This was such a treat and really fun to make, with the fried potatoes. (Okay, so squeezing the chorizo out of its casing was not so fun, but I made it through.) My husband, who can't resist putting cheese on everything, added a slice of provolone, but I thought the burgers were perfect without them. So much flavor!
Cuban Hamburger
You can find variations on this delicious burger, which consists of ground beef and spicy chorizo topped with crunchy fried potatoes, in Cuban-American communities all over Miami. For this version, we adapted a recipe given to us by Lourdes Castro, a food writer and professor from Miami. We featured the recipe as an online companion piece to our special Burger issue (August/September 2009).
Credit: Jonathan Whittle
Canola oil, for frying
1 large russet potato, peeled
Kosher salt, to taste
2/3 lb. ground beef
1/4 lb. fresh chorizo, casings removed
1/4 cup finely crushed saltine crackers (about 6)
1 tbsp. finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 tsp. smoked Spanish paprika
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 soft hamburger buns, toasted
Ketchup, for serving
1. Heat oven to 200°. Pour oil into a 4-qt. saucepan until it reaches a depth of 2"; heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 330°. Meanwhile, working over a large bowl, grate potato using the large-holed side of a box grater. Soak grated potatoes in water for 1 minute and drain. Spread potatoes on a kitchen towel and pat dry. Working in batches, fry potatoes until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to paper towels and season lightly with salt; set aside.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the ground beef, chorizo, crushed crackers, onions, paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper; process until mixture forms a ball around the blade. Transfer meat mixture to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Form meat into 6 thin patties. Heat a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium heat; add the patties and cook, flipping once, until browned and cooked through, 5–6 minutes. Transfer burger patties to a plate. Spread some ketchup on the bottom half of each bun and top with a burger patty and a mound of the fried potatoes.
MAKES 6 BURGERS
Ratings & Reviews (1)
Cuban Hamburger
Reviewed by Ames4au on
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This was such a treat and really fun to make, with the fried potatoes. (Okay, so squeezing the chorizo out of its casing was not so fun, but I made it through.) My husband, who can't resist putting cheese on everything, added a slice of provolone, but I thought the burgers were perfect without them. So much flavor!
Rating: 5
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