Food and travel! They go together really well. My rule is never eat at an American fast food place when traveling. I've only broken this rule a couple times... once in Slovenia and once, oh man I hate to admit this, in Paris. But mostly I have sought out local dishes with local ingredients in their home turf. The rewards have been simply fantastic.
This post is about food and travel, and the topic is the famous New Mexico Green Chili Cheeseburger. Green chili cheeseburgers are very serious business in New Mexico. In fact, the Green Chili Cheeseburger is the official state food of New Mexico. There exists the Green Chili Cheeseburger Trail, a body that names and ranks the best green chili burgers in the state. If a restaurant is named to the Trail they have a press release. Like I said, serious business.
My first exposure came at Bobcat Bite, a little restaurant a few miles out of Santa FE. The building started as a trading post, then a gun store. It had the distinction of having the number 1 green chili cheeseburger on the Trail. It was named because of the owners' habit of throwing scraps out the back door and bobcats would come down the hill behind the restaurant for an easy meal. Sadly, Bobcat Bite has closed, but the staff has opened Santa Fe Bite in downtown Santa Fe. 311 Old Santa Fe TrailSanta Fe NM 87501. Same great Green Chili Cheeseburgers.
How to make a Green Chili Cheeseburger:
First, ingredients are everything. You must use fire-roasted New Mexico green chili peppers. The best ones are made by Santa Fe Ole Foods and can be ordered online at www.santafeolefoodco.com. You also should use grass fed ground beef, a well-aged provolone cheese, and good bakery buns. Brown the patties on both sides in an oven-safe skillet then put the skillet in a preheated 350-degree oven. After 10 minutes or so put a generous spoonful of green chilies on each patty and roast for about 5 minutes, then a slice of provolone on each patty till it starts to melt. Remove skillet from oven and enjoy the best cheeseburger you've ever had.
I know you'll love them. More travel food posts to come. Watch for 'em!