Black Bean Burgers with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

From the food blog Cookin' Canuck.

Prep: 30 min. + chilling / Cook: 8 min.
Yield: 4 burgers

These are absolutely delicious!  The texture of the patty is obviously not meat, but it is good and tasty.  We will definitely be eating these again.

Burgers:
4 slices stale or toasted whole wheat bread, cubed
2 Tbs. olive or canola oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. minced jalapeno pepper, membranes and seeds removed
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/4 cups cooked brown rice
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Cilantro-lime Mayo (recipe follows)
4 whole wheat buns, toasted if desired
Cotija cheese, crumbled
Tomato, sliced
Avocado, sliced

Pulse bread in a food processor to form breadcrumbs.  Pour into a bowl and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until soft.  Add garlic, jalapeno, and ground cumin.  Saute for 2 more minutes.

Scrape mixture into food processor.  Add black beans, brown rice, lime juice, salt, and pepper.  Pulse until beans are chopped but not pureed.

Remove bean mixture into a large bowl.  Add cilantro and 1/2 of the breadcrumbs; stir mixture until combined.  Add more breadcrumbs if needed.

Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions and form into patties.  Place on a baking sheet or large plate lined with plastic wrap and cover with additional plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook burgers 4 minutes per side.

Spread Cilantro-lime Mayo on both interior sides of bun.  Top with black bean patty, cotija cheese, tomato, and avocado.

Cilantro-lime Mayo
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbs. finely chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, lime juice, ground cumin, cilantro, and pepper.  Stir well.

Notes:
- I probably only used about three slices-worth of bread crumbs.
- One small jalapeno will be about the right amount; however, it wasn't spicy at all to me, so I may use a large one next time.
- Next time you make brown rice, set some aside and make this recipe the same week.  It will save you a lot of time waiting for the rice to cook so you can make your burgers (brown rice takes a lot longer to cook than white rice).
- I didn't really measure my lime juice: I used half a lime for the burger and the other for the mayo.
- We ate ours on wheat kaiser rolls--yummy!
- Cotija cheese is a salty, crumbly, cows milk cheese from Mexico.  Most grocery stores have it.
- Confession: I didn't chill the patties at all because we were hungry and didn't want to wait half an hour to eat.  I don't think it made a difference, but I guess I'll know better next time I make these . . . correctly. Just know that if you're short on time, you'll be fine skipping the refrigeration!
- Use mayo with olive oil--it's all I buy anymore!

Salmon Burger with Hoisin Barbecue Sauce and Pickled Ginger and Napa Slaw

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, page 71.

Serves 4.

This burger is possibly one of my favorites from Bobby Flay's cookbook.  It combines really great flavors for a unique and tasty Asian-style burger.

Hoisin Barbecue Sauce
2 Tbs. canola oil
2 large shallots, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
2 Tbs. ketchup
2 Tbs. honey
2 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. fish sauce
1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar

Salmon Burgers

1 1/2 lbs. fresh salmon

2 Tbs. canola oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired

Slaw
2 Tbs. canola oil
1/4 cup sliced pickled ginger, plus more for garnish if desired
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 small head of red cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 medium head of napa cabbage, finely shredded
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
3 Tbs. finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

To make the hoisin barbecue sauce, heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the shallots and garlic and cook until soft, about 2 minutes.  Add the hoisin, ketchup, honey, soy sauce, fish sauce, and vinegar and cook until heated through and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.  Set aside to cool.  The sauce can be made 1 day in advance, covered, and refrigerated.  Bring to room temperature before using.

To form the burgers, cut the salmon into large pieces and then coarsely chop in a food processor.  Do not over-process.  (Alternatively, you can chop it by hand with a sharp knife.)  Divide the salmon into 4 equal portions.  Form each portion loosely into a 3/4"-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb.  Place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

Meanwhile, make the slaw by heating the oil in a large saute pan over high heat.  Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring once, until soft, about 1 minute.  Stir in the cabbage, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring once, until slightly wilted, 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar, sesame oil, and cilantro.  Let sit at room temperature.

To cook the burgers, heat the oil in a saute pan or griddle (nonstick or cast iron) until it begins to shimmer.  Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.  Cook the burgers until golden brown on the bottom sides, about 3 minutes.  Turn over, brush with some of the hoisin barbecue sauce, and continue cooking until medium-well, about 3 minutes longer.

