Grilled Roman Burger & Fennel Slaw
Roman Burger
Now that autumn is upon us we can enjoy the cooler weather and some end of the summer season grilling.
The temperatures have dropped and this time of the year is excellent for outdoor BBQ’s .
In autumn the warmth of the grill is very much so welcomed…especially in the crisp evenings. This is a whole different kind of grilling than summertime.
“Autumn, is the most favorite season of the year for a great majority of chefs… including myself.”
This is “Harvest Time” and harvest time means… menu changing time! For me, it also means a last “Hooraa!”… to out door grilling for North-easterners in the United States as well as many other places around the world.
Roman Burgers: are quick to make… the seasonings and Feta cheese that are incorporated into it are truly a delicious touch, by adding a fantastic depth of flavor when grilled over an open flame.
The flame should be mild and the coals red hot before grilling… to ensure maximum grilling flavor.
Fennel Slaw: The fennel slaw is truly a perfect accompaniment for this burger. It moistens the burger, delivers a fresh and lively flavor to the while all along adding an extra element of Mediterranean flavors.
The “Fennel Slaw” is also great served chilled as an additional side dish for BB-Q’s and picnics.
“This burger must be made before grilling season ends this year…it’s a true winner!”
Roman Burger:
Ingredients:
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- 20 lbs. – ground beef
- 3 tablespoons – dried basil
- 3 tablespoons – dried oregano
- 15 tablespoons – Kosher salt
- 15 tablespoons – fine ground black pepper
- 10 cups – Feta cheese (plain) – if whole cut into approximately 1/4 inch cubes.
Procedure:
- Wash hands well! (leave damp) this helps to keep the mincemeat from sticking to your hands and enables you to mix all the ingredients into the meat…more homogeneously.
- Once the meat is mixed, carefully fold in the Feta cheese.
- Once mixed to your liking, make a small patty and cook it off for a taste tester to determine seasoning. If acceptable..proceed if not make the adjustments in seasoning to you liking. Just remember the Feta will add a degree of saltiness, so taste-test with the Feta already folded into the mix.
- Divide the mix into the seize of burgers that you prefer.
- Once the seize is determined, shape into a 1/2- inch patty.
- At this point the burgers are ready for grilling. No additional seasoning is necessary.
- If not grilling immediately, one can wrap each burger individually in plastic wrap and reserve in the refrigerator.
These burgers also freeze well up to a month. Once removed from the freezer and thawed do not freeze again if not used. Take from the freezer what you need to avoid waist. These most definitely should not be refrozen!
Fennel Slaw:
Ingredients:
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- 6-8 fennel bulbs – medium seized and sliced thinly
- 1-1/2 cups – sour cream
- 1-1/2 cups – plain yogurt
- 6-tablespoons – fresh mint (rough chopped)
- 3 tablespoons – lemon zest (finely grated)
- 3 tablespoons – honey
- 3/4 teaspoons salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 2 cloves – garlic (small seized) and minced
Procedure:
- The fennel should be shaved…slightly thicker than paper thin. This can be done on a electric slicing machine, a Chinese mandolin or by a very sharp kitchen knife.
- In either respect…try to make it as thin if your kitchen lacks the professional equipment , don’t get to stuck on the thinness.
- If home cooking…just get it as thin as you can with your kitchen knife and don’t worry if you can’t make it laser beam thin…It will still be delicious.
- Once the fennel is shaved add all of the other ingredients and mix well to incorporate everything. Adjust seasoning id necessary and leave to marinate a few hours in the refrigerator.
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- The fennel slaw is best served chilled…over the burger.
“I made these burgers as a supplement to our “San Gennaro” menu in Little Italy, NYC. The response was so positive to these burgers and the amount of people that came back after the feast asking for them was so great it was truly incredible, so much so that they became a mainstay and a staple the lunch menu.”
Savor Life…One Bite…At a Time