Turtle Burger

This is a break from my standard of only providing my favorite recipes -- I haven't even tried it, but it seems so obvious that it would be good that I have included it anyway.

If you wear a t-shirt similar to the one above, then maybe this recipe is for you:

Handmade ground beef patties, topped with sharp cheddar cheese, wrapped in a bacon weave, then the next step, add hotdogs as the heads, legs with slits for toes and tail.   

Next step.  Place on an oven rack, covered loosely with foil and baked for 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees.  A little crispy, not too crunchy...just how a turtle should be, no?

Rick Bayless' Essential Simmered Tomatillo-Serrano Sauce

This last weekend, Kathy and I had what was possibly the best meal we have had all year.  Not at a restaurant, but at home.  Kind of odd combination, but it was amazing.  


It started out with a stop in a little grocery store after my haircut in Comfort on Saturday.  A bag of tomatillos and some serrano chiles came home with me.  (Also some all-natural Kim Chee, but that's a story for another time.)

The tomatillos and serrano chiles became Essential Simmered Tomatillo-Serrano Sauce, prepared from a recipe by Rick Bayless, who operates Frontera Grill and Topolobampo restaurants in Chicago, and who has a number of excellent cookbooks including Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen. When you make this sauce, make sure you use the roasting method -- it makes all the difference in the world.

We had pork tenderloins in the freezer just begging to go on the grill before freezer burn set in, so they got a quick bath in olive oil and a sprinkling of a spice rub called Ozark Seasoning from Penzey's Spices, where we buy most of our spices. This was not a natural choice when thinking of a Mexican Sauce, but it turned out to be a perfect combination. Pork was grilled over charcoal and pecan wood until just medium (slightly pink with internal temperature about 150-155°.)


Some of the tomatillo-serrano sauce got mixed in with some sliced onions that had been fried over medium-high heat until brown but still crunchy (almost all the way to the high setting on most stove tops like most of you and I use), then simmered briefly over medium heat.  Perfect with the tenderloin.


Served with some chunks of potatoes roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper until golden brown, and a tangy cole slaw.  Since we are being eclectic - maybe a nice India Pale Ale.  Yumm!