Today we're going through a stack of shamefully unanswered emails. Here's one that poses an interesting question that perhaps AHT readers can shed some light on....
Dear AHT: I have a question for you that maybe you could answer for me and my friend, chef Chris George of Zingerman's Roadhouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I'm trying to get him to put a tortilla burger on the lunch specials menu, and he wants to know where the recipe originated. I'm pretty sure it's a New Mexican invention, but I couldn't find anything from googling it or on Wikipedia.
A tortilla burger's pretty easy—a burger is grilled, wrapped in a flour tortilla, cheese and green or red chile is put on top, and it goes under the broiler for a half a minute. You eat it with a fork and knife. We had it at the Blue Corn Cafe and Brewery in Santa Fe when I worked there. It's somewhat common on menus in New Mexico. I'd serve a little salad with a fresh corn–bean-cilantro-and-lime topping on the side.
Whaddaya think? Can you help shed some light on the subject? Chris and I want to know. —Dave
Dear Dave: I suspect burger purists are horrified at the idea of this concoction, but it sounds pretty interesting. Almost like a burger-based version of Taco's Bell's excellent Crunchwrap Supreme product. But a thousand times better. I don't know what the origins are, off hand. Can't your friend Chris add it to the menu without the origin story? See how it goes. And when you make them, take a picture and send it our way.
Readers: Do any of you know the origin of this "burger"? Email us or leave your answers in the Comments section. —The Management
Mm, sounds more Atkins friendly- like a no carb/low carb pita maybe might work. Although those might taste like crap (I'm not an Atkins person). Mm... burger.
I had one in Scottsdale years ago at Jaqueline's (which I think is now closed), but it was a burger burritto. It was great! Perfect hangover food! Definitely a southwest invention!
It's not atkins thats for sure. Growing up in new mexico my dad always had tortillas, but not always bread or buns. i've eaten these on numerous ocassions for this reason. it's my belief that it would be more of a customary food than one created by a resturant owner. it is very good if it has the right kind of tortillas and green chili (new mexico green chili and not the crap in a can)
Paul and Rita at Casa Benevidez on North 4th in Albuquerque have had a tortilla burger on the menu for many years, but they admit it's not a big seller. The origin for the dish is probably the Navajo Taco: fry bread topped with ground beef, pork or mutton and chopped iceburg, tomato, onions and either salsa or red or green chile and shredded cheese. Sub a tortilla for fry bread and fry the ground beef as a patty, and you have a tortilla burger. Most places don't have one on the menu, and I don't know any place where it sells well, except for on or near the Pueblos and Reservations. The one at Casa Benevidez is quite good, but eating one is not really a "burger experience." It's more of a quesadilla, as in the photo above.
BTW, the reference to "new mexico green chili" in the above post is a common goof on proper chili/chile useage. In the desert southwest, chile is a vegetable, a major cash crop, and it is harvested green at maturity and red when left on the plant to completely ripen. Red chiles are often dried and tied into ristras, which cooks keep in the kitchen to use when the fresh green chile runs out. Chile is also a dish, a sauce or salsa composed mainly of chile, red or green, dried or fresh, and often contains garlic and onion and perhaps cumin, oregano, other peppers or chiles and sometimes corn starch or arrowroot for a thickener. The base for the sauce is usually chicken broth or water. Chili, with an "i," is a dish that is commonly made with ground beef or whatever, beans and tomatoes. Chili may or may not have chile in it, and it can range in consistancy from soup to paste. The above phrase, "crap in a can" is right on the money, but homemade chili can be awesome, especially when it is loaded with both fresh green and dried red chile. Hope that sets the matter straight.
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Today we're going through a stack of shamefully unanswered emails. Here's one that poses an interesting question that perhaps AHT readers can shed some light on....
4 Comments:
Mm, sounds more Atkins friendly- like a no carb/low carb pita maybe might work. Although those might taste like crap (I'm not an Atkins person). Mm... burger.
Hamburger yvo at 8:22PM on 10/03/06
I had one in Scottsdale years ago at Jaqueline's (which I think is now closed), but it was a burger burritto. It was great! Perfect hangover food! Definitely a southwest invention!
Hamburger rc at 9:18PM on 10/03/06
It's not atkins thats for sure. Growing up in new mexico my dad always had tortillas, but not always bread or buns. i've eaten these on numerous ocassions for this reason. it's my belief that it would be more of a customary food than one created by a resturant owner. it is very good if it has the right kind of tortillas and green chili (new mexico green chili and not the crap in a can)
Hamburger jordan at 4:48AM on 02/07/07
Paul and Rita at Casa Benevidez on North 4th in Albuquerque have had a tortilla burger on the menu for many years, but they admit it's not a big seller. The origin for the dish is probably the Navajo Taco: fry bread topped with ground beef, pork or mutton and chopped iceburg, tomato, onions and either salsa or red or green chile and shredded cheese. Sub a tortilla for fry bread and fry the ground beef as a patty, and you have a tortilla burger. Most places don't have one on the menu, and I don't know any place where it sells well, except for on or near the Pueblos and Reservations. The one at Casa Benevidez is quite good, but eating one is not really a "burger experience." It's more of a quesadilla, as in the photo above.
BTW, the reference to "new mexico green chili" in the above post is a common goof on proper chili/chile useage. In the desert southwest, chile is a vegetable, a major cash crop, and it is harvested green at maturity and red when left on the plant to completely ripen. Red chiles are often dried and tied into ristras, which cooks keep in the kitchen to use when the fresh green chile runs out. Chile is also a dish, a sauce or salsa composed mainly of chile, red or green, dried or fresh, and often contains garlic and onion and perhaps cumin, oregano, other peppers or chiles and sometimes corn starch or arrowroot for a thickener. The base for the sauce is usually chicken broth or water. Chili, with an "i," is a dish that is commonly made with ground beef or whatever, beans and tomatoes. Chili may or may not have chile in it, and it can range in consistancy from soup to paste. The above phrase, "crap in a can" is right on the money, but homemade chili can be awesome, especially when it is loaded with both fresh green and dried red chile. Hope that sets the matter straight.
pattyplus at 9:08PM on 09/08/07