Green Chile Cheeseburger

Going to New Mexico without eating a green chile cheeseburger is like going to New Orleans without eating a po’boy. It’s mandatory. At the heart of this regional specialty lies the bright green Hatch chile, a slightly sweet pepper ranging from mild to hot with an earthy, onion-like flavor, grown exclusively in the state’s Hatch Valley, the Chile Capital of the World. When roasted over an open flame, the peppers take on new life, going from crisp and verdant to velvety tender and seductively smoky. You end up with condiment gold, transforming the humble cheeseburger into a transcendent experience between two buns that must be tasted to be believed.

The fondness for this culinary icon runs deep in my family. Growing up an hour south of Albuquerque, my mother and her family made near-weekly visits to the dark wood-paneled restaurant thought by many to have first created this fiery masterpiece: The Owl Bar & Cafe in San Antonio, New Mexico. Its version (which inspired my recipe below) requires a particular technique: smash burger, flip, pile with green chile, then top with a slice of American cheese, enveloping the peppers in a melty blanket. It’s an art. 

When my parents got married, they hosted their rehearsal dinner at The Owl. Though I’m told the details of that night are fuzzy, the food served made a lasting impression. Friends and family from all over the world converted, one by one, to the church of cheese, beef, and the holy green chile.