Your new summer addiction: Toluca Burger

For the past two years, Devin has been telling me to make this into a recipe. Like most men, it takes about two years for the message to finally get through our thick skulls. That being said, we are making Devin’s favorite, my Toluca Burger.

Toluca Burger? What’s that? It is a Mexican chorizo burger. Why did I name is Toluca Burger? History has it that chorizo was spread to Mexico from the Spaniard invasion. It was told that the conquistador Hernan Cortez started the first pig farming operation in the Toluca Valley. It is a known fact that the  Spaniards brought domesticated pigs to the Americas. With all that said, Toluca was one of the first place Mexican chorizo originated from and is a chorizo making center to this day. That is why I named the burger the Toluca Burger.

This was created due to a fridge purge. It seems like some of the greatest recipes are created with what’s available to us. It forces us to put on our pointy witch hats and use our creative magic. One day, I wanted burgers and all we had was extra lean ground beef. That’s a big nope. Lean burgers cause cottonmouth! No, thank you! It is the equivalent of receiving a lump of coal for Christmas! I knew I needed to add fat to the ground beef, so I started digging in the fridge to see what was available. Low and behold, there on the shelf was a tube of nearly expired pork chorizo. That is the birth of the Toluca Burger.

Disclaimer, before someone crawls up my behind, no, those are not Paleo hamburger buns in the pictures. I used buns for picture and presentation purpose but there are many paleo options out there. For example, there are many brands of Paleo English muffins, you can use lettuce wraps or even portabello mushrooms as buns. Use whatever you see fit. Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, let’s get grilling!

Paleo Toluca Burger:

2lb – U.S. Wellness Meats 85% Lean Ground Beef

8-9oz – Raw Mexican Pork Chorizo

2 Tbsp – Sauteed Fine Diced Red Onions

2 Tsp – Minced Garlic

1 – Jalapeno (Diced and seeded)¹

2 tsp – Smoked Paprika

1 Tsp – Ground Cumin

2 Tbsp – Nutritional Yeast

1 Tsp – Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

3 Tsp – Smoked Sea Salt (Or to taste)

Kasandrinos Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Garnish:

Sliced Tomatoes

Lettuce

Sliced Red Onions

Cheese (Optional)

Burger condiments of your choice (I recommend Chipotle Mayo)

Paleo Toluca Burger Instructions:

1.) There really isn’t much special instructions to making burgers. First, sautee your onions and garlic until they are caramelized. Let the mixture cool off before mixing into the ground beef.

2.) In a mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients together and form your patties. A chef friend of mine taught me to use two take out container lids to form burger patties and they make the perfect sized burgers.

3.) Depending on your cooking methods, you will want to shape your burgers differently. If you are grilling, make your burgers slightly bigger than your “bun” due to shrinkage and indent the center to ensure there will be no bulge. This will not be necessary if you are using a skillet.

4.) If you are grilling, leave it to cook and flip them only once to prevent them from falling apart.

5.) Top your Toluca Burger with whatever you see fit. The standard lettuce, tomatoes and onion? Guac? Pepperjack cheese? The options are only limited to your imagination! There you have it, and until next time, eat up, my friends!

 

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