The Saucy Senorita

Let me introduce you to The Saucy Senorita. I created this beauty for a contest in the hopes of winning a spot to compete in The World Food Championship cook-off in November. The lovely people at Saucy Mama sent me a box of their delicious mustards, dressings and marinades to work with and I had so much fun using them in my entries! My first submission uses three of their products in a burger that has Southern and Mexican flair!

Fried Green Tomatillos, Chipotle Mustard Brown Sugar Bacon, Poblano Ranch Spread and Lime Chipotle Burger Patties are sandwiched between buttery soft Brioche Buns for a sweet and spicy burger that I hope will knock the judges sombreros off!

Be sure to come back Wednesday to check out my second submission and to enter a giveaway to win some of these sauces for yourself!

The Saucy Senorita

Bacon

8 slices bacon

¼ cup Saucy Mama Chipotle Mustard

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

Poblano Ranch Spread

1 cup packed cilantro

¼ cup crumbled Cotija cheese

½ cup Saucy Mama Poblano Ranch Dressing

Fried Green Tomatillos

4 cups vegetable oil

½ cup all-purpose flour 

1/8 cup masa

1/2 cup beer

2 Tablespoons Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade

3 large tomatillos, sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds

½ teaspoon salt

Burger Patties

1 pound ground chuck

½ pound ground sirloin

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

½ cup Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

4 Brioche Buns

Heat a gas grill to medium-high heat.

To make the bacon, place a cooling rack in a foil-lined large rimmed cookie sheet and lay the bacon across it. Place the cookie sheet in a cold oven, and set the temperature to 375 degrees. Cook the bacon for 15 minutes. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and flip bacon pieces over. Brush bacon with Chipotle Mustard, and then sprinkle evenly with brown sugar. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes, or until bacon is crisp and sugar has melted.

To make the Poblano Ranch Spread, place the cilantro, Cotija cheese and Poblano Ranch Dressing in a mini food processor and process until smooth. Set in the fridge to chill.

To make the Fried Green Tomatillos, place the vegetable oil in an electric fryer or a large sauce pot fitted with a candy thermometer and bring the oil up to 360 degrees over medium-high heat. In a small mixing bowl, place 2 Tablespoons of the flour. In another small mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining flour, masa, beer and Chipotle Marinade. Dredge the tomatillo slices in the flour, then batter mixture and carefully place in the hot oil to fry for 3-5 minutes, or until browned and crisp. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel lined tray. Sprinkle with salt. 

To make the Burger Patties, add the ground chuck, ground sirloin, garlic, salt and half of the Lime Chipotle Marinade into a large mixing bowl. Mix until well blended, handling as little as possible to avoid overworking. Shape into 4 patties to fit the bun size. Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning only once, about 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, brush the patties with the remaining Lime Chipotle Marinade. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, place the buns cut side down on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly, watching very closely to avoid burning.

To assemble the burgers, spread each bun top and bottom with Poblano Ranch Spread. Place a burger patty on top of each bun bottom and then top with two pieces of bacon. Place fried green tomatillo slices on top of the bacon and then the top half of the toasted bun. Serve immediately with lots of napkins!