Spicy Cheddar-Stuffed Burgers

Morita chiles are red, fully mature Chipotles. This gives them a unique, medium – hot smokey flavor which is popular in many Southwestern dishes. These can be added to sauces (including Mole) to add smokey flavor and maintain the red color of the sauces. These peppers are about 2-4 inches in length, 1 inch in width, and have a deep brick reddish brown color. The word Chipotle translated to smoked chile. Consider the Chipotle a 6.5 on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the hottest). Scoville heat units 7,000-25,000.

Suggested Use:
Use Morita in enchilada sauces, chili, stews, barbecue ribs, and corn bread. Their smoky quality combines well with poultry, meats and fall squash.

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Ingredients:

3 chipotle peppers, soaked in 1 cup hot water to soften
2 lb ground chuck
2 tsp Montreal steak seasoning
1/2 (10-oz) block sharp Cheddar cheese, cut into 6 thick slices
6 sesame seed hamburger buns
Toppings: tomato slices, red onion slices, romaine lettuce leaves, yellow mustard, mayonnaise

Instructions:

Process chipotle peppers in a blender till smooth. Combine ground beef, steak seasoning, and 3 to 4 tsp chipotle puree, in a large bowl till blended. (Do not overwork meat mixture.) Reserve remaining puree for another use.

Shape beef mixture into 12 (4-inch) patties. Place 1 cheese slice on each of 6 patties. Top with remaining 6 patties, pressing edges to seal. Cover and chill 30 minutes to 8 hours.

Preheat grill to 350 to 400 degrees (medium-high heat). Grill patties, covered with grill lid, 6 to 7 minutes on each side or until beef is no longer pink in center. Serve burgers on buns with desired toppings.

Serves 6.

Adapted from Southern Living.