Recipes for burger lovers

Americans crave burgers throughout the calendar year, but May is National Burger Month—a good excuse to spotlight this favorite on the menu. You can’t go wrong with classic beef patties and cheeseburgers, but this month’s marketing tie-in provides an opportunity to try something a little different. These six recipes change up proteins, cheese, condiments and toppings to vary the burger experience for customers.

Lamb burgers are growing as a menu choice, often paired with Middle Eastern or Mediterranean flavors. At Farmers Union restaurant, the grilled patties are topped with tzatziki—the garlicky spread made with yogurt, cucumbers and herbs. While certain cuts of lamb can be pricey, ground lamb is a cost-effective way to introduce this red meat to the menu.

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A&E Supply Co. is a burger destination in Brooklyn known for its butcher shop vibe. Chef Adam Harvey brings in whole animals and grinds the beef in-house. The Juicy Lucy, a cheeseburger with the cheese placed inside the meat patty instead of on top, is made here with French emmental cheese. Chef Harvey recommends starting with well-chilled meat to enclose the cheese; as the burger cooks, the cheese melts and creates a gooey core.

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Chef Elkhouri of Cedars Cafe reimagined a classic burger to give it a Middle Eastern twist. To stamp standard tomato ketchup with a global accent, she created a housemade spiced pomegranate ketchup; a tahini remoulade and banana pepper curried mustard reinforce the ethnic theme. The patty itself is a blend of mushrooms and beef, intensifying umami and adding moisture.

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Operators are appealing to heat-seeking customers with burger condiments spiced up with chili peppers and hot sauces. Chef Brasel spikes housemade aioli with habaneros and serrano chilies to fire up his signature burger, slightly mellowing the effect with tomato-bacon jam, melted cheddar and cool lettuce leaves.

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Preformed poultry patties are available from suppliers, but the Slider Bar Cafe makes its own by grinding chicken thigh meat in a food processor. The proprietary blend is formed into just the right size to fit the cafe’s slider buns. Toppings of chipotle aioli and sliced avocado build on the sliders’ Southwestern flavor profile.

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Veggie burgers have evolved to include a greater variety of meatless ingredients. In this version, walnuts and chickpeas create the base for the patties, which are then griddled on a flat-top and topped with brie cheese and a bourbon-cherry compote. The texture, flavor and presentation of this recipe take veggie burgers up a notch or two.

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