A mouthwatering combination of peppercorn-crusted BBQ-ranch burgers and chili-lime crunchies.
Instead of buying any fruits or vegetables, I redirected my spending to herb plants at the market. Can you tell that I’m taking my gardening to the next level this year? In a sarcastic tone….
The cilantro in pots was obviously a bust because I used a blazing hose to water a little pot, but the rest went into the ground without a hitch. The hill that borders our pond is affectionately known as “herb hill” by me. The oregano, mint, thyme, and sage that were planted there by the previous owners return each spring, but I wanted to put my own spin on it this year.
I finally got around to planting the cilantro, parsley, and basil seedlings I’d been nurturing in pots for the previous two weeks. Grow! Make it happen! Make it happen!
On Saturday night, we hit up a friend’s house, where we had a great time catching up and playing with their baby girl, who is just one day younger than Lincoln. As a side dish, we took Mojito Fruit Salad to the barbecue. The leftovers were delicious with the sparkling Pinot Grigio from FlipFlip Wines, which we enjoyed on the back deck as a nightcap. So refreshing! An Insta Sparkling Wine Mojito!
It poured most of the morning and evening on Sunday, but Cool McShades and I went out for a 3 miler in between storms. Humidity and heat – my ideal weather!
Get these burgers on the grill if you’re planning to barbecue today but aren’t sure what to cook.
Garlic-Crusted Barbecue—Ranch Burgers, specifically, with Chili-Lime Crunchies!
A simple seasoning of ground beef with Ranch dressing mix and a coating of freshly crushed black peppercorns makes this dish. They are grilled until the cheese melts and the BBQ sauce is flavored with ranch. Then, homemade chili-lime crunchies, which are baked seasoned corn chips, are piled on top. The burgers I made last week were devoured by Ben and me.
These burgers sound gourmet, but they’re really rather easy to whip together. Not only will the name wow, but the flavor will as well. I agree wholeheartedly with Ben that these burgers are the greatest I’ve ever prepared. A winning combination: ranch, cracked black pepper, BBQ sauce, and crunchy toppings. If you’re familiar with pepper-crusted bacon, you could find a similar flavor in these burgers. I realize it’s a different animal, but it tastes pretty much the same. What a remarkable thing!
Make the Chili-Lime Crunchies first
They’ll add a fantastic crunch to your burger bite after bite. Four white corn tortillas will be required. At Trader Joe’s, I discovered stone-ground white corn tortillas, and now I’m not sure I can live without them. With only three simple ingredients—stone-ground corn, water, and a hint of lime—they were incredibly fresh. That is just fantastic!
Arrange the tortillas in a stack, cut each into half-inch strips, and repeat with the other half.
Second: Toss the strips into a big dish with the extra virgin olive oil or nonstick spray. Squeeze in the juice of half a lime. Season with salt and chili powder to taste. Never underestimate the amount of seasoning you need; add more than you think is necessary.
If you want to make your own Chili-Cheese Fritos, just replace the lime juice with nutritional yeast. Come on in.
Place the strips on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 8 minutes, or until they become crunchy. Once done, remove from oven and set aside. Just wanted to give you a heads up: mine tortillas didn’t get a golden brown color, so be careful not to burn yours.
The crushed peppercorn crust is what makes these burgers distinctive, so make that first. I will also demonstrate how to achieve precisely the right temperature! A pestle and mortar, together with one-third cup of whole black peppercorns, are required.
I get that not everyone has a mortar and pestle or even a whole peppercorn on hand, so I’ve provided a couple alternatives:
3: Use a food processor to crush the peppercorns
Toss the peppercorns into a ziplock bag that can withstand freezing temperatures and pound them with a meat mallet.
Peppercorns should be crushed, but not ground too finely, in a coffee grinder or spice mill.
Instead of using crushed peppercorns, just season the ground beef with a regular amount of pepper, or any pepper you like. They’ll be just fantastic!
I used a food processor to roughly grind the peppercorns. Just the right consistency—not powdered nor overly thick. Crush the peppercorns and place them in a small dish or bowl; put aside.
At last, combine all of the meats. The burger patties require only two ingredients—two pounds of lean ground beef and one ounce of ranch dip mix—which is my favorite element of the dish. It’s done!
4. Shape the meat into six equal balls
Before rolling each beef ball into the crushed pepper, do it one at a time and remove any excess. While a good crust is ideal, we must be careful not to suffocate on the very first mouthful. Even after removing the excess pepper, the quantity that remained was just right—trust me, I’m a spicy wimp.
Form patties by smushing the meat balls with your hands, and then get the grill going.
Put the patties on a hot grill and cook for 3 minutes without the lid. After that, flip them and cook for 2 more minutes without the lid. Finally, add the pieces of cheddar cheese. Cook until the cheese melts, then cover the grill.
Oh, my…
Grill the buns, add the burgers, a drizzle of Ranch dressing and a blend of BBQ sauce, and top with Chili-Lime Crunchies. Let the light in!
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