Spanish Burger with Pickled Shallots
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 1 hr 30 min
- Prep: 1 hr 5 min
- Cook: 25 min
- Yield: 4 burgers
Ingredients
For the spiced butter:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 tablespoon harissa (chile paste)
2 cloves garlic, smashed
For the pickled saffron shallots:
3/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
Kosher salt
Pinch of saffron
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
For the aioli:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon harissa (chile paste)
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 jarred piquillo peppers (or 1 roasted red pepper), patted dry
1 anchovy fillet
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
For the crispy prosciutto:
1/2 cup canola oil
4 thin slices prosciutto di Parma
For the burgers:
1 1/4 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces (or use 1 1/2 pounds ground 80/20 beef chuck and omit the pork fat)
4 ounces pork fat (omit if using ground chuck)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 slices fontina cheese
4 soft sesame buns, lightly toasted
Baby arugula, for topping
Directions
- 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 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 at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Make the crispy prosciutto: Heat the canola oil in a small saute 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: Combine the chuck and fat in a meat grinder and grind coarsely into a large bowl (or put the ground beef in 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 with the spiced butter. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and the meat is cooked to medium, 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 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.