Place the burgers on the bun bottoms, drizzle some hoisin barbecue sauce over them, and top with the slaw.  Garnish with pickled ginger, if desired.  Cover with burger tops and serve immediately.

Notes:
- I used frozen salmon, and it still tasted great.  So use what you've got!  If you're in a hurry and all you've got are frozen salmon patties, you could probably even use them (though I doubt it would be quite as good).
- Be very, very careful not to turn your salmon into paste.  If you use a food processor, I recommend looking over the instructions for chopping meat prior to doing it so you have an idea of how long to pulse the meat.
- I don't know how Bobby manages to keep the salmon firm enough to that deep depression with his thumb; it was all I could do to keep the patties together!  We set each one on an individual square of wax paper on the plate to make moving them into the pan easier when the time came.
- When recipes use a sauce to baste cooking meat and dip or drizzle later, I always separate the sauce into two bowls (one for basting and one for serving) to avoid contamination.

Napa Valley Burger

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, page 52.

Serves 4.

This burger is very tart and tangy because of the citrus and the goat cheese.  It has a very fresh flavor.

Meyer Lemon-honey Mustard:
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 heaping Tbs. clover honey
1 1/2 tsp. grated Meyer lemon zest, or 1 tsp. grated orange zest and 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 1/2 Tbs. Meyer lemon juice, or 1 Tbs. fresh orange juice and 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together the mustard, honey, lemon zest, and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

Burgers:
1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck (80/20) or ground turkey (90/10)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 Tbs. canola oil
8 round slices fresh goat cheese, each 1/2" thick
4 sesame seed hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired
1 handful of watercress

Divide the meat into 4 equal portions.  Form each portion loosely into a 3/4" thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb.  Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.

Cook the burgers (click HERE for Bobby's burger cooking times), using the canola oil and topping each one with 2 slices of cheese and a basting cover during the last minute of cooking.

Place the burgers on the bun bottoms, drizzle with some of the Meyer lemon-honey mustard, and top with watercress.  Cover with the bun tops and serve immediately.

Notes:
- Meyer lemons are sweeter than regular lemons, which is why the substitutions are a mixture of orange and lemon juice.
- We only used half the amount of goat cheese.
- I feel so repetitive: I typically buy 90/10 ground beef, so I use a pound of that for my burgers.

Miami Burger

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, page 51.

Serves 4.

1 lb. ground chuck (80/20) or ground turkey (90/10)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 Tbs. canola oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 cloves roasted garlic, mashed (see notes)
4 hamburger buns, split
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
8 thin slices Swiss cheese
4 thin slices smoked ham
2 dill pickles, sliced into 1/4" thick slices

Divide the meat into 4 equal portions.  Form each loosely into a 3/4" thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb.  Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.  Cook the burgers (click HERE for Bobby's burger cooking times), using the oil.  Remove the burgers to a plate.

Combine the mayonnaise and roasted garlic in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Spread both sides of each bun with the mayonnaise and the mustard.  Place a slice of cheese on each bun bottom, place a burger on top, and then top the burger with a slice of ham, another slice of cheese, and some pickle slices.  Cover with bun tops.

Cook the burgers on a sandwich press or wrap burgers in aluminum foil and cook in a hot skillet over high heat (put a heavy skillet on top of the burgers to press them) until golden brown and the cheese has  melted, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.  Serve immediately.

Notes:
- I used 1 lb. (90/10) ground beef, so my burgers weren't as thick.
- It takes more like 2-3 minutes per side to cook the burgers if you go the foil and skillet route.
- Roasting garlic: Toss garlic with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast in oven on a rimmed baking sheet until light golden brown, about 15 minutes at 375 F.

Bistro Burger

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, page 26.

We didn't think this was one of his most exciting burgers, but it was interesting enough to share.  It's also very easy to make.

3 Tbs. white wine vinegar

1 heaping Tbs. Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large head of endive, thinly shredded

1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck (80/20) or ground turkey (90/10)

1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1 1/2 Tbs. canola oil

4 slices Gruyere cheese, each 1/4" thick

4 brioche or regular hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired

Whisk together the vinegar and mustard in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Slowly add the olive oil and whisk until emulsified.  Add the endive to the bowl and toss to coat.  Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Divide the meat into 4 equal portions.  Form each loosely into a 3/4" thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb.  Season both sides of each burger with salt and coarsely ground black pepper.

Cook the burgers (click HERE for Bobby's burger cooking times), using the oil and topping each one with a slice of cheese and a basting cover during the last minute of cooking.

