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<\/a>Burger with Guacamole, Spiced Corn and Refried Black Beans<\/span><\/strong>\nWe\u2019re staying in the Americas for another burger \u2013 this time we\u2019re going to explore Guatemala.\u00a0 With this stop we\u2019re back on the mainland in Central America.\u00a0 Guatemala borders Mexico and Belize and Honduras and El Salvador with coastlines on both sides.\u00a0 The Maya culture was huge in Guatemala and today the country is home to the largest Maya community in the Americas.\u00a0 Estimates vary from 40-60% of the total population being self declared or practicing Maya (and by that I mean speaking the language and dressing in traditional dress).\u00a0 But almost all of the population is Maya and otherwise is of mixed ethnic decent.<\/p>\n
<\/a>courtesy of CIA World Factbook<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>courtesy of CIA World Factbook<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>By Fernando Reyes Palencia, via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n
By the way \u2013 I\u2019ve always used the word Mayan as the adjective form but I noticed when Survivor was located in Guatemala that Jeff kept saying Maya instead of Mayan \u2013 so, in the interests of accuracy, I Googled it!\u00a0 I discovered, according to Wikipedia that Maya is the adjective form and the only time Mayan should really be used is when you\u2019re referring to the language.\u00a0 Well if both Survivor and Wikipedia say Maya, that\u2019s good enough for me \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
Guatemala was a Spanish colony for 3 centuries and achieved independence in 1821.\u00a0 With 14 million people it is the most populous country in Central America.\u00a0 Agriculture is extremely important to the economy of the country comprising 13% of the GDP and employing 38% of the labor force.\u00a0 Unfortunately after suffering a 36 year civil war that ended in 1996, Guatemalans were left with a society with extreme inequality of wealth and more than half of the citizens live below the poverty line.\u00a0 Even worse, 13% of the people live in extreme poverty and nearly half the children under 5 are chronically malnourished \u2013 one of the highest rates in the world.\u00a0 All of these stats are taken directly from CIA World Factbook which is an amazing resource for global economic data.\u00a0 If only it had existed when I was in college!<\/p>\n
So inexpensive, readily available food is really important.\u00a0 Corn, especially in the form of tortillas are everywhere \u2013 in fact there are even door to door tortilla sales men.\u00a0 Black beans are eaten almost every day and provide an important source of protein.\u00a0 Along with corn and beans Guatemalans eat whatever fresh produce is in season and available and meat when it\u2019s available.<\/p>\n
So I went pretty close in here and kept it simple.\u00a0 I started with a corn tortilla, added refried black beans (which are way yummier than standard refried beans).\u00a0 I then spiced up a little corn with a combo of chili powder and lime juice (a favorite combo of mine), some fresh guacamole and some fresh cabbage for crunch.\u00a0 The one thing I forgot in the photo version of the burger was the cheese.\u00a0 I topped the burer with a nice melted Iberico cheese but totally forgot to include it when I took the picture!\u00a0 Sorry about that.<\/p>\n
This burger has classic Central American flavors, it is rich and delicious with just a hint of spice.\u00a0 The lime juice adds a nice acidic bite to balance the richness of the meat and cheese.\u00a0 This one goes down as one of my personal favorites \u2013 it was delicious and hearty without being too heavy.\u00a0 Don\u2019t be intimidated by the number of ingredients \u2013 this is really easy to make and pretty foolproof. \u00a0It is really messy though, so bring lots of napkins.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Messy but yummy, this was how it looked on burger night!<\/p><\/div>\n
Guatemalan burger<\/span><\/strong> Form four patties from the ground beef and lightly salt and pepper each patty.\u00a0 Grill to desired temperature.\u00a0 When burgers are about two minutes from being cooked, add the cheese and cover \u2013 cook until melted.<\/p>\n In the meantime, in a small non-stick skillet, brush vegetable oil over the pan and heat each of the tortillas, one at a time, until lightly warmed.<\/p>\n To serve, place a tortilla on each plate and scoop some black beans on each tortilla.\u00a0 Add some Lime Cabbage and a slice of tomato on each.\u00a0 Next place the patties on each plate and a generous helping of guacamole and spiced corn finish each off.<\/p>\n Lime Cabbage<\/strong><\/span> Combine all three ingredients in a glass bowl and let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving.<\/p>\n Guacamole<\/strong><\/span> Scoop the meat out of the avocado and remove the pit – I find the safest way to do this is to slice the avocado lengthwise and twist to separate the two sides.\u00a0 Hold the side with the pit in it in one hand.\u00a0 Take a knife and bring it down firmly perpendicular with the length of the avocado so that it chops into the pit.\u00a0 Twist the knife and the pit will come right out easily (I really need to video this next time).\u00a0 Never try to stab the pit with the pointed end of the knife, this is dangerous, trust me.<\/p>\n Mash the avocado with a fork until slightly chunky.\u00a0 Add all of the other ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use (no more than 30 minutes or the guacamole can turn grey).<\/p>\n Spiced Corn<\/strong><\/span> Remove corn from the cob.\u00a0 Combine all ingredients and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.\u00a0 Saut\u00e9 the mixture in a medium skillet (don\u2019t use non-stick) over medium high heat until corn is lightly browned and heated through.<\/p>\n \u00a9Copyright 2012 Linda Monach<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\n1 pound ground beef
\nSalt and pepper
\n4 slices of Iberico or Manchego cheese
\n4 corn tortillas
\nVegetable oil
\n1 can of refried black beans heated through
\nLime Cabbage (recipe below)
\n4 slices of tomatoes
\nGuacamole (recipe below)
\nSpiced Corn (recipe below)<\/p>\n
\n1 cup cole slaw mix or chopped fresh cabbage
\nJuice from \u00bd of a lime
\npinch of Kosher salt<\/p>\n
\n1 ripe avocado (soft but not mushy)
\n\u00bd jalapeno diced
\n2 Tablespoons red onion minced
\n\u00bd teaspoon Kosher salt
\nJuice of \u00bd lime<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\n3 ears of corn
\n2 Tablespoons melted butter
\nJuice from 2 limes
\n\u00bd Tablespoon chili powder
\n\u00bd teaspoon Kosher salt<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n