SFoodie's 92: Chili from Mission Burger
As a daily windup to the Weekly's Best of S.F. 2010 on May 19, we've teased out 92 of our favorite local dishes that taste like here. All the tasty details after the jump.
J. Birdsall Mission Burger's chili on cheesy tater tots.
Number 71: Chili from Mission Burger
Call us lazy ― Americans, that is. The nation that invented chili, we've shown little interest in taking it beyond predictable simulacrums of the can, or the semi-digestible multi-bean creations of hippie moms.
But not at Mission Burger, where from his corner at Duc Loi Supermarket, chef Danny Bowien wrings surprising things out of fewer ingredients than stock a Johnny Rockets. The namesake sandwich is a salty aggregate of ropy meat fibers stiffened on the flattop. The patty's construction has been much written about (short rib, chuck, and brisket, blended in the grinder and extruded, plastic-wrapped into a mighty torchon of meat). But it's the scraps ― the torchon's ends, in other words, which Bowien says end up too compacted to make successful patties ― that form the base (and the raison d'être) of Mission Burger's occasional chili.
The latest version was an hours-long braise of those burger ends, with a bit of onion, chili vinegar, and house-made harissa. It ended up a thick, fiery stew with smoky undertones that offered a glimpse of redefined chili, part Italian ragu, part ma-po vividness. Bowien says if the temperature dips he'll consider selling bowls of it as a special. Today it showed up ladled onto tater tots (the frozen kind, from Sysco) glazed with slices of brick Monterey Jack. We'd be satisfied with a clump of the stuff spooned over rice, a hot dog. Hell, even a bowl of Fritos ― in fine American tradition.
Mission Burger at Duc Loi Supermarket 2220 Mission (at 18th St.), 551-1772; open noon-3 p.m., Sat.-Weds.
Hungry for more? The dishes in our countdown thus far are linked below:
No. 92: Cracked Half Dungeness from Swan Oyster Depot
No. 91: Pastrami Sandwich from Orson
No. 90: Coconut Bun from Out the Door on Bush
No. 89: Brown Sugar-Black Pepper Biscuits from Little Skillet
No. 87: Indian Pizza from Zante
No. 86: Tamales from All-Star
No. 85: Chilaquiles from Nopalito
No. 84: Poc Chuc from Poc-Chuc
No. 83: Chocolate Beignet from Arlequin Cafe
No. 82: Scallop Crêpe from Ti Couz
No. 81: Gin and Tonic from Pizzaiolo/Boot and Shoe Service
No. 80: Quesadilla from Rico Pan
No. 79: Turkey Kati Rolls from Kasa
No. 78: Emperor's Pancake from Suppenkuche
No. 77: Lasagna from Zuppa
No. 76: Chicharrones from 4505 Meats
No. 75: Langka Ice Cream from Mitchell's
No. 74: Bacon Potato Chips from Who's Your Daddy
No. 73: Lamb Dumplings from Kingdom of Dumpling
No. 72: Chile-Braised Carnitas Sandwich from Bento 415
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