Gourmet hamburgers made a real revolution in the kitchen. From the one at Ume restaurant in Sydney, which is Japanese-inspired, such as fried pork katsu, to the one from the American chain Bareburger, made with organic ingredients. There are many new chefs out there challenging the old stereotype of this dish and creating new dishes.
Here in Colombia there has also been an explosion of gourmet burgers, like those made by Home Burgers and 60 locals in Bogotá.
I have to admit that I’m not a big fan of this dish, even when they offer me the vegetarian option, but I like to make things that make my friends happy. So I decided to take on the challenge of cooking my own gourmet version with a healthy twist.
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Our gourmet burger recipes
There’s an Asian-inspired beef recipe with three star ingredients: nori, miso, and kimchi. Fermented foods like these last two are part of one of the most important trends of recent years.
But don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a fad. These ancient preservation methods are preserved in many cultures for a good reason: they are full of good bacteria, which take care of the digestive system.
Another option is a rosemary-scented Mediterranean lamb burger with a yogurt-based sauce (plus healthy gut bacteria) plus lettuce and beetroot.
Gourmet beetroot burger
Don’t be afraid of beets, this root vegetable is a great addition to any burger.
Recent studies show that it can seriously improve exercise performance, help lower blood pressure, and is packed with vitamin C, fiber, and a host of other immune-boosting vitamins and minerals.
a vegetarian option
I also made a vegan, high protein, gluten free one. If you want to make this vegan option, just remove the cheese from the kale salad. This salad is also a great addition to any of the recipes or a weekend lunch.
It’s easy, quick and healthy. The grilled avocado in this recipe is also a guaranteed treat. And finally, there’s a recipe for baked sweet potatoes with nori. It’s perfect for a quick mid-week, after school or late night snack.
This kaleidoscope of colors, textures and flavors is sure to win over the most die-hard fan of greasy fried fast food. I hope you have as much fun as I did at this bbq burger party with my friends.
Lamb burger with beetroot and katuk
With Mediterranean flavors? if you don’t get golden beets, don’t worry, it works with regular beets too.
Materials for 6 people
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 onion cleaned and chopped
600 g minced lamb
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
600 g minced beef
1 tablespoon mustard and another chopped rosemary
1 bunch of parsley, chopped
2 egg yolks
Salt and pepper to taste
Katuk
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 clove of garlic, peeled and melted
One roasted red pepper, peeled and chopped (or pickled in a jar)
6 hamburger or wholemeal buns
butter to taste
A package of mixed lettuce
2 browned (or regular) beets, cooked, peeled and sliced
Sprouts for decoration
Friday
1. Heat a frying pan over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until soft. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. In a deep bowl, put the onion with the ground lamb, garlic, mustard, rosemary, parsley, egg yolks, salt and pepper to taste and mix carefully.
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3. Next, shape the patties with your hands, making a hole in the middle of each one (this helps them not puff up as much while cooking). Store them in the fridge until you are ready to bake them.
4. In a separate bowl, prepare the katuk sauce. Mix the Greek yogurt with the garlic and paprika. Heat a grill and grill the hamburgers until done.
5. Remove from the heat and let stand while the bread warms up.
6. To assemble the hamburgers, spread the bread with butter as desired, top with the lettuce, a hamburger, a few slices of beetroot, a tablespoon of katuk sauce.
7. To finish, decorate with some sprouts.
Beef burger with kimchi
Inspired by Asia, this burger comes with two fermented ingredients: kimchi, a concoction of different vegetables, and miso, an aromatic condiment.
Materials for 6 people
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 onion cleaned and chopped
600 g minced beef
1 tablespoon miso paste
2 teaspoons Chinese five spice
two egg yolks
Salt and pepper to taste
nori butter
125 g butter (at room temperature)
2 sheets of nori
6 hamburger buns
1 package of oriental lettuce
1 cup kimchi
Sprouts for decoration
Friday
1. Heat a frying pan over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until soft. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. Put the onion in a bowl with the minced meat, miso, Chinese five spices, egg yolks, salt and pepper to taste and mix gently.
3. Next, shape the patties with your hands, making a hole in the middle of each one (this helps them not puff up as much during cooking). Store the burgers in the refrigerator until you are ready to grill them. Then prepare the nori butter.
4. First grind the nori in a coffee grinder or pound it in a mortar. Then pour it into a bowl and mix with the softened butter until it becomes a homogeneous mixture. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
5. Heat a grill and grill the hamburgers until done. Remove from heat and let stand while the bread warms.
6. To assemble the burgers, spread nori butter on the bread to taste, top with oriental lettuce, one burger and two tablespoons of kimchi. At the end we decorate with sprouts.
Pumpkin, chickpea and quinoa burger
These veggie burgers are packed with flavor, but be careful when cooking them as they are very bland. If you cook them on a barbecue, be sure to place a seasoned flat rack on the grill first.
Ingredients for 4-6 people
olive oil soup
One and a half cups of boiled chickpeas
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, more cumin and more ground coriander
A teaspoon of smoked paprika
Dried chili powder to taste
2 cups cooked pumpkin, peeled
and cut into pieces
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 clove of garlic, peeled and melted
1 tablespoon of chia seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
lemon pickle
1 red onion peeled and cut into half moons
juice of one lemon
Salt to taste
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cabbage salad
1 clove of garlic, peeled and melted
juice of one lemon
Extra virgin olive oil for taste
1/4 cup grated parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
1 package cabbage cut into pieces (without the stalk)
1 sliced avocado with the skin on
Unsalted butter
Wholemeal or gluten-free bread
Friday
1. Heat a pan with olive oil on a medium heat, add the chickpeas and fennel, cumin, coriander, paprika and chili. Cook for a few minutes stirring constantly.
2. This helps to dry out the chickpeas a bit and brings out the flavor of the spices. Remove from the heat and pour into a multi-cutter with the zucchini until we have a homogeneous mass.
3. Pour the dough into a deep bowl and add the quinoa, garlic, chia seeds, salt and pepper to taste. Now, with your hands, form the hamburgers and put them in the freezer for half an hour before grilling them.
4. In the meantime, prepare the lemon pickle. Mix the red onion with the lemon juice, add salt and let it stand for half an hour.
5. Separately, in a container, prepare the kale salad. Mix the garlic with the juice, olive oil, Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste. Add the cabbage and mix well.
6. Now heat a pan over the grill with a little olive oil and cook the burgers until golden brown.
7. Then grill the avocado slices for 2-3 minutes, remove, peel and use immediately.
8. To assemble the burgers, brush the bun with butter (you can heat the bun on the grill if you want). Put the cabbage salad on top.
9. Then place the pumpkin burger, some of the pickled onion and some slices of grilled avocado. To finish, decorate with sprouts.
Baked sweet potato fries with nori
Ingredients for 4-6 people
1 kilo of sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 sheet of nori
Salt to taste
Friday
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Wash the sweet potatoes and dry them well. Cut into slices.
2. Place in a pan and mix with the olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on the outside and soft on the inside.
3. Meanwhile, grind the nori in a coffee grinder or pound it in a mortar with a little salt to taste.
4. Remove it fries sweet potato from the oven, sprinkle the ground nori on top. Serve immediately.
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