Ottoman Empire Burger with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce & Mint Grilled Onions

By AllysKitchen

The ‘ottoman empire burger’~~hummmm, sounds pretty amazing and fancy schmanzee, huh? Now just how did I get that name~~well, if you explore the ingredients, you’ll understand more! Some of these ingredients, including the spices, date back to long ago, and, yes, maybe even to the Ottoman Empire!

Ingredients

• BURGER PATTIES:
• 2 pounds ground beef (80/20)
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons Harissa paste
• 1/2 cup Greek plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
• 4 medium sharp cheddar cheese, smoked, thick slices
• Cooking spray
• ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE:
• 1 1/2 cups drained and pureed roasted red peppers
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest, grated
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon Harissa paste
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• GRILLED ONIONS:
• 2 large sweet onions sliced in thin rings
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
• 1/2 cup Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
• BUNS AND BURGER BUILDING:
• 4 large soft sesame seed buns
• 6 tablespoons salted butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
• 1 cup fresh pea shoots
• 12 kosher dills, sliced thin

Preparation

Step 1

In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and blend together. Set aside for plating. Portion out ½ cup for mixing into the grilled onions.

Burger Patties:

Combine the beef, salt, pepper, Harissa paste, yogurt and fresh mint in a large mixing bowl. Combine together well with hands. Portion into 4 equal parts and make large patties.

Coat a grill with cooking spray. Heat to 400-450 degrees. Coat both sides of the burgers with cooking spray. Put on the grill. Close the lid. Cook for about 4 minutes per side. Turn off heat. Place cheese on burgers. Close lid and let the cheese melt.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:

Combine the pureed roasted red peppers, lemon zest, mint, olive oil, salt, Harissa paste and mayonnaise in a bowl and blend. Remove ½ cup for the sautéed onions. Set aside until ready to build the burgers.

Grilled Onions:

Heat a large heavy skillet on medium high. Add the olive oil, onions, salt, and pepper and sauté about 10 minutes until the onions are tender and caramelizing. Reduce heat to low/simmer and add the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and mint and blend in. Cover with a lid until ready to build the burger.

Buns & Burger Building:

Butter the inside of the buns. Sprinkle on some of the pepper to the both sides of the buns. In a non-stick skillet over medium high heat, place the buttered side down and grill about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet for building the burger.

Spread 2 tbl of the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce on the bottom side of the grilled bun. Add the burger with melted cheese. Add a some of the pea shoots. Place 3 thin slices of the Kosher dill on top of the pea shoots. Pat down with your hand to secure. Add equal amounts of the Grilled Onions. Spread 3 tbl of the Roasted Red pepper Sauce on the inside of the inside of the top bun.