LEMONGRASS "HAMBURGERS"
Of all the powerful ingredients in these burgers- lemongrass, shallots, garlic, chile, and nam pla (called nuoc mam in Vietnamese; see page 500 for information on these Asian fish sauces)-none survives the cooking as well as the lemongrass, whose distinctive scent and flavor override all the others, reducing them to bit players. Lemongrass is changed less by cooking than most seasonings, and this goes for its woody texture too, which is why you remove the tough outer layers. You can grind the tender cores with the meat instead of chopping them if you like. Serve the burgers on rolls, rice noodles, or salad. Other cuts of meat you can use here: ground beef sirloin or chuck, which may be combined with pork if you like.
Yield makes 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Start a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill; the fire should not be too hot, and the rack should be 4 inches or more from the heat source. (You can also cook the patties in a nonstick skillet or a broiler.) If the meat is preground, mince the shallots, garlic, and lemongrass and combine them and the chile with the pork, salt, pepper, nam pla, and sugar. If the meat is in chunks, combine it in a food processor with those ingredients and process until everything is minced together; do not overprocess-it's best if the meat is minced, not pureed.
- Shape the meat mixture into 8 small patties (or 4 larger ones if you're serving them on buns) and grill until nicely browned on both sides and cooked as you like the meat (pork should be cooked to at least 150°F), about 10 minutes. Serve with the lime wedges or mustard.
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