I only recently learned about the magic that is frita. Frita (meaning "fried") is a name given to a popular street burger in Cuba. The burgers are made from a mixture of beef and pork (sometimes chorizo), seasoned with ketchup and spices, and griddled to perfection. The name, however, comes from the obscene mountain of shoestring fries that rests atop the burger like a Mt. Vesuvius of crispety crunchiness. If you've ever had the Szechuan fries from Continental Midtown, I imagine they're not unlike those, although recreating something that thin and stringy in a home kitchen is a bit more difficult. I opted for just using the stand mixer attachment that makes shreds about an inch or two long.
Apparently in Cuba as taxes and prices increased on meat, street vendors resorted to stretching their meat supply by adding fillers, which left the burgers diluted in flavor, not to mention the sacrifice on texture. But when Cuban immigrants came to the states, they began setting up shop in Miami, making it a popular street food in South Florida.
I decided I wanted to give this burger a shot and, well, the first try was not exactly a success. I made the pitiful mistake of adding freshly grated onion to the mixture, which resulted in a very wet patty that fell apart in the middle of cooking. It was an upsetting day in the kitchen, but I was not going to be defeated. Since the recipe calls for 1/2 a pound of two different meats and meat is typically packaged by the pound, I had reserved the leftover meat and could take another attempt at the recipe without having to run back to the grocery store. The simple fix of opting for onion powder resulted in much better burgers that kept their shape (I don't specifically love onion powder, but it's handy in situations like this!)
Frita burgers are typically served with a special sauce that is essentially doctored ketchup, but I don't love ketchup on my burgers, and I already had to reckon with the fact that there's ketchup in the burger. My solution was to bring the flavors of my favorite Cuban sauce, mojo, to the burger in mayonnaise form. Mojo is a citrus based braising sauce, typically made with oranges and limes as well as cumin, oregano, and garlic. It's a favorite base sauce for proteins in Cuban cuisine, but I figured replacing the lemon juice normally used in homemade mayo with orange and adding some spices could bring this braising liquid to the burger battlefield. And let me tell you, this mojo mayo is good. You will want to use it on every sandwich and French fry you ever eat. The smoky cumin is what really comes forward first, with the orange, oregano, and paprika sneaking in afterward.
Look: there's nothing wrong with a good old-fashioned American burger. But when it's time to shake things up, a frita is where it's at.
With mojo mayo on my mind,
~c.j.
FRITA BURGERS
PREP WORK: 20 mins (we're making homemade mayo, y'all!)
COOK TIME: 25 mins
YIELD: 4 burgers
INGREDIENTS
For the shoestring fries
oil, for deep frying, about 4 cups (such as vegetable, canola, corn, peanut, sunflower, safflower)
2 large russet potatoes
kosher salt
For the mojo mayo
1 garlic clove
2 large egg yolks
2 tbsp fresh orange juice + the zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
cracked black pepper
For the burgers and assembly
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb uncooked ground chorizo, casings removed
2 tsp ketchup
2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 tbsp butter
4 burger buns (get Cuban rolls if you can, but they're hard to find in the US if you aren't in Florida. I opted for brioche buns - certainly not the same but always a delightful burger vehicle)
raw white onion, sliced into rings or finely chopped, depending on preference.
DIRECTIONS
Make the shoestring fries: Clip a thermometer to the side of a dutch oven or large pot and warm the oil over medium heat to 350°F. While this is happening, shred your potatoes using a shredder attachment for a food processor or stand mixer. (You could also use a box grater, but be very careful!) Get a paper towel lined cookie sheet ready. Once oil has come to temperature, fry potatoes in batches until golden crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer to cookie sheet and salt generously. Repeat until all potatoes are fried. These can be made several days in advance in an airtight container at room temperature (you have effectively now made something equivalent to potato sticks, which are shelf stable. I suppose you could also skip this step entirely and just buy potato sticks...)
Make the mojo mayo: Grate garlic clove into a large bowl. Whisk in egg yolks, orange juice and zest, and mustard. Very slowly (I'm talking drip by drip), whisk in the vegetable oil. Once all oil is incorporated, continue to whisk to incorporate air until mixture is very thick. Your arm will feel like it's going to fall off. That's okay. I promise it's worth it. Whisk in cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper to taste. This can be made a day in advance and stored in the fridge sealed tight for up to a week.
Make the burger mix: In a large bowl, combine beef, chorizo, ketchup, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Get to know your meat - use your hands to incorporate all ingredients, mashing together until the mixture clumps together thoroughly. Divide the mixture into four even amounts, and form into patties. Rest the patties on a plate until ready to cook.
Toast the buns: Melt butter in a cast iron pan over medium-low heat. Once fully melted, place buns cut side down in the butter and allow to toast, about 3 minutes. Remove buns and have them ready to go on a plate. Crank the heat of the cast iron up to medium-high. Once wisps of smoke are visible, place burger patties in the pan. Do not disturb them for at least 4 minutes or until a substantial crust has formed, then flip and cook an additional 4 minutes. Remove from heat and get ready to assemble.
Assembly: Glob a good amount of mojo mayo on the flat sides of both buns. Layer raw onion, burger patty, and an obscene amount of shoestring fries. Place the top bun on top and go to town.
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