Mesa Burgers With Sage Aioli And Spicy Chips Recipes

Steps:

• Note on cooking time: you may be able to reduce the total amount of time spent cooking if you cook some items concurrently.
• Prepare aioli (you can do this ahead of time): place mayonnaise, cloves of garlic, fresh sage, olive oil, and fresh lemon juice in a small food processor or blender.
• Blend until smooth and creamy; set aside.
• Mix together ground meat, zucchini, beaten egg, sage, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Form into 4 patties and refrigerate on waxed paper until time to cook.
• Peel sweet potatoes.
• Using a food processor or mandolin, shave potatoes on the thinnest setting (they should be about as thin as a potato chip).
• Heat oil to a depth of several inches in a large skillet or use a deep fryer.
• Cook sweet potato shavings in small batches until they are crisp (about halfway through cooking you may press them against the side of the fryer a little bit to reduce their flat shape).
• If you wish to bake your chips instead of frying them, place sweet potato shavings in a large plastic bag with several tablespoons of oil (just enough to coat) and shake bag gently until shavings are lightly covered with oil.
• Place shavings on an oiled baking sheet and bake at 350F for about 20 minutes, then turn chips and bake another 10 minutes or so or until crispy (watch them so they don't burn).
• Drain on paper toweling, and immediately season with salt and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet.
• Cook onion slices over medium-low heat until caramelized; keep warm until needed.
• Grill patties over medium-hot coals (make sure to use a fine mesh grate and oil it thoroughly to reduce sticking) or cook in a large skillet or griddle for 7-8 minutes per side or until cooked through.
• Plate burgers on toasted kaiser rolls with sage aioli, grilled onions, and a few sweet potato chips (or may have chips on the side).
• Using cheese on your burgers is optional, but I would recommend a sharp cheddar if you go with that.
• Any extra aioli may be refrigerated and used as a dip for crudites, cooked vegetables, etc.

Steps:

• Aioli:
• Whisk egg yolk and mustard in a medium bowl to combine. Whisking constantly, gradually drizzle in oil, drop by drop at first; keep going until aioli is thickened and smooth. Whisk in chipotle, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice; season with salt. Cover and chill.
• Do ahead
• Aioli can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
• Assembly:
• Preheat oven to 225°. Toss tomatoes, thyme, and 1 tablespoon oil on a baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Arrange tomatoes cut side down and roast until skin is slightly browned and beginning to separate from flesh, 75-85 minutes. Let cool, then slip off skins.
• While tomatoes are roasting, freeze bacon until almost frozen through, about 40 minutes (this will help it chop cleanly in the food processor). Pulse bacon in a food processor, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until very finely chopped, about 1 minute.
• Transfer bacon to a medium bowl and gently mix in ground lamb, oregano, sage, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt just to combine. Divide meat into 4 equal portions and gently shape into 3/4"-thick patties.
• Heat a grill pan or a cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Cook patties until lightly charred and medium-rare, about 2 minutes per side. Generously spread buns with aioli and build burgers with patties, roasted tomatoes, and mozzarella.
• Toss arugula in another medium bowl with vinegar and remaining 2 teaspoons oil; season with salt and pepper.
• Serve burgers with arugula alongside.

Steps:

• Light the grill: Place a chimney starter on the grate of a charcoal grill. Add newspaper in the bottom, then fill with charcoal. Light the newspaper, which will light the charcoal. When the charcoal is mature with ashed-over gray embers (about 30-45 minutes later), remove the grill top and place the charcoal underneath.While you're waiting for the charcoal to heat up, prepare the aioli (Step 2).
• Sesame aioli: In a mixing bowl, whisk vinegar, egg yolk, yuzu kosho, and miso to a thick paste. Add the honey, then slowly whisk in the sesame oil and the grapeseed oil, a little at a time, alternating between the oils to balance the aioli. Finish by whisking in the zest from 1 lime and the crème fraîche. Set aside. (Sesame aioli will keep in the refrigerator 2-3 days.)
• Tuna burgers: Cut the tuna into thin planks, then into strips and chunks. Finish by roughly chopping to a fine dice. (Alternatively, tuna can go in a meat grinder.) Use a Microplane to grate the ginger (with skin), garlic, lime (zest only), and chile (stopping before you get to the seeds); add them to the chopped tuna. Add the cilantro, followed by half of the aioli, and gently mix to combine. Mix until mixture is tight and sticky, about 3-4 minutes. Chill for 35-40 minutes.
• Cook the burgers: Roll the chilled tuna into balls, then gently flatten to just under an inch thick, but don't pack them too tightly. Set patties aside as they're formed. When all the patties are ready to go, season with salt and pepper; grill over medium heat until just cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side.
• Assemble the burgers: Place each burger onto a bun; top with sesame aioli and a slice of tomato just before serving.

Steps:

• Crush the garlic.
• Add the egg and put in blender.
• Very slowly add the oil in a thin stream through the top of the blender, and stop blending when the oil has all been added.
• Add cheese and blend just long enough to combine well.
• Whisk in lemon juice by hand (Vinegar may be substituted).