Oak Lawn Chef 's 'Birria Burger' Takes Second At Prestigious Food Fest

OAK LAWN, IL — Ivan Gonzalez, the executive chef for Uncle Bud’s in Oak Lawn, came in second out of 75 chefs competing in the prestigious South Beach Food and Wine Festival in Miami, Fla., seven of whom were Michelin Star Chefs, with a birria burger inspired by a secret recipe of his grandmother’s.

“I was really nervous,” Gonzalez, said. “This is my second year going with the birria burger. Last year there was a lot of competition and I came in fourth.”

Uncle Bud’s is planning a watch party Friday, April 19, when Gonzalez will appear on WGN’s “Lunchbreak” at 12:45 p.m. Gonzalez’s birria burger consists of a Whittinghouse 4-ounce fresh patty, topped with 4 ounces of slow cooked birria, grilled chihuahua cheese, cilantro and onions on a fresh brioche bun.

The key to birria is the slow cooking of the actual chuck roast, slow cooked for eight hours in a large pot which has chicken stock, Guajillo peppers, ancho peppers, fresh garlic, cloves, bay leaves, cumin and ground cinnamon until the roast literally falls apart with tenderness.

“Birria is a traditional Mexican stew,” Gonzalez said. “It’s becoming popular in taco and quesadilla form, but I put it on a burger. I use a recipe passed down by my grandmother.”

Gonzalez began his career 13 years ago at the upscale Fox and Obel grocery store that also doubled as a bistro cafe. As an expediter, Fox and Obel saw his potential and Gonzalez worked his way up through the ranks to kitchen manager. Working alongside some of Chicago’s top talent, Gonzalez learned how to care for food and create new dishes using different techniques.

From Fox and Obel, Gonzalez moved on to North Side bars at Fat Cat and Silver Cloud. He also ran kitchens at Yolk, Kanela Breakfast Club and Berger Station. Now, at age 30, Gonzalez is the executive chef at Uncle Bud’s Bar and Grill at 97th Street and Cicero Avenue.

“We were so lucky to connect with Chef Ivan to run our kitchen,” owner John Zawaski Jr. said. “He turned our neighborhood bar into a dining destination with his specials, soups and innovative dishes.

During Friday’s watch party, patrons of Uncle Bud’s will be able to sample mini-birria burgers crafted by Gonzalez.

“Ivan speaks through the dishes he creates by always adding a piece of his heritage,” Uncle Bud’s bar manager Rachel Kogut said. “He is truly a talented chef.”