Place the burgers on the bun bottoms and top each one with some of the endive.  Cover with the bun tops and serve immediately.

Notes:

- I only saw small heads of endive, so I grabbed two of the biggest ones I could find.

- As usual, I used 1 lb of 90/10 ground beef.

- If you don't have a basting cover, use whatever you can find--a metal bowl, a pot lid, whatever.

Dallas Burger

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, page 37.

Serves 4.

This is a spicy barbecue burger that Bobby Flay calls a compromise between his wife's love of beef brisket and his "need for speed."  I just call it yummy.

Coleslaw:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 small white onion, grated
1 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. celery seed
3 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 small head of cabbage, cored and finely shredded
1 large carrot, finely shredded
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together the mayonnaise, onion, sugar, celery seed, and vinegar in a large bowl.  Add the cabbage and carrot, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine.  Let sit for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour before serving.

Burgers:
1 Tbs. ancho chile powder
2 tsp. sweet Spanish paprika
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. chile de arbol powder or cayenne pepper
1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck (80/20) or ground turkey (90/10)
1 1/2 Tbs. canola oil
Barbecue Sauce
4 hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired
Homemade Dill Pickles

Whisk together the ancho power, paprika, dried mustard powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, salt, black pepper, and chile de arbol powder in a small bowl.

Divide meat into 4 equal portions.  Form each portion loosely into a 3/4" thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb.  Season both sides of each burger with spice mixture.

Cook the burgers (click HERE for Bobby's burger cooking times), using the canola oil and brushing with some of the barbecue sauce after you flip them.

Place the burgers on the bun bottoms and spoon more barbecue sauce on top.  Top each one with some coleslaw and a few pickles.  Cover with bun tops and serve immediately.

Notes:
- The coleslaw recipe makes a LOT.
- I couldn't find sweet Spanish paprika, so I used smoked paprika.
- I'm not sure if ground coriander is sold anywhere, so I ground my own using a coffee grinder that we use for flax seed and whole spices.  If you have a spice rack, there's a good chance that one of the spices it came with was whole coriander.
- Our burgers weren't as thick as his--we used 1 lb. of 90/10 ground beef.

Bolo Burger

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, page 28

Serves 4.

Piquillo Pepper-Smoked Paprika Aioli
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 jarred piquillo peppers, drained
2 tsp. smoked sweet Spanish paprika
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Burgers
1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck (80/10) or ground turkey (90/10)
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. canola oil
4 sesame seed hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired
8 slices Manchego cheese
8 paper-thin slices Serrano ham

To make the aioli, combine the mayonnaise, garlic, peppers, paprika, and salt in a food processor and process until smooth.  Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.  The aioli can be prepared 1 day in advance, tightly covered, and refrigerated.

Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 ounces each).  Form each portion loosely into a 3/4-inch-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb.  Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.  Cook the burgers, using 1 1/2 Tbs. of the oil (click HERE for Bobby's burger cooking times).

Place the bun bottoms on a flat surface and spread half of the aioli over them.  Top each one with a slice of cheese, then a slice of the ham, then a burger, another slice of ham, and finally another slice of cheese, in that order.  Spread the rest of the aioli on the bun tops and cover each burger with a top.

Brush the tops of the buns with the remaining 1 1/2 Tbs. oil and place on the grill, griddle, or saute pan, top side down.  Using a heavy-duty metal spatula, press down on the bottom of the buns and grill until the tops are a light golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.  Turn the burgers over and continue cooking, pressing down on the tops, until the bottoms are light golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 1 minute longer.  Serve immediately.

Notes
- We couldn't find piquillo peppers, so we used jarred, fire-roasted red peppers.
- We also couldn't find Manchego cheese (I was in a hurry and only checked one store for these things--later I found the cheese), so we used Monterey Jack.
- We don't have smoked sweet Spanish paprika, so I used plain old smoked paprika (still not the same as regular paprika).
- Like I've mentioned with all his other burgers so far, we make our patties thinner than he does because we buy big buns and want the burger to be in every bite.
- As with all the other burgers, I follow the beef requirement somewhat loosely.  Sometimes I get 80/20, other times I get 85/15 or even 90/10.  I don't always buy 1 1/2 lbs, either.  It just depends on how fattening I feel like we can make our burgers that particular day.
- The aioli reminded me a lot of the red pepper sauce a Quiznos.  So if you ever want their red pepper sauce on your homemade sandwich, make Bobby's aioli here!

