Fast casual restaurant Smashburger has added a limited-edition Mexican-inspired burger to its menu. The Chorizo Cheeseburger by Chef Rick Bayless was developed in collaboration with the award-winning chef, restauranteur, and winner of Bravo TV's "Top Chef Masters," and will be available at all Smashburger locations nationwide through February 15, 2022.
"Smashburger is thrilled to partner with one of the best chefs in the country who shares our passion for the culinary innovation process, while giving back to small community farmers," said Carl Bachmann, president at Smashburger, in a statement. "We love experimenting with unique flavor and taste profiles that complement our premium ingredients, so taking inspiration from Rick's expertise in Mexican cuisine seemed like a natural fit for our brand."
While available, Smashburger is encouraging guests to donate to the Frontera Farmer Foundation, a nonprofit organization established by Bayless in 2003 to support small sustainable farmers in the Midwest.
With the end goal of raising $75k to provide these organic sustainable farmers with capital development grants, Smashburger will match each guest's donation made during checkout.
"Some of my favorite things in life involve melted cheese and chorizo sausage, so bringing those bold flavors to a juicy burger was a natural progression," said Bayless. "I'm thrilled that this collaboration will yield even more good food through its support of our Frontera Farmer Foundation, which has awarded nearly $3 million in capital improvement grants to family farms.”
The brand partnered with V&V Supremo, a local family-owned producer in Chicago, who makes award-winning traditional pork Mexican-style chorizo with 100 percent natural pork loin and no additional meat additives. Made with certified angus beef and topped with V&V Supremo's chorizo, the burger is then layered with melted cheddar cheese, housemade jalapeño pico de gallo, lettuce, and mayo, sandwiched between a toasted spicy chipotle bun.
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