Grilled Garlic and Chipotle Hamburgers

Makes 3 hamburgers

1 1/4 pound ground chuck
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespooon olive oil
3 medium cloves garlic, peeled (leave whole)
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon minced scallion (optional)


Put the ground chuck in a bowl with the salt and pepper. In a small skillet, add olive oil and saute garlic until golden brown over medium heat. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, mince it and add it to the meat along with the chipotle chile and scallion. Mix thoroughly.

Divide the meat into three portions and shape into patties that are about 3/4 inch thick and 4 1/2 inches across. To prevent burger bulge, make an indention in the center of the patty (the divot should be about 1/2 inch thick).

If using a gas grill, turn all the burners to high, and close the lid. Heat the grill until it is very hot (about 15 minutes). Grill the burgers, divot-side up, uncovered (do not "press" the burgers as it will force the juice out of the meat...and you'll end up with dry burgers). When the first side is well seared (about 2 1/2 minutes), flip the burgers with with a wide metal spatula. Continue grilling until desired doneness (2 minutes for rare, 2 1/2 minutes for medium-rare, 3 minutes for medium, and 4 minutes for well-done). If you like well-done burgers, poke a hole in the center of the burger before cooking...this will help the center cook more quickly, avoiding dry edges.

Roroc and I love to serve these on toasted buns with any combination of melted cheddar cheese, mayonaise, barbecue sauce, and/or mustard. The smoke and the heat of these burgers will "wow" any burger-junkie.