Thursday, February 18, 2010

Cuban Burger

I had a lot of leftover ham from my last Pork Drunk post. Hot ham & cheese sandwiches are great but the thrill can only last so long. I decided to take it up a few notches, making a slight adjustment to the classic Cuban sandwich.

I usually only eat burgers during the baseball days of summer but with Spring Training right around the corner, I thought a good burger was in order. As ptitchers and catchers report, a rare, juicy burger combined with ham, is the way I will prepare for the big season.

To start,  I made garlic mayonnaise. Roast some garlic, puree or fine chop and add to a quality mayonnaise.

Next up, the burger. I seared the ground chuck meat on a cast-iron skillet. I like my burgers rare, medium-rare so I cooked about 2 minutes on both sides. Season with salt and pepper.

To prepare your burger, layer the ingredients in this order:
  • Roasted garlic mayonnaise
  • Dijon Mustard
  • Swiss cheese
  • Chuck meat
  • HAM
  • sliced Dill pickles
  • Swiss cheese
I placed the Cuban burgers in a Panini grill to crisp the bun a little bit.

The mayo and mustard laid a nice, creamy base for the burger. There was a little kick from the Dijon while the roasted garlic added sweetness. The burger was very juicy. The pink inside was smooth as butter, just the way I prefer. Since I glazed the ham , there was some sweetness from that too. The Dill pickles rounded it out well with a good crunch and bite from the vinegar.

It was a messy burger, but hey, they are all, and if it ain't messy, it ain't gonna be that good.

Served with a side of Sweet Potato Fries.

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