Shu Mei Sliders with Hoisin Mayo

Ingredients:
for the burgers:
5 oz water chestnuts, drained
.5 oz dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated
1 lb peeled shrimp
1 lb ground pork
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons shaoxing
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper



for the hoisin mayo:
2 1/2 tablespoons hoisin
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds


slider rolls
1 cucumber, thinly sliced


Directions:
Place all of the mayo ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk together. Refrigerate until ready to use. Place all of the burger ingredients in a food processor, pulse until well combined. Prep grill. Lightly oil your hands, a platter and the grill rack. Form into small burgers. Grill until cooked through, about 2 minutes on each side. Place on buns, top with cucumber and mayo.

Yield: about 18 sliders

My thoughts:

This going to be a quick post because I am in Seattle at the International Food Bloggers Conference! These sliders are awesome, they are my favorite kind of dumpling in burger form. They stay amazingly juicy and really do taste like dumplings, except smokier and crisper. I think they would be perfect for a party, they are small so you can cook a ton at once and serve them quickly.

Tzatziki Lamb Burgers

Ingredients:
1 lb ground lamb
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley
1 tablespoon minced dill
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, grated
zest of one lemon
salt
freshly ground black pepper



tzatziki:
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/3 cup finely diced, seeded cucumber*
1 tablespoon minced dill
salt
freshly ground black pepper

toppings:
1 large red onion, thickly sliced
1 small eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch slices

4 buns

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix together the burger ingredients until evenly distributed. Form into 4 equal patties.

for the sauce:
Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare your grill to medium heat. Meanwhile, brush the onion, burgers and eggplant slices with olive oil. Place on the grill next to the burgers. Cook until everything is cooked through, flipping once. Cover as needed.

Place a slice of eggplant on each bun. Top with a burger then onion slices and drizzle with sauce.



*You can salt and drain them if you want but I just left them chopped on

My thoughts:

This is seriously the best lamb burger I have ever had. Better than the much lauded lamb burgers at Breslin. More than just juicy, this burger has a lot of flavor. I thought the cumin in the Breslin burger brought out a gamey flavor to the burger which was a little overpowering. I picked seasonings that I hoped would enhance the fresh taste that lamb can have and it paid off. The burger tasted amazingly fresh and light. I honestly can't wait to make it again and I rarely remake a recipe! The cucumber-yogurt sauce, eggplant and onions are really just gilding the lily but they do make the burger more fun to eat without overpowering the lamb. The flavors of the tzatziki really tie in with the flavors of the burger.

Steamburgers

Ingredients:
1 lb very lean ground beef
2 cups beef stock
1 onion, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt
pepper

to serve:
mustard
minced onion
soft rolls

Directions:
Heat oil in a large, shallow skillet. Saute the onion and shallot until just beginning to soften. Add the beef until the fat starts to render, breaking the meat into small bits. Drain off the fat. Add the Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, paprika and stock. Simmer until the stock has totally evaporated. Serve sprinkled with onion on buns with a smear of mustard.

My thoughts:

Steamburgers are the signature dish at Stewart's Root Beer out on Pulaski Highway just outside of Baltimore. My grandpop used to tell me about getting them long before I or even my mother was born. If that doesn't make a family tradition what does? They are basically a loose meat sandwich, sort of like a sloppy joe but without the sauce. Served on a soft bun with onions and a smear of mustard or with cheese melted on, they are a bit of retro heaven. I've heard of similar sandwiches sold in other parts of the country but I've never encountered them outside of Stewart's which not only has been serving steamburgers since 1945 but draft root beers, regular burgers, chili dogs, fries and summery side dishes like coleslaw and potato salad. Stewart's is only open 6 months of the year (the warmer months) so I've long wanted to develop a recipe so I can eat a steamburger whenever the mood strikes. It took some experimenting but I think I've come as very close to the taste of the original as I could but like many homemade versions of fast food is a lot less greasy. (Sorry, Stewarts!) It is very meaty and juicy but fresh tasting. If you are still not convinced, steamburgers taste very much like a traditional hamburger but in a more rustic, crumbly form.

Carolina Shrimp Burgers

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb peeled steamed shrimp, chopped
1 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs (I used some slightly stale artisan white)
1/4 cup diced green onion
1/4 cup diced celery
3 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon malt vinegar
2 eggs, beaten
zest of one lemon

canola oil

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to evenly combine. Form into six flat patties. Refrigerate (line a plate with waxed paper to prevent sticking) for about 30 minutes or until ready to use, up to one day. Heat a tablespoon or so of oil in a large skillet. Cook the burgers for about 3 minutes on each side (flip carefully, burgers made with cooked shrimp are somewhat fragile) or until golden. Serve on soft buns with tarter sauce (and tomato & lettuce if tomatoes are in season).

