Chipotle Onion & Guacamole Cheeseburger

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Using a zester or the small side of a box grater, finely grate the lime to get 2 teaspoons. Halve the lime crosswise. Halve, peel, and medium dice the onions. Remove any husks and silks from the corn; cut the kernels off the cobs. Thinly slice the scallions, separating the white bottoms and hollow green tops. Drain and rinse the beans. Thinly slice the monterey jack. Roughly chop the pepper. Thoroughly wash your hands and cutting board immediately after handling. In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, cilantro sauce, lime zest, the juice of 1 lime half, and as much of the chopped pepper as you'd like, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be; season with salt and pepper.

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the diced onions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened. Add 2 tablespoons of water (carefully, as the liquid may splatter) and as much of the chile paste as you'd like, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the liquid has cooked off. Turn off the heat; carefully stir in the juice of the remaining lime half. Transfer to a bowl. Rinse and wipe out the pan.

In the same pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the corn kernels and sliced white bottoms of the scallions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the drained beans; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until combined. Transfer to the bowl of dressing; stir to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Rinse and wipe out the pan.

Place the beef in a bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and all but a pinch of the spice blend. Gently mix to combine. Form the mixture into four 1/2-inch-thick patties. In the same pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the patties. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until browned. Flip the patties (carefully, as the oil may splatter) and evenly top with the sliced monterey jack. Loosely cover the pan with foil. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the patties are browned and cooked through.* Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a work surface. Carefully drain off and discard any excess oil. 

*The USDA recommends a minimum safe cooking temperature of 160°F for beef.

Working in batches, add the halved buns, cut side down, to the pan of reserved fond. Toast on medium-high 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until lightly browned. Transfer to a work surface. Assemble the burgers using the toasted buns, guacamole, cooked patties, and as much of the glazed onions as you'd like. Serve the burgers with the salad on the side. Garnish the salad with the sliced green tops of the scallions, cotija, and remaining spice blend. Enjoy!