bell pepper

Instructions:

Preheat gas grill to medium-high.

Mix your freshly ground chuck in a bowl with the cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix together well with your hands. Form 12 thin square patties and line them up on your cutting board.

Cut the stems from the whole pickled jalapenos. Using a small spoon and your fingers, fill the body of each pepper with cream cheese until it’s stuffed. Place 2 stuffed peppers, or Armadillo Eggs, in the center of 6 of your square patties. Then top with your remaining 6 patties, using your hands to seal the edges so that the peppers are fully sealed inside. Set patties aside to rest.

Put your burgers on the preheated grill over direct heat, flipping once but carefully so your Armadillo Eggs do not come out. Cook burgers for a total of 10-12 minutes. A few minutes before the burgers are cooked to your desired doneness, brush your Texas Toast slices with olive oil and put on the grill to toast slightly. Remove toast from grill and smear one side of each piece with equal amounts of strawberry jelly. When everything is ready, assemble each burger – a stuffed square patty topped with a Bibb lettuce leaf and a slice of sweet yellow bell pepper between two “sweet” slices of Texas Toast. Enjoy!

Serves 6