My thoughts:

Maryland is all about the crab cake so when I heard people mentioning how much they were looking forward to having shrimp burgers this summer, I wasn't familiar but I was intrigued. Apparently they are the crab cakes (or lobster roll) of the coastal area of the Carolinas. That's all I needed to hear! We're already planning two trips this year but neither is down South so I figured I'd better make my own. I am not sure these are 100% authentic-I've heard the way they are served varies wildly depending on the restaurant-but they are 100% delicious. They have a bright, fresh shrimp flavor that is accented, not overpowered by the ingredients. They are a bit rustic so don't be surprised if they crumble a bit once you put them in the bun and bite down. A great, easy alternative to the typical burger.



Quick note:
Try and use fresh (never frozen) shrimp, they are a bit moister and will stick together easier than the drier frozen shrimp do. If using previously frozen, you might need at add more mayo. Of course, if your fresh shrimp is very moist, you might need more bread crumbs. The idea is to bind the burger just enough so it doesn't fall apart in the pan.

Chicken Chili Burgers

Ingredients:
1 lb ground chicken
1/2 cup drained dark red kidney beans, very slightly mashed
1 small onion, very finely minced
1 chipotle pepper in adobe
1 teaspoon hot Mexican style chili powder
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
juice of 1/2 lime


Directions:
Place the chipotle pepper, lime juice in a blender or food processor and pulse until fairly smooth. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl. Add the ground chicken, onion, chili powder, paprika and garlic powder. Gently mix together to evenly distribute all ingredients. Gently add the beans. If the mixture is overly wet, add a sprinkle of breadcrumbs. With lightly greased hands, form the meat into four 1/4 inch thick patties. Oil the rack of your grill. Cook the burgers over medium heat, covering as needed to insure that they are fully cooked through.

My thoughts:

Instead of simply pouring chili on plain burgers, these low fat burgers are actually chili in burger form. They have all of the ingredients, beans, peppers, onions, chili powder etc as chili made to fit on a bun. Ground chicken absorbs flavors wonderfully so these burgers are anything but bland. Serve them with chili toppings like cheese, avocado or even sour cream on top.

Bacon-Barbecue Burgers

Ingredients:
1 lb 93% lean ground beef or sirloin
1/3 cup crumbled, cooked center cut bacon
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons Montreal steak seasoning*
1 1/2 tablespoons minced cubanelle pepper
1 small onion, minced

additional barbecue sauce

Directions:
With a light hand, mix all ingredients together. Form into four equal, 1/4 inch thick patties.




Brush one side of each patty with additional barbecue sauce. Place the burgers, sauce side up, on a hot grill.




About halfway through the cooking time, flip the burgers. Place mesquite chips in a foil packet, poke holes in the foil, and place on the coals. Cover and cook until the burgers are to your desired doneness. Serve on hamburger rolls.



*I used this. I've seen other brands refer to a similar mix as "Canadian" steak seasoning.

My thoughts:

These slightly over the top burgers are sure to become a new favorite. For best results, use lean beef and bacon. Higher fat meats may cause the burgers to fall apart during grilling. Believe me, you won't miss the extra fat. Between the smoky bacon, the peppery cubanelle and the yummy barbecue sauce, they are bursting with flavor and quite juicy.

Onion Studded Hamburger Rolls

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 oz active dry yeast

for the onions:
1/3 cup finely diced onions
1 teaspoon butter

for the egg wash:
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon water



to sprinkle:
sesame, caraway or poppy seeds (optional)

Directions:
Stir together the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm. Meanwhile, saute the onions in the butter until soft and translucent--do not brown. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and yeast. Pour in the milk mixture and stir until the dough starts to come together, adding more water of the mixture looks dry or more flour if the mixture looks wet. Add the onions. If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook to mix for about 8 minutes. If not, knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a towel and wait until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down the dough and divide into 6* even portions. Make tight balls out of the dough by pulling the dough towards the bottom and gently stretching until a ball with a smooth top forms. Place seam-side down on a baking stone or metal baking sheet. I actually just used my silipat and baking sheet. Allow the rolls to sit for a minute. Flatten each dough ball with your hand or the back of a large spatula until it is about 3 to 4 inches wide.



Cover the rolls with the towel again and set aside until they have just about doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400. Whisk together the water and yolk to make the egg wash. Brush onto the tops of the rolls. Sprinkle with seeds if using. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown on both the top and the bottom and when tapped, they sound hollow. Allow to cool, then slice.



