Korean Style Double Cheeseburger Sliders

Once in awhile, I just want a good  homemade cheeseburger………and I really like sliders. Sliders are nice compact little sandwiches like a White Castle or a Krystal’s (the Southern version of the White Castle), but with a little bit more meat.

I was inspired by Chef Wesley Genovart’s full sized Bacon-Kimchi Burgers. He  makes these over-the-top, Shake Shack–inspired burgers with two thin stacked patties, thick-cut bacon, kimchi and a spicy homemade sauce.

DSC08555

 

Adapted from Chef Wesley Genovart
Food & Wine Magazine, June 2015.


Ingredients:
1/4 cup sambal oelek (Indonesian chile sauce)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup creme fraiche
4 slices of thick-cut bacon
1/4 pounds ground beef chuck
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 slices of American cheese
4 slices of Mozzarella cheese
4 Martin Whole wheat slider buns, toasted
1 cup chopped drained cabbage kimchi
Baby spinach leaves


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the bacon on top. Bake the bacon for about 8 to 15 minutes or until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the sambal with the mayonnaise and ketchup and mix well.

Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste. Form the beef into eight 1/4-inch-thick burgers and season with salt and pepper. Heat a cast iron grill skillet over high heat. Cook the burgers, turning, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Make 4 stacks of 2 burgers each in the skillet  and spoon 1 tablespoon of the sambal mayo over each stack. Top with the cheese, cover with a tight fitting lid and continue to cook over high heat just until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute.

DSC08549

Spread the remaining sambal mayo on the bottom buns. Top the sliders with spinach, bacon and kimchi, close with the top bun and serve with French fries.

DSC08561

 

Vadouvan French Masala Curry

Vadouvan French Masala Curry, also known as vadavam, vadagam, or vadakam……

Beauty_20-_20Vadouvan_20Curry-3493_mediumis an Indian spice blend similar to curry powder. Like curry powder, it usually includes turmeric, cumin, coriander and curry leaf. But unlike curry powder, it also includes ground shallots and occasionally several other aromatics. The shallots are definitely a French  contribution—vadouvan comes from the Pondicherry region of Southern India, a former French colony. French culinary influence survives in the region to this day. Basically, it  can be a blend of up to 30 spices, and just as curry powders vary from one cook to the next, so does vadouvan. Sometimes it’s more of a paste, made with cooked onions, that needs to be stored in the refrigerator.  You can also purchase it as a dry spice mix, containing curry, curry leaves, white and toasted onion and garlic powders, brown mustard seeds, shallots and kosher salt. Some blends also include fenugreek and cardamom. Use it as you would a sweet curry powder; the flavor is milder and a bit more fruity, with just a hint of smoke, adding a smoky flavor to vegetables, meats and fish.

Vadouvan can be purchased on-line from the following retailers:
The Spice House 
Kalyustan’s
Amazon.com

There are many versions of vadouvan, but I really liked the one created by Chef Inaki Aizpitarte, of Le Chateaubriand, which is roasted for an exotic meatiness.

You can definitely make one big batch and keep it in the freezer for weeks— And I am pretty sure that will be tossing it into all kinds of dishes. This Spring and beyond the other seasons as well.

Recipe Adapted from Chef Inaki Aizpitarte – Le Chateaubriand
Makes About 3 cups

Ingredients:
2 pounds yellow onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb shallots, halved
12 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh curry leaves (optional)
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF with rack placed in the center of the oven.

Pulse onions in 3 batches in a food processor until very coarsely chopped, transferring to a bowl. Repeat with the shallots, then the garlic.

Heat oil in a deep 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over high heat until it shimmers, then sauté onions, shallots, and garlic (stir often) until golden and browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes.

Grind fenugreek seeds in grinder or with mortar and pestle. Add to onion mixture along with remaining ingredients, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and stir until combined.

Transfer to a parchment-paper-lined large 4-sided sheet pan and spread as thinly and evenly as possible. Bake, stirring occasionally with a skewer to separate onions, until well browned and barely moist, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Cooks’ Note:
Vadouvan keeps in the refrigerator 1 month (cool before covering) or in the freezer 6 months.