This is one of the best burgers I have ever made, and probably the spiciest meal I have ever created. This was inspired by the "Inferno Burger" at the Boston Burger Company, a great burger joint in Davis Square (Somerville, MA). Michael ordered this last time we dined there for it's self-proclaimed hot-as-hell spiciness, and it definitely lived up to its name. I tried to recreate it in my own kitchen and have to admit I didn't do a half bad job. Before I get too far into the spicy details, I want to talk about how I cooked the burger. For those of you who don't dig the spicy food, this is all you'll need to read. Every time before this, I would mix my ground beef with an array of spices, garlic, onion, etc. and then pound it out into burger patties. This time, I took the reverse approach and made plain ground beef patties then seasoned the outside with just basic salt and pepper. I heard this tip a while back from Bobby Flay on the Food Network and decided to try it out, since he is- after all- the supposed King of the Grill. This is definitely the way to cook a burger. The inside stayed moist and the outside took on flavorful crust. This is super easy and allows you to add layers of flavor with toppings and sauces. Now that you know the best way to cook a burger, you can deck it out with whatever suites your fancy. And if spicy suites your fancy, stay tuned.
For the veggie topping I made a salsa of tomato, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, and roasted habanero pepper. Also in the mix is lime juice, garlic salt, and black pepper. To begin, roast your habanero pepper(s) over an open flame or under your broiler. Once they are charred on all sides, put them in an plastic Ziploc or in a bowl covered in saran. The steam will help to separate the skin from the flesh of the pepper. After about 10 minutes, take the peppers out, peel away the skin, remove the seeds, and finely chop. Keep in mind, habaneros are extremely spicy. I used three tiny peppers and it was plenty of heat. Be careful when you're handling a pepper, too. I strongly advise to wear something over your hands when handling the peppers (i.e: latex gloves). I learned the hard way and my fingertips are still burning 24-hours later. The oils from the pepper and very potent and will find their way into any open skin on your hands. While your gloves are still on, go ahead and mince up your jalapeno, too. Then, chop about 1 tomato, a couple tablespoons of red onion, and a handful of cilantro. Mix in garlic salt, black pepper, and the juice from about 1/2 of a lime. Set this aside.
The sauce for my burger is essentially a Siracha mayonnaise. I use a 3:1 ratio of mayo to Siracha. I also added the juice from the other 1/2 of lime.
Now it's time to grill. You can use an outdoor grill or just a grill pan inside on the stove. I used the latter. Take your seasoned patties and grill over medium heat for about 4 minutes per side. When they are just about done, add a slice or two of cheddar cheese to each patty. You can use whatever cheese you like, but I thought the neutral flavor of cheddar stood up well to the more complex and intense flavors. Once you take the burgers off the grill, I like to toast up the buns for a minute or two. I used whole wheat hamburger buns because that's what I had on hand, but you can use any bun or roll you like.
To assemble the burger, spread the bottom of the bun with the mayo mixture. Top this with the cheeseburger patty, then top the whole thing off with a heaping spoonful of habanero salsa. Then, proceed with caution. And you know what they say- if you can't stand the heat...well, then, you probably don't want to come to my kitchen. Enjoy!
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