*If you want extra large rolls, divide into fourths.


Yield: six rolls big enough to each accommodate a large hamburger. The recipe can easily be doubled.

My thoughts:

There are lovely hamburger rolls. Soft but sturdy and solid enough to support a serious burger and with a superb yet not overpowering onion flavor. I love making homemade hamburger rolls when we have burgers because they really take little in the way of effort but they taste so much better than store-brought. The fact that everyone is always impressed when you tell them you made the rolls is just a little bonus.

Fire Roasted Kidney Bean Burgers

Ingredients:
15 oz dark red kidney beans, drained
1/3 cup cornmeal
1 ear of roasted corn kernels (about 1/3 cup)
1 small red potato, boiled and cooled
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, grated
juice of 1 lime
1 chipotle pepper in adobe, minced
1 teaspoon of fresh or freeze dried chives*
olive oil
salt
pepper

Directions:
Mash the beans, chipotle and the potato together until fairly uniform in texture but not to the point of paste. Gently stir in remaining ingredients. Add more cornmeal if the mixture is too wet to form into patties. Form in to uniform, fairly flat patties. Place on a oiled piece of foil, brush the tops with oil and cook on the hottest part of the grill, flipping once halfway through cooking. It should take about 10-20 minutes.



Yield: 4 burgers


*I love the freeze dried chives by Smith & Truslow. They have a great, fresh flavor and I don't have to bother keeping fresh chives on hand all the time.


No grill? Preheat oven to 375. Lightly oil a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through the cooking time, or until crisp. Alternately, pan fry.

My thoughts:

When I first suggested the possibility of grilling a meatless burger to my husband he was skeptical. But after eating it, he was a total convert. These, despite being virtually fat-free, are really flavorful. I used potato as a binder and loaded them with ingredients we love: fire roasted corn, chipotle, garlic, onions, lime. Instead using flour, rice or quinoa as filler I used cornmeal to accentuate the flavor of the corn. The corn, onions and partially mashed beans add a lot of texture interest and pockets of flavor which set them apart from some of the mushy, bland veggie and bean burgers I've had in the past. They also cooked very evenly-crisp all over with no mushy, damp center!


Quick note:
While the burgers do hold their shape well, it is best to grill them on foil as they are not as uniformly flat as commercially made burgers and it is a little tricky to slide the spatula under the burgers when they are on an uneven surface. The foil supports them just enough to provide a smooth surface for the spatula and is easy to oil to avoid sticking.

Hawaiian Style Pork Burgers

Ingredients:
1 lb ground pork
4 tablespoons panko
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, grated
1inch knob fresh ginger, grated
1/4 teaspoon pineapple juice
white pepper
salt


to serve:
4 pineapple slices*
Hawaiian rolls

Directions:
With a gentle hand, mix together all of the burger ingredients. Form into 4 patties. Grill over medium heat about 3-5 minutes on each side. Make sure the burger is cooked all the way through. Raw or "rare" pork is not your friend. In the last minute of cooking, grill the pineapple slices. Serve on Hawaiian rolls.





*You can use fresh, but I ended up using canned pineapple slices (in juice) because I couldn't find a ripe pineapple at the store. They are just as tasty grilled as fresh and are about half the price. Not to mention they are already sliced in the perfect thickness for sandwiches.

Yield: 4 burgers

No grill? Cook in a skillet or broiler.

My thoughts:

Okay, I've never been to Hawaii, so I am not sure if these are the most authentic burgers in the world, but when I think Hawaiian food I think pork, Spam, pineapple and Asian-influenced. Spam burgers seemed a bit out of the question but pork I could do. I love pork and burgers made from ground pork are exceptionally juicy despite having to be thoroughly cooked. The ginger, garlic, soy sauce and tiny splash of pineapple juice accentuates the pork's natural sweetness while the panko gives them a light quality and keeps them from falling apart on the grill.

Asian-style Chicken Burgers

Ingredients:
1lb ground chicken
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons black sesame oil
1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
1/4 cup panko
1 inch knob ginger, grated
2 shallots, grated
white pepper

Directions:
In medium bowl, combine all ingredients with a light hand. If the mixture is very wet, add more panko. Shape into four patties. Grill or cook in a large skillet for about 5 minutes on each side. If they are on the thick side, cover the skillet for part of the cooking time to help them cook through. Serve hot on rolls.

