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Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Cluck’n Moo Chimichurri Burger


Some years ago, on a visit to central Texas to spend some time with my dad, I decided to make some chimichurri sauce to go with the fajitas I was told were going to be served for dinner. If you’ve never had chimichurri sauce before, you’re in for a treat. It’s tangy and spicy and surprisingly fresh tasting. So, anyway, I got to my dad’s house and quickly whipped up a batch of chimichurri sauce. We all sat around the table and my dad says, “What’s this green stuff in this bowl?” Note that he didn’t actually say “stuff” but something a little more explicit. I explained to him what it was, and he begrudgingly agreed to try some. At the end of the meal he looked at me from across the table and proclaimed, “The green swamp goo was pretty good!” Thanks, Dad.

Anyway, when presented with the Cluck’n Moo Challenge, the first thing that came to mind was a chimichurri burger. Al, my way better half, was all too willing to be my official taste tester…again. I received a generous sample of the Cluck 'n Moo Ground and OMG! It was frozen SOLID! I was worried about Cluck’n Moo shipping the ground meat to me all the way to Texas in our 90º weather, but it arrived fully frozen. Yowza, we were in business. Honestly, looking at the product I would never guess that it was a mixture of beef and chicken. And cooking with it was just like cooking with any ground product. It is fresh, and delicious! And the fact that it’s gluten-free and antibiotic and hormone free? Even better. Fewer calories, less fat (and less saturated fat) is A+ in my book. According to my husband, that translates to more cheese allowance on his burger!

Cluck’n Moo Chimichurri Burger
by Maryjo

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups red onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon crushed garlic (about 4 cloves)
2 1/2 pounds of Cluck 'n Moo Ground
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
Chimichurri Sauce (recipe below)
Cotija cheese, crumbled
Ciabatta rolls
Mayonnaise

Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the diced red onion and red pepper flakes and sauté over medium-high heat until soft, about three minutes. Add the crushed garlic, stir, and remove from heat to cool.

In a large bowl combine Cluck 'n Moo Ground, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, ground cumin, chopped parsley and salt. When cooled, add the sautéed onion mixture. Mix to combine and then form into six to eight patties. Cook the Cluck’n Moo patties as you would any burger (in a skillet or on the grill.) I grilled these burgers on a gas grill on high heat for about two minutes on each side. Then I turned the heat down to medium-low and let them hang out on the grill to cook through for another 6 or 7 minutes (turning them over again after 3 minutes.) Just remember that these burgers contain a combination of beef AND chicken, so you have to be sure you get the internal temperature up to 165°F. Use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature of your burgers before taking them off the grill. As the burgers were finishing up on the grill, I topped each one with 1 Tablespoon of the chimichurri sauce and about 1 Tablespoon of cotija cheese (you can use any cheese you like - feta would be a great substitute here.) Serve the burger on a ciabatta roll or on your favorite bun. I put some chimichurri sauce on one half of the roll and a little mayonnaise on the other half. Plantain chips with a little bowl of chimichurri dipping sauce make a great side dish too!

Chimichurri Sauce
by Maryjo

1 small red onion, quartered
5 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups fresh parsley, stems removed
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil

In a food processor, pulse the red onion and garlic until chopped. Add the red pepper flakes and the fresh parsley and pulse five to seven time until chopped and combined. Using a spatula, scrape the ingredients back down to the blade. Add the red wine vinegar and salt, replace the lid and pulse three or four more times to combine. With the food process running, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the mixture using the feed tube. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides again to be sure everything combines well. That’s it! Taste it for seasoning and add salt if needed. Then let it chill in the refrigerator (this sauce is even tastier the next day.)

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