Imagine a patty melt, but made at a diner in Mexico. Instead of plain ground beef, you might find a spicy and tangy chorizo patty smothered in a melted blanket of creamy, slightly aged queso chihuahua and topped with sweet and hot caramelized onions, poblanos and serranos. Imagine no more because here it is: a classic, unctuous patty melt reimagined with a Mexican twist. In this recipe, fresh chorizo links made patties that held their shape better than bulk sausage. If you can’t find chorizo links, see the note below for a quick substitute.
Yield: 4 servings
1 pound fresh chorizo sausage links, casings removed (see Tips)
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 poblano chile, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
2 serrano chiles, stemmed and finely chopped (seeded for milder patties)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
8 slices sourdough bread
8 ounces Chihuahua, Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 16 thin slices
¼ cup mayonnaise
Divide the chorizo into 4 equal portions and roll gently between your hands into balls. Flatten into thin patties about the size and shape of your bread. Transfer to a large plate. (The patties can be covered and refrigerated up to 8 hours ahead.)
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high. Working in 2 batches if necessary, cook patties, pressing gently with a spatula, until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, leaving as much fat in the pan as possible.
If necessary, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the same skillet. Cook the onion, poblano, serranos, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt, tossing occasionally, until the vegetables begin to caramelize and are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the lime juice. (The vegetable mixture can be cooked and refrigerated up to 8 hours ahead; reheat before using.)
Wipe skillet clean and reduce heat to medium. Arrange 4 slices of bread on a work surface and top each with 2 slices of cheese, a chorizo patty, the caramelized vegetables, and 2 more slices of cheese. Close up the sandwiches and spread the top of each with mayonnaise (about 1½ teaspoons).
Working in 2 batches if needed, place sandwiches in skillet, mayonnaise side down, cover with a sheet of foil, and place a heavy skillet on top to weigh down the sandwiches (the foil keeps the bottom of the skillet clean while pressing). Cook until the bottom is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the heavy skillet and foil and spread the top of each sandwich with more mayonnaise. Turn sandwiches over, re-cover with foil, and weigh down with the skillet. Cook until the other side is golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 3 minutes.
If you can’t find fresh chorizo links, you can make a quick substitute by mixing 1 pound ground pork (or beef or turkey) with 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon hot or smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt until well combined.
If you are having trouble forming the patties because they won’t stick together, use a wooden spoon to vigorously mix the meat in a medium bowl for about 30 seconds. Mixing sausage extracts protein from the meat, making the mixture more sticky and easier to form into patties that will hold their shape.