Pueblo Slopper Burgers (Colorado)

When it comes to identifying a most iconic recipe, Colorado is a tough state to crack. What I've come to find out is that Coloradans put green chili sauce on a lot of things: Burritos, enchiladas, eggs, fries, chips and burgers. Invented in the 1950s, the Slopper burger is a must-have if you're in the Pueblo area. Sloppers are open-faced hamburgers smothered with Pueblo green chili sauce and topped with chopped onions. If you can't make it to Pueblo, you can try making this iconic burger at home.

½ lb ground beef, formed into 2 patties
2 lbs pork green chili, for the slopping
4-5 small vine tomatoes
4 slices onion, for grilling with the beef
2 cloves garlic, for grilling with the beef
1 small loaf spelt bread
3 leaves romaine lettuce, chopped.
1 cup aged white cheddar, grated
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup black olives, sliced
½ cup chipotle sour cream or Greek yogurt
½ cup Salsa Mexicana

Get things prepped by slicing your tomatoes and lettuce, and grate your two kinds of cheese.

Season and form your beef patties as you prefer. I added some sea salt, pepper, Worcestershire or organic soy sauces, and dried garlic.

Slice your bread for your hamburger buns and drizzle with olive oil.

Get your green chili heating up on the stove.

Then grill your beef patties (to your preference) along with the onion, cloves garlic, and bread. Make sure they're chargrilled on a hot open flame.

While the grill is going and the green chili is heating up, you can make some sides. I made some 'patatas bravas' (hand-cut potato wedges) in the air fryer.

Once you're done grilling, it's time to plate. I recommend a type of shallow bowl. I used small terracota dishes. First, add some of the green chili for the base, then a slice of the toasted bread, then a small handful of the cheese spread evenly, and then the meat centered on top. Now the most important part, pour on more green chili and then sprinkle with more cheese.

Garnish with the romaine lettuce, grilled onions, sliced black olives, sliced tomatoes, and a dollop of both sauces. Avocado is also great, although I wasn't able to get any for this recipe. If you like really hot and spicy, have your favourite hot sauce ready on the table, or make sure you make your green chili with some kick.

I highly recommend savouring this dish with a locally-sourced, cold, hoppy beer.

Makes 2 servings.