Santa Fe Burger

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, page 63.

Serves 4.

Burgers

1 large poblano chile

2 1/2 Tbs. canola oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck (80/20) or ground turkey (90/10)

4 hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired

12 blue or yellow corn tortilla chips

Queso Sauce

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 Tbs. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole milk

8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Put the chile on a rimmed baking sheet, rub with 1 Tbs. of the oil, and season with salt & pepper. Roast in the oven until the skin on the chile is blackened, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the chile from the oven, place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let the chile steam for 15 minutes. Peel, stem, and seed the chile, and then coarsely chop it.

To make the queso sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk, increase the heat to high, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cheese until melted; season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 oz. each). Form each portion loosely into a 3/4"-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper. Cook the burgers, using the remaining 1 1/2 Tbs. oil. (Click HERE for Bobby's cooking times for beef burgers.)

Place the burgers on the bun bottoms and top each with a few tablespoons of queso sauce, chips, and some of the poblano. Cover with bun tops and serve immediately.

Notes

- We're trying to be a little healthier, so we used 1 lb. of 85/15 ground beef. The burgers were a little smaller and not quite as juicy, but with the queso sauce it wasn't a big deal.

- As with all of his burgers, we make the patties a bit thinner so they fit the buns we buy.

- We also use less oil because we cook in a nonstick skillet.

- We decided it would probably be a good idea to turn the chile halfway through the roasting time.

- The queso sauce is very mild but tastes great. Next time we might try mixing in some pepper jack cheese. The sauce is also great as a chip dip and would probably be good as fondue, too. (*Second time around: I like the queso sauce just the way it is, but a small amount of pepper jack would probably be good if you want more spice.)

California Burger

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, & Shakes, page 34.

Makes 4 burgers.

Avocado Relish:

2 ripe Haas avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, and coarsely chopped

1/2 small onion, finely diced

1 jalapeno chile, finely diced

Juice of 1 lime

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Burgers:

1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck (80/20) or ground turkey (90/10)

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 Tbs. canola oil

4 slices Monterey Jack cheese

4 hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired

1 small bunch of watercress

4 slices ripe beefsteak tomato

To make the avocado relish, combine the avocados, onion, jalapeno, lime juice, and cilantro in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. The relish can be made up to 1 hour in advance and kept at room temperature.

Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 oz. each). Form each portion loosely into a 3/4"-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.

Cook the burgers, using the oil and topping each one with a slice of cheese and a basting cover during the last minute of cooking. (Click HERE to see Bobby's cooking times for burgers.)

Place the burgers on the bun bottoms and top each one with a few sprigs of watercress, a slice of tomato, and a dollop of the avocado relish. Cover with bun tops and serve immediately.

Notes:

- I use less oil because I cook in a nonstick pan.

- I also make thinner burgers because I buy big buns and I like the burger to be in every bite.

Nacho Burger

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, & Shakes cookbook, page 53.

Prep: Lots--the pickled jalapenos need to pickle for at least 24 hours

Makes 4 burgers

Tomato-Chipotle Salsa:

3 Tbs. red wine vinegar

1 Tbs. canola oil

2 tsp. pureed canned chipotle chiles in adobo

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely diced

2 Tbs. finely diced red onion

2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Kosher salt

Avocado Relish:

2 ripe Hass avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, and coarsely chopped

1/2 small onion, finely diced

1 jalapeno chile, finely diced

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup finel chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

Burgers:

1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck (80/20) or ground turkey (90/10)

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 Tbs. canola oil

8 slices Monterey Jack cheese, each 1/4" thick

4 hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired

Avocado Relish

4 Pickled Jalapenos, thinly sliced

1/2 cup coarsely crumbled blue corn tortilla chips

To make the salsa, stir together the vinegar, oil, and chipotle puree in a medium bowl. Add the tomatoes, onion, and cilantro and mix to combine; season with salt. The salsa can be made 4 hours in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.

To make the avocado relish, combine the avocados, onion, jalapeno, lime juice, and cilantro in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. The relish can be made up to 1 hour in advance and kept at room temperature.

3. Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 ounces each). Form each portion loosely into a 3/4"-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.

Cook the burgers, using the canola oil and topping each one with 2 slices of cheese and a basting cover during the last minute of cooking. (Click HERE to see Bobby's cooking times for burgers.)

