Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Guv signs off on Buckhorn Burger

T.S. Last El Defensor Chieftain General Manager, tslast@dchieftain.com

Saturday, July 25, was a day to remember. And a day not to forget.

"When I woke up this morning, I remembered I didn't have any ketchup," said Bobby Olguin, owner of the Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio, N.M. "It was like, 'Oh no, I've got to go out and get ketchup!'"

Because guess who was coming to dinner?

None other than the governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, who's office had made dinner reservations for 5:15 p.m.

In recognition of the attention the Buckhorn's famous green chile cheeseburger had brought to the state, the governor issued a proclamation declaring July 24, 2009, "Buckhorn Tavern Day" in New Mexico. He was coming to present Olguin with a framed copy of the proclamation, personally congratulate him on his victory in a nationally televised cook-off, and taste for himself the burger that has already been recognized as the seventh best burger in the nation by Gentlemen's Quarterly and the third "Baddest Burger in the Land" by marlboro.com.

But even if the governor didn't put ketchup on his burger, he might need it for his fries.

It was with that thought that Olguin began the day honoring the business that's been in the family for three generations.

Blowing Up

The governor's visit came at the end of a whirlwind week for Olguin, his wife, Debby, and the staff of the Buckhorn. The establishment is a roadside tavern located in a small town about 10 miles south off Socorro, 6 miles from Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refugee, and 35 miles from the Trinity Site, where the first atomic bomb was detonated.

Ever since the episode of "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" aired on the Food Network two days earlier, Bobby Olguin and the Buckhorn have been "the bomb" and the business has received an explosion of publicity.

Olguin's Buckhorn Burger came out on top in a competition with Flay to see who could make the better chile cheeseburger. In addition to the nationwide exposure the business got from the telecast, the Buckhorn was featured in articles in the Albuquerque Journal on three consecutive days.

Now, the governor was coming for dinner with a KOAT Channel 7 news crew in tow. Olguin's 15 minutes of fame was being extended — by proclamation — to a full day.

"It's a real honor," said the 56-year old Olguin. "When we opened the doors this morning a lot of thoughts came into my mind. How many people get a day dedicated to them?"

The Fray with Flay

After the Food Networked filmed the competition at Bosque del Apache last month, participants were sworn to secrecy about the outcome of the cook-off until the episode aired.

Now free to speak, Olguin admitted Flay had him frazzled.

"When this first came up I thought it didn't matter if I won or lost — that just the opportunity to compete against Bobby Flay was enough," Olguin said, "but by the end, my competitive juices were kicking in and I really wanted to win."

The competition was a contrast in styles. The episode shows Flay developing his strategy from his New York studio, deciding to use three different types of chile and Chihuahuan cheese.

Olguin said he revealed some, but not all, of his secrets in cooking his Buckhorn Burger. He uses freshly ground meat that's 20 percent to 30 percent fat and cooks the chile on the grill to enhance the flavor.

Olguin's charisma came through on camera.

"People asked me if I had a script to go by. My wife said, 'no' — that I was the biggest BSer in the world and I didn't need one. She was right," he said.

Olguin felt the pressure to win as the competition heated up.

"If I had lost, I would have never heard the end of it from my patrons. So I was worried," he said.

But Olguin won out, and the reputation of the Buckhorn Burger was preserved.

Olguin conceded that he had a "home field advantage" in his fray with Flay. The two judges for the competition were New Mexico chile experts.

"(Flay) had a really good burger, but it didn't have the authenticity of the green chile cheeseburger we have in New Mexico," Olguin said. "Someone described his burger as more of a 'gourmet burger,' because it had a lot of these different flavors, but it wasn't the traditional taste of the green chile that we have in New Mexico.

"But even though it was completely different, it was a very good burger," he added.

State Secrets

Gov. Richardson arrived early and presented Olguin with the proclamation declaring "Buckhorn Tavern Day."

In an interview afterward, Richardson said the Buckhorn is representative of the hidden treasures that can be found off the beaten path all around the state.

"It brings national attention and pride to New Mexico, especially rural New Mexico, like here in Socorro County. It does so much for our tourism and economic development. It's a jolt in the arm for rural communities, like San Antonio," Richardson said. "So often we hear about what's going on in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, but this elaborates on Southern New Mexico's rural Hispanic heritage.

"You know, Bobby is a third-generation owner of the Buckhorn."

The governor went on to detail his acquaintance with the Olguin family. He had been to the Buckhorn before to attend political events years ago, when Bobby's father Manuel ran the place. He knows Bobby's brother, Michael, well from serving with him in Congress and later, while Michael was in the state Legislature.

Richardson was joined at the dinner table by members of the Olguin family; Socorro Mayor Ravi Bhasker; Sandy Jones, chairman of the Public Regulation Commission; and the governor's chief of staff, Brian Condit.

While the burgers were being prepared, Olguin took Richardson into the kitchen and explained the process.

"I told him some of my secrets, but I don't tell people all the secrets and I didn't tell him either," said Olguin, suggesting that there are some state secrets even the governor doesn't need to know.

Executive Decision

The moment of truth came a few minutes later when Olguin served the burgers to the governor's table.

Film rolled and camera's flashed when the Richardson took a bite and the Buckhorn Burger locked horns with the governor's taste buds.

"It's the best I ever had," Richardson said after finishing his meal. "Supreme — from the flavor of the green chile, to the fresh garnish, to the meat that's been ground to just the right consistency — it's the best I've ever had."

The Governor of New Mexico left the Buckhorn that night feeling fully satisfied, and Bobby Olguin was, too.

It had been a good day for the Buckhorn. He could wake up the next day with no worries.

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