Cilantro Cheddar Burgers with Blackened Corn and Tomato Salsa

Almost two years ago, my best friend in the entire universe/my soul-mate in a Meredith Grey and Christina Yang kind of way, met a handsome man hailing from Mexico City. A year later, they were married and off to wedded bliss. Over the course of their courtship and marriage, I have been the beneficiary of many a delicious Mexican themed meal, including the Blackened Corn Salsa in this recipe. It's something she found on Epicurious and then worked into a number of different meals. Well, the other day I was hankering for a juicy burger and thought, "hmmm....a burger with Blackened Corn Salsa? I think, YES!" So I altered things a little bit to fit available ingredients and crafted this delicious little number. And thus, the Cilantro Cheddar Burger with Blackened Corn and Tomato Salsa was born. A light should be descending from heaven at this moment. This is a killer meal. It's real, whole food, with lots of flavor and room for personal taste.

In a culture obsessed with fad diets, health shortcuts, and a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to eat well, many people dismiss burgers as junk food. Yes, a burger from a fast-food joint or, in all honesty, a majority of restaurants are not good for you. They are made with low-grade meat (or the dreaded "pink slime"), full of fat, drowned in calorie and preservative-laden sauces, and usually three times the size of a standard serving. These burgers are not the same as burgers you will see on my blog, or pretty much any burger you can make at home. Using high-quality beef (or even ground turkey or chicken), keeping the toppings fresh and healthy, using a whole-wheat bun (high-fructose corn syrup free, of course) and limiting any sauces or spreads can leave you with an amazing burger. You won't even miss the taste of whatever junk you are getting at the Golden Arches, or the 2500 calorie burger from Ruby Tuesday. Trust me. A burger can be a great option at home, and it can be healthy! My final word-anyone who tells you that a frozen, preservative-packed microwave "diet meal" is healthier than a lean, homemade burger is severely misinformed. Whole food eating is always superior, and when prepared by you at home, is much more healthy. Get ready to eat some delicious burgers!

Start with a 1/2 pound of high-quality ground beef. I used a yummy ground Angus that was 85% lean. Organic, grass-fed beef would be even better, but I am not yet at a point where I have budgeted well enough to buy organic meat. Put it in a bowl and just let it chill for a minute.

Get yourself some fresh cilantro. I scored some organic cilantro this week for only 5 cents more per bunch than conventional. I buy organic when I can, and this was a great opportunity to get an organic product at a good price (.64 cents/bunch). I love the flavor of cilantro and use it all the time. It makes a great addition to this burger. Wash your cilantro and remove the long stems.

Roughly chop your cilantro. You want big chunks of the cilantro in the burger, so don't be afraid to leave some whole leaves. Don't worry about the small chunks of stem either.

Throw the cilantro in with the ground beef. Add a clove of minced garlic, a dash of crushed red pepper, a 1/4 teaspoon of season-salt (or sea salt). Mix the beef and seasonings with your hands until just combined.

Form two large patties with the mixture. Set aside for just a few minutes.

Clean an ear of fresh, sweet corn. Canned or frozen corn would work too, but fresh corn has a great flavor.

Strip the ear of corn using a corn stripper or a sharp knife. Get as much of the corn off as you can, and if there is any of the corn "milk" on your plate, save it! It can just go in the pan with the corn in a moment.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the corn to the skillet, along with any of the milk from the corn. Cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.

You want the corn to char a bit and develop a caramelized crust. Scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan and keep mixing it around with the corn as you char it.

Once the corn is charred, add one chopped fresh tomato and a 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder. Continue sauteing for 2-3 minutes until the corn is charred and tomato has blistered slightly. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat a George Foreman or outdoor grill. Add the burgers to the grill.

Cook your burgers until they are cooked through to your desired level of "pink". Ours took about five minutes.  After four minutes, I added about a tablespoon of freshly grated sharp cheddar and allowed it to melt (I apologize for the lack of picture). Remove from heat.

Slice a whole-wheat bun (make sure it is a good quality bun, free of lots of preservatives and high-fructose corn syrup), and load the bottom of the bun with fresh baby spinach. Place the cooked burger with melted cheese on top of the spinach. Dress the burger with a few spoonfuls of the Blackened Corn Salsa. Drizzle with a bit of hot sauce. Add a few leaves of fresh cilantro. Top with the other half of the bun. Try not to tear into it too ravenously! Adjust toppings to your liking-you could add sliced Jalapeno or Fresno Chile Peppers, substitute pepper jack cheese for cheddar, or a million other things. The combination of the seasoned cilantro burger and the delicious salsa makes this burger one for the recipe books! We ate our burger with a fresh spinach salad, and it was amazing!

Cilantro Cheddar Burgers with Blackened Corn and Tomato Salsa

(Serves 2)

Ingredients


-1/2 pound of ground Angus Beef, 85% lean (or organic, grass-fed beef)
-6-7 springs of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, plus 4-6 leaves of cilantro for garnish
-1 clove of minced garlic
-Dash of crushed red pepper
-1/4 teaspoon of season salt (or sea salt)
-1 ear of fresh, sweet corn, stripped from the cob (you can use canned or frozen corn too)
-1 large fresh tomato, chopped
-1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
-2 tablespoons of freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
-Fresh baby spinach (10-12 leaves)
-Your favorite hot sauce
-Whole wheat buns

1. Mix ground beef together with chopped cilantro, garlic, crushed red pepper and season salt. Form two large patties. Set aside.
2. Strip an ear of fresh, sweet corn using a corn stripper or a knife. Dice a large fresh tomato. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the corn to the skillet and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until charred, about 5 minutes. Add chopped tomato and chili powder. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
3. Cook beef patties on a George Foreman or outdoor grill to desired level of "doneness." Add 1 tablespoon of freshly grated sharp cheddar to the patties about 1 minute before removing them from grill.
4. Slice whole wheat buns, dressing bottom with 5-6 baby spinach leaves. Add the cheese-topped burger, and dress with several spoonfuls of the corn and tomato salsa. Add a dash or two of hot sauce, and a few leaves of cilantro for garnish and flavor. Top with the other half of bun. Serve with a side salad and enjoy the fiesta of flavors.