Spanish Sauce Burger Topping Recipes

SPANISH BURGERS WITH MANCHEGO AND CHORIZO HASH BROWNS

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium heat then add chorizo.
• While chorizo is rendering and browning, peel onion. Place meat in a mixing bowl. Grate a few tablespoons of onion directly over the meat. Quarter the remainder of the onion and thinly slice.
• Add potatoes and onions to the chorizo. Season the hash browns with salt and pepper and fresh thyme. Once the potatoes are lightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes, flip them and press them down with a spatula to crisp them, continue to cook 7 to 8 minutes more.
• To the sirloin, add parsley, smoked paprika, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix the burgers to combine and form 4 large patties. Create an indentation in each burger using the heal of your hand to counter the burger at the center that happens to burgers as they cook - your burgers will be nice and flat for topping if you use this trick!
• Heat the remaining extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the burgers to the skillet and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium rare burgers and up to 6 to 7 minutes on each side for well done. Melt manchego cheese, 2 thin slices on each burger, the last 2 minutes they are in the pan. Tent the skillet with loose foil to trap enough heat to melt the cheese.
• Place pequillo peppers in food processor and add hot sauce, salt and pepper. Process the peppers into a smooth paste.
• To assemble, place burgers on bun bottoms and top with sliced red onion, cucumber and tomato. Slather the bun tops with pepper paste and set into place. Serve crispy hash browns with chorizo along side.

SPANISH BURGERS WITH ROMESCO AND MANCHEGO CHEESE

Steps:

• Build a fire for banked grilling in an outdoor grill.
• For a charcoal grill, let the coals burn until they are covered with white ash. Spread out the mound of coals into a bank, with one side about two coals deep, and the other side of the slope with a scattering of single coals.
• For a gas grill, preheat the grill on High.
• Leave one side on High and turn the other side to Low.
• In both cases, you will have two areas for cooking, one hot and the other cooler.
• To make the romesco, with the machine running, drop the garlic through the feed tube of a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade to finely chop it.
• Add the almonds, red peppers, vinegar, paprika, and oregano.
• With the machine running, gradually add the oil, then season with the salt and pepper.
• Transfer the sauce to a bowl. (The romesco can be made up to 2 weeks ahead, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.).
• Working as gently and quickly as possible (overmixing compacts the meat and makes tough burgers), mix the ground round, salt, and pepper.
• Lightly form into 4 patties about 4 inches wide.
• Make an indentation, about 2 inches wide and ½ inch deep, in the center of each burger to help it keep its shape during grilling.
• Lightly oil the cooking grate.
• Place the burgers on the hot area of the grill.
• Cover and cook, turning once, until the outside is seared with grill marks, about 2 minutes per side.
• Move the hamburgers to cooler side of the grill and cover.
• Cook, turning once, until the hamburgers feel somewhat firm but not resistant when pressed in the center, about 4 minutes for medium-rare.
• If using a meat thermometer, insert it horizontally through the side of the burger to reach the center --it should read 125°F.
• During the last 2 minutes, top each burger with the cheese, and place the buns on the grill to toast lightly and warm through.
• Place a burger in each bun, top with a large dollop of romesco sauce, and serve immediately.