San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Green Chile Patty Melt as salve for stress
We are moving. Most of us have probably experienced this particular hell, which reaches its zenith in the final days, when you have packed everything you really need and yet are left with piles of disparate items, soon to be thrown together in a box marked, simply, maddeningly, “miscellaneous.” It’s from this wreckage I write to you today.
Others might have given up on cooking sooner, taking advantage of the abundant, extraordinary takeout options the pandemic has afforded us. I could be eating Nopa’s fried chicken in my pajamas, or pupusas from Balompie. But I am an extraordinarily stubborn (stupid) home cook, and cooking at home gives me peace when nothing else does. So I’ve left unpacked my 12inch castiron skillet, and used it for all of the meals of this last week, including some righteous Green Chile Patty Melts.
I am a patty melt evangelist. For those who aren’t familiar, a patty melt is the marriage of burger and grilled cheese sandwich, and it is magnificent. Invented by a Los Angeles restaurateur by the name of Tiny Naylor, the original patty melt consists of a ground beef patty topped with caramelized onions and Swiss cheese on griddled rye bread. I’ll order it over either a burger or a grilled cheese anytime the opportunity presents itself. Rarely do I make them at home, but when one is cooking all one’s meals in a single pan, you try things.
My version is not fast food. First, you must prepare the chiles. It takes time to blacken poblanos until the skins split and curl, and then you must peel them (if you are the type of person who likes peeling sunburned skin, you might find this task satisfying and not tedious). Once those are done, there are onions to caramelize, and any recipe that instructs that onions can caramelize properly in 15 minutes is lying — it’s a solid 35 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. I’m sorry, but it’s true.
Now, here’s a silver lining — you can prepare your chiles and your onions ahead, up to three days. Then, when you’re ready to make your patty melts, season your ground beef generously with salt and pepper, divide the seasoned meat into four patties, then sandwich the patties between two sheets of wax or parchment paper and really flatten them, so they’re no more than ½inch thick.
Cook the patties hot and fast on your trusty cast iron, then layer each patty on a slice of bread you’ve topped with some sliced mozzarella or Oaxacan cheese (ultimate melters). On top of the patty, pile some of those onions and a tangle of chile strips, then more cheese, then a second slice of bread. Spread both sides of each sandwich with butter (or mayonnaise, which best approximates the diner experience), then griddle it, low and slow, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted and you can’t wait one minute longer.
This is not a sensible thing to make when there are dozens of other things that need your attention, when you ought to be jamming sweaters into plastic bins and dusting behind furniture you haven’t moved in a decade. But it’s a comforting act, to immerse yourself in the rituals of blistering peppers, caramelizing onions and griddling a sandwich, and boy, doesn’t it taste good after a day spent upending your life.
Jessica Battilana is a San Francisco freelance writer and the author of “Repertoire: All the Recipes You Need.” Email: food@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jbattilana
Green Chile Patty Melts
5
2
2
1
8
½ pound whole milk mozzarella or Oaxacan cheese, cut
into thin slices
3
large poblano peppers
tablespoons canola oil
white onions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
pound ground beef
slices sturdy sandwich bread, such as Josey Baker Bread’s Wonder Bread
tablespoons softened unsalted butter or mayonnaise
Instructions: Place the poblano peppers in a single layer in a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Cook, turning frequently, until the pepper skins are blistered and blackened on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plastic bag and seal (or place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap) and let steam for 10 minutes. Remove from the bag and, when cool enough to handle, stem, peel and seed the peppers, and cut into thin strips. Transfer to a bowl. (Alternately, if you don’t want to cook the peppers on the stovetop you can also place them on a baking sheet and blister them under the broiler, then proceed as directed above.)
If you don’t mind using two pans, you can begin caramelizing the onions while the peppers cook. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and a few generous pinches of salt, stir to coat the onions in oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to sizzle. Decrease the heat to medium or medium-low heat and cook, stirring as needed, until the onions are golden brown and have reduced to a sticky, sweet mass. This will take no less than 35 minutes. Remove from the heat. (Both the peppers and onions can be made up to three days ahead and refrigerated until ready to use; let come to room temperature before using.)
When you’re ready to make the patty melts, generously season the meat with kosher salt and pepper (I use about 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper per pound of meat). Divide the meat into four patties, then sandwich the patties between two pieces of wax or parchment paper and press each patty until it’s ½-inch thick.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the patties and cook, turning once, for 1½ minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, remove the pan from the heat and wipe clean with paper towels. Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter or mayonnaise. Place four slices of the bread buttered side down. Top with a few slices of cheese, one of the beef patties, and one-quarter of the caramelized onions and peppers. Top with a few more slices of cheese and a second slice of bread.
Return the pan to low heat and add the sandwiches (if your skillet is not large enough to accommodate all four sandwiches, you can cook them in batches, giving everyone half a sandwich to start with, or you can cook them in two pans or on a griddle). Cook, slow and low, turning once, until the sandwiches are golden brown on both sides and the cheese has melted, about eight minutes. Sprinkle each sandwich with a bit of kosher salt, then slice in half diagonally and serve right away.