My thoughts:

I hesitated posting this because it wasn't very photogenic and I couldn't think of a good name to call it but they were so good I couldn't resist. These are the juiciest, most flavorful chicken burgers I've ever had. Chicken burgers have the tendency to be dry and breast meat isn't always the most flavorful but this burger really works. The ginger and shallot give it a fresh flavor and I am betting that the sesame oil, in addition to being tasty, really sealed the juices in. Perfect for a light Spring meal and they took less than 20 minutes to make.

Buffalo Chicken Burgers

Ingredients:
1 lb ground chicken
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 small onion, minced
salt
pepper

to serve:
split crusty rolls
blue cheese dressing
celery sticks




Directions:
In a bowl, mix together all of the burger ingredients by hand. Do not over work the meat. Gently form into 4 patties. Spray with cooking spray or add 1 tablespoon oil to a large skillet. Heat, then add the burgers, cooking 2-4 minutes on each side. Place on rolls, top with dressing and serve with celery sticks.

My thoughts:

My husband loves wings although we rarely have them. We've made them at home but it is a fair amount of work for something I personally I am not too fond of. I appreciate the idea but gnawing tiny bits of chicken off a teensy bone just isn't my idea of a good time. Enter the burger-all of the flavor if buffalo wings but none of the fuss.

Mango Avocado Burger

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb ground beef*
2 tablespoons mango juice or nectar
2 tablespoons Montreal seasoning**
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 shallot, minced
1 small onion minced

to serve:
split crusty rolls
sliced mango
sliced avocado




*I use 94% lean
**a blend of coarse salt, pepper, granulated garlic, red pepper flakes and paprika

Directions:
Prepare your grill as usual-if you are using charcoal, we like to add some wood chips for added smoky flavor. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix together all of the burger ingredients by hand. Do not over work the meat. Gently form into 6 patties. Grill to your desired doneness. Place on the bottom half of the roll, top with alternating slices of mango and avocado. Top with the roll and serve.

My thoughts:

I have to say, avocado and mango slices are my favorite toppings for burgers. The avocado's creamy mildness offsets the sweet mango and both play off the smoky burger flavor. Matt likes his with a little mango ketchup, but I'm a purist.

Patty Melt

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 large onion, sliced
1 medium onion, minced
6 oz mushrooms, sliced
Montreal seasoning OR kosher salt, coarsely ground pepper, garlic powder & red pepper
1-2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
4 slices cheddar cheese (horseradish cheddar is excellent on this)

8 slices toast

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together the seasoning(s), worcestershire sauce, meat and minced onion thoroughly. Divide into four even patties. Heat a large pan. Place the burgers on the pan, surround with the sliced onions and mushrooms. Cook the meat until brown on one side, then flip. When almost done to your liking, add a slice of cheese to each patty. Cover the pan for about a minute to melt the cheese. At this point, the onions should have caramelized and the burgers should be done. Drain the patties on a paper towel lined plate then place on a piece of toast. Top with onions and mushrooms, then top with another piece of toast. Repeat for the other 3 burgers and serve.

My thoughts:

The patty melt is quintessential diner food. Basically a cheeseburger on toast that is often served with fried onions, it easy to make at home as well. Patty melts always remind me of the episode of Dead Like Me when Rube (Mandy Patinkin) takes over as cook at Der Waffle House (episode 1.8, A. Cook for the truly obsessed) and when someone complains the that cheese was melted on the burger and not the toast as he requested, he replies that the patty melt is more than just a name, it says how the dish is made, namely that the cheese is melted on the patty. It escalates from there when the guy continues to balk and the scene ends with Rube dumping the sandwich on the man's lap. You can check out the whole scene here. If you melt the cheese on the bread and I catch you, I promise not to dump it on your lap, but really, it is called a "patty melt" for a reason.

Onion Burgers

Ingredients:
1 � lb ground beef (at room temperature)
1/3 cup finely chopped onions
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Montreal seasoning
Olive oil

Directions:
In a grill pan, heat olive oil. In a large bowl combine all ingredients thoroughly. Form into 5 patties. Grill 3-5 minutes on each side. Serve on crusty rolls.

Inside Out Blue Cheese Burgers

1 1/3 pounds ground sirloin

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

1 shallot or small onion minced

1/2 pound crumbled blue cheese

Extra-virgin olive oil, for pan

McCormick's Montreal Seasoning



Combine first 3 ingredients and divide meat into 4 equal amounts. When forming each patty, nestle a pile of blue cheese crumbles into the center of the meat, and gently form patty around cheese.

Brush or drizzle burgers with extra-virgin olive oil and grill (I use a grill pan) 7 to 8 minutes on each side.



Also good with bacon and cheddar as the filling. Just crumble 6-7 slices of bacon and mix with crumbled cheddar instead of blue cheese.