Grilled Bison Burgers with Mexican Corn Salad
By Joe GitterPublished on June 16, 2020
Time
1 hour
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Before You Begin
You can substitute 85 percent lean ground beef for the bison and 1 ounce Pecorino Romano for the cotija, if needed. For a spicier burger, use the larger amount of chile powder. If food safety is your primary concern, you may want to cook your burger to a higher internal temperature. To learn more, check out this guide.
Instructions
- Combine cotija, mayonnaise, scallions, chipotle chile powder, and lime zest and juice in bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Brush corn and Fresnos with oil. Divide ground bison into 4 equal portions, then gently shape each portion into ¾‑inch-thick patty. Using your fingertips, press center of each patty down until about ½ inch thick, creating slight divot.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave burners on high.
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Place corn and Fresnos on grill and cook (covered if using gas), turning occasionally, until lightly charred on all sides and Fresnos are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. As they finish cooking, transfer corn and Fresnos to platter and tent with aluminum foil.
- Meanwhile, season patties with salt and pepper. Place patties on grill, divot side up, and cook until well browned, 2 to 4 minutes. Flip patties and continue to cook until browned on second side and meat registers 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare) or 130 to 135 (for medium), 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer burgers to platter and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Transfer corn to cutting board and cut kernels from cobs. Add corn kernels to bowl with cotija mixture and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve burgers on buns, topped with corn mixture, Fresnos, and cilantro.
Time
1 hourYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Bison’s distinct taste translated into patties that needed nothing more than a little salt, pepper, and a few carefully tended moments over the grill. Since we’d already fired up the grill, we decided to also grill some toppings for the ultimate charred, smoky burger. With a Mexican flavor profile in mind, we grilled a few ears of corn and threw together a quick esquites—a heady Mexican salad of charred corn slathered in cool, lime-spiked crema and then topped with salty cotija cheese and savory scallions. The balance of sweet and sour, salt and char, and hot and cold was a study in glorious contrasts. We also added some hot chiles; blistering them tamed their heat and emphasized their sweet, smoky characteristics. A mound of cilantro was the perfect finishing touch, its fresh grassiness complementing the smokiness of the salad and chiles.
Before You Begin
You can substitute 85 percent lean ground beef for the bison and 1 ounce Pecorino Romano for the cotija, if needed. For a spicier burger, use the larger amount of chile powder. If food safety is your primary concern, you may want to cook your burger to a higher internal temperature. To learn more, check out this guide.
Instructions
- Combine cotija, mayonnaise, scallions, chipotle chile powder, and lime zest and juice in bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Brush corn and Fresnos with oil. Divide ground bison into 4 equal portions, then gently shape each portion into ¾‑inch-thick patty. Using your fingertips, press center of each patty down until about ½ inch thick, creating slight divot.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave burners on high.
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Place corn and Fresnos on grill and cook (covered if using gas), turning occasionally, until lightly charred on all sides and Fresnos are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. As they finish cooking, transfer corn and Fresnos to platter and tent with aluminum foil.
- Meanwhile, season patties with salt and pepper. Place patties on grill, divot side up, and cook until well browned, 2 to 4 minutes. Flip patties and continue to cook until browned on second side and meat registers 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare) or 130 to 135 (for medium), 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer burgers to platter and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Transfer corn to cutting board and cut kernels from cobs. Add corn kernels to bowl with cotija mixture and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve burgers on buns, topped with corn mixture, Fresnos, and cilantro.
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