Place the burgers on the bun bottoms. Top each burger with some of the avocado relish, some tomato-chipotle salsa, and then pickled jalapenos and blue corn chips. Cover with the burger tops and serve immediately.

Notes:

- I halved the pickled jalapeno recipe (the original is in another post), and I still have most of them in my fridge. He's got a couple other burgers in the book that call for them, but perhaps it would be wise to quarter it next time.  I've also used store-bought pickled jalapeños instead of homemade ones, and that was just fine.  Check in the Latino section of your store.

- I realized late at night while I was pickling the jalapenos that I didn't have cumin seeds or white wine vinegar. I discovered that caraway seeds can substitute cumin seeds at half quantity (so the recipe above would use 1/4 tsp. caraway seeds instead of 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds). My white wine vinegar substitute likely wasn't what it should have been, but I used what I had . . . which would translate to 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar.

- We used one slice of cheese on each burger--I imagine two would have been heavenly, but I really couldn't bring myself to put 1/2" of cheese on each burger!!

- We don't have a basting cover, so I just used the lid of the saute pan I was cooking the burgers in.

- We only used 1 pickled jalapeno for the four burgers instead of one each. Then again, we all know Bobby likes things to have quite a bit of kick. ;)

Louisiana Burger

From Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, & Shakes cookbook (page 48).

Prep: 20 minutes + refrigeration (1-8 hours)

Cook: 10-15 minutes

Spicy Remoulade

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsp. whole-grain mustard

1/2 tsp. hot sauce

5 cornichons (sour Gherkins pickles), diced

1 green onion, white and pale green parts, finely chopped

1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Louisiana Spice Rub

1 Tbs. sweet Spanish paprika

2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Burgers

1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck (80/20) or ground turkey (90/10)

1 1/2 Tbs. canola oil

1 red onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

4 hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired

To make the remoulade, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon and whole-grain mustards, hot sauce, pickles, green onion, and parsley in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

To make the spice rub for the burgers, stir together the paprika, black pepper, salt, thyme, garlic and onion powders, and cayenne in a small bowl.

Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 ounces each). Form each portion loosely into a 3/4-inch-thick burger and make a deep impression in the center with your thumb. Season one side of each patty with the spice mixture, making sure to rub the spices into the meat.

Heat the oil in a saute pan or griddle, preferably cast iron, over high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Cook the burgers, spice side down, until they are slightly charred and the spices have formed a crust, about 1 1/2 minutes (be careful not to burn the spices). Turn the burgers over, lower the heat to medium, and continue cooking until golden brown and slightly charred on the second side, about 4 minutes for medium rare or until cooked to the desired degree of doneness. Remove the burgers to a plate and tent loosely with aluminum foil. (Click HERE to see Bobby's cooking times for burgers.)

Add the onion to the pan and cook over medium-high heat until slightly softened, about 2 minutes per side.

Put the burgers on the bun bottoms and top with the onion and some remoulade sauce. Cover with the bun tops and serve immediately.

Notes

- I couldn't find "whole grain" mustard, so I used Inglehoffer Stone Ground mustard, which was basically whole grain.

- I didn't read the description well enough when I went shopping, so I bought sweet Gherkins. It still tasted great, but I imagine the sours would be even better!

- I couldn't find sweet Spanish paprika, so I used smoked paprika.

- I think we formed our burgers into 1/2"-thick patties.

- To season the burgers, I poured some of the spice mixture onto a plate and set each patty in it to season one side. (I admit I sprinkled the leftovers from the plate on the other side of each patty--no reason to waste the spice mixture.) I stored the rest of the spice mixture (the part I didn't pour on a plate) in an air-tight container to use another time. We think it would be good on chicken, steaks, and other yummy things.

- Bobby Flay also says you can "bronze" these burgers instead of blackening them. We did something probably halfway between.

- We used less onion on our burgers, simply because we didn't want to smell so bad afterwards. But I imagine using the full onion amount would be delicious.

Bobby Flay's Beef Hamburger Cooking Times

The USDA recommends cooking until an internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. (I read in Alton Brown's Good Eats cookbook that it's best to take steak readings horizontally through the side instead of down from the top--I assume this applies to burgers, too.)

Rare: approximately 6 minutes total cooking time

Medium-rare: approximately 7 minutes total cooking time

Medium: approximately 8 minutes total cooking time

Medium-well: approximately 9 minutes total cooking time

Well: approximately 10 minutes total cooking time

Well done: approximately 11 minutes total cooking time