Burgers With A Spanish Flair Food

SPANISH BURGER WITH PICKLED SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Make the spiced butter: Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan. Add the harissa and garlic and cook 1 minute. Remove from the heat, cover and let sit 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld.
• Make the pickled saffron shallots: Bring the vinegar, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and the saffron to a boil in a small saucepan set over medium heat; remove from the heat and let cool 10 minutes. Put the shallots in a small bowl, pour the vinegar mixture over them, cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
• Make the aïoli: Combine the mayonnaise, harissa, smoked paprika, piquillo peppers, anchovy and lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
• Make the crispy prosciutto: Heat the canola oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat until it shimmers. Add 1 slice of the prosciutto at a time to the pan and cook until just crisp. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
• Make the burgers: Put the ground beef in a large bowl and mix in some salt and pepper. Divide into 4 equal patties.
• Heat a cast-iron pan over high heat until smoking. Add the canola oil and burgers and cook until the bottoms are golden brown and a crust has formed, about 4 minutes. Flip over and begin brushing with the spiced butter. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and the meat is cooked to medium, about 4 more minutes. Top the burgers with the fontina, add a little water to the pan, cover quickly and cook until the cheese is completely melted, about 1 minute.
• Spread some aïoli on the top and bottom buns. Place a burger on each bottom bun; top with pickled shallots, followed by a slice of crispy prosciutto and arugula. Add the top buns and serve.

SPANISH BURGER WITH PICKLED SHALLOTS

Steps:

• For the spiced butter: Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan. Add the harissa and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, cover and let sit 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld.
• For the pickled saffron shallots: Bring the vinegar, sugar, salt and saffron to a boil in a small saucepan set over medium heat; remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Put the shallots in a small bowl, pour the vinegar mixture over, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
• For the aioli: Combine the mayonnaise, harissa, smoked paprika, piquillo peppers, anchovy and lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
• For the crispy prosciutto: Heat the oil in a small saute pan over medium heat until it shimmers. Add one slice of the prosciutto at a time to the pan and cook until just crisp. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
• For the burgers: Combine the chuck and fat in a meat grinder and grind coarsely into a large bowl (or put the 80/20 beef into a large bowl). Mix in some salt and pepper. Divide the meat into 4 equal patties.
• Heat a cast-iron pan over high heat until smoking. Add the canola oil and burgers and cook until the bottoms are golden brown and a crust has formed, about 4 minutes. Flip over and begin brushing and basting with the spiced butter. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and the meat is cooked to medium, another 4 minutes. Top the burgers with the fontina, add a little water to the pan, cover quickly and cook until the cheese is completely melted, about 1 minute.
• Spread some aioli on the top and bottom buns. Place a burger on each bottom bun, top with some of the pickled shallots, followed by a slice of crispy prosciutto and some arugula. Add the top buns and serve.

BURGERS WITH A SPANISH FLAIR

Steps:

• Chop one-half of the onion, and slice the other half.
• Heat 1 T of the olive oil in a big skillet, over a medium heat, until hot. Reduce the heat to med-low and then add the chopped onion, cook them for about 4-5 minutes, or until soft. Press 1 garlic clove into the skillet and cook for only about a minute. Take out the onion and garlic and reserve.
• Heat the remaining olive oil in the same skillet over a medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring. Take those onions out and set aside to cool. Wipe the skillet out.
• Mix the mayo and paprika and press the other garlic clove into it and mix.
• Add the pork and ground round to the cooled chopped onion mixture and stir. Pat out the meat mixture into 6 burgers. Then season them on both sides with salt and black pepper, to taste.
• Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet, over medium heat. Put the burgers into the hot skillet and cook for about 5-6 minutes per side, or until they are just about cooked through.
• While the burgers are cooking, combine the piquillo peppers, olives and the sliced onion and then season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the mixture on top of each of the 6 almost cooked burgers, while in the skillet. Then top each with a slice of cheese. Put the heat on low, cover the skillet, and cook for about 1 minute. You just want the cheese to melt.
• Spread the top and bottom of each hamburger bun with the mayo mixture and then put a burger on the bottom half of each bun and top.