I wanted to make something to signify Colorado.
The Italians have pasta.
The French have rich cream sauces and butter.
The Japanese have fresh sushi.
The Mediterranean has olives and olive oil and fish.
NYC has pizza.
Texas has steak.
California has, well, everything amazing.
What does Colorado have? What are we known for?

I thought about it long and hard. I even asked around.
Brian (the goof in front of the camera in the first photo) said, “granola.”
I begged to differ. That seems more like a California thing to me – hippie dippie (although, I DID grow up with homemade granola and yogurt for breakfast everyday – thanks, Mom. I know, I was spoiled).

I decided upon: bison (bison burgers), green chile (Hatch green chiles), Monterey Jack cheese, and trout. Yes, those are the things (food things) for which we are recognized – I think.

Here it is: The Pikes Peak Burger – a char-grilled bison burger topped with a mushroom green chile sauté, Monterey Jack cheese and smoked trout, all served on a homemade bun!

(Oh, by the way, it’s killing me that there is no apostrophe after the possessive “s” in Pike(‘)s Peak Burger. Such is life.

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Pikes Peak Burger

1 lb. lean ground bison
sea salt and pepper

1 Tbs. butter
2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
1 small shallot, diced
1/2 cup Hatch green chiles, roasted and diced
sea salt and pepper

4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, thinly sliced

4 oz. trout, grilled

1 recipe Easy Artisan Bread, baked into buns

Mix the ground bison with sea salt and pepper. Form into four large patties.

Set aside until ready to grill.

Once ready to grill, preheat the grill to super hot. Grill the patties 3-5 minutes on each side (for medium rare – or longer, depending on how you like your meat).

For the green chile sauce: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Toast the cumin seeds in the butter until brown. Add the diced green chiles, mushrooms, and shallot, along with salt and pepper.
Stir well and cook down until all the mushroom liquid has evaporated.

Prepare the bread buns as directed.

To assemble, slice each bread bun in half. Top with a grilled bison burger patty. Top with the green mile sauce, cheese, and trout (divided by four). YUM!