Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (28 page)

Steak Pizzaiola Burgers

I came up with this recipe for The Donald. Mr. Trump enjoys a nice steak and appreciates a good pizza. Here, my recipe for steak pizzaiola gets ground up into a BIG, BOLD, and BADASS burger. Serve with a side salad of your choice.

SERVES 4

Heat 2 tablespoons of the EVOO in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cover the onions with a piece of aluminum foil and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking until fully softened, another 5 to 6 minutes.

Add the tomato paste to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until it smells sweet and has caramelized, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine and scrape the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits that may be stuck to the bottom. Cook until the wine has almost completely evaporated, 1 minute. Turn off the heat and reserve.

While the onions cook, place a large skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining tablespoon of EVOO. In a large mixing bowl, use your hands to combine the ground sirloin, pepperoni, parsley, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Season the meat with salt and pepper, then score the meat into 4 parts using the side of your hand. Form 4 large patties thinner in the center than at the edges for even cooking and to prevent the burgers from bulging. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium doneness.

Preheat the broiler.

While the burgers are cooking, heat the butter and garlic together in a small pot over medium heat. When the butter melts, remove the pot from the heat to infuse the butter with the garlic flavor. While the butter is melting, place the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast them under the broiler until golden brown on each side. Brush the toasts with the garlic butter and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Place the toasts back on the baking sheet and top each with one of the burgers. Divide the onion mixture among the four burgers and top each one with 2 slices of cheese. Slide the burgers under the broiler to melt the cheese, 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve the burgers with a knife and fork, and with your favorite salad on the side.

Denver is the mile-high city because of its altitude. These burgers are a mile high thanks to loads of toppings. Good luck getting your mouth around this one.

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Arrange the bacon slices on a slotted broiler pan and bake for 15 minutes, or until crisp.

While the bacon is cooking, grind up the ham in a food processor; it shouldn't be too fine. In a bowl, use your hands to combine the ground ham and the ground turkey with the grill seasoning, hot sauce, scallions, and parsley. Form 4 large patties, making them a little thinner at the center as the burgers will plump as you cook them.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the EVOO in a large, nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook for about 15 minutes, 7 to 8 minutes on each side.

While the burgers are cooking, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO in a second skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and bell peppers to the skillet and season them with salt and pepper. Place a piece of foil over the onions and peppers and press down to smother them. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes, stirring the veggies every few minutes. Stir in the chili sauce and reduce the heat to keep the mixture warm.

To serve, place the burgers on bun bottoms, and top each with 2 slices of bacon and a mound of onions and peppers. Set the bun tops in place and enjoy!

All the flavors of Moroccan lamb sausage in a patty topped with cool, creamy yogurt sauce. You'll make it again, Sam!

SERVES 4

Heat an outdoor grill to medium-high or heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat.

Use your hands to combine the meat with the harissa, fennel seeds, garlic, lemon zest, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Score the meat into 4 equal portions with the side of your hand and form each portion into a large patty, making them thinner at the centers and thicker at the edges to prevent burger bulge. Drizzle each patty with EVOO.

Grill or pan-fry the burgers for 7 to 8 minutes total, turning once for medium-rare to medium doneness, a couple minutes less for rare, and 2 minutes longer for medium-well.

While the burgers cook, in a bowl combine the yogurt, mint, cilantro, scallions, and a little salt.

Combine the vinegar, chutney, and about 3 tablespoons of EVOO in a blender or food processor. Blend to form a smooth dressing. In a salad bowl, toss the slaw mix and red onions with the dressing, and season with salt and pepper.

Top each bun bottom with a pile of chutney cabbage, a burger, and some yogurt sauce. Add the bun top and serve.

These patties are more tender in texture than a traditional falafel, with the same great flavors.

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Pat the beans dry with paper towels and place them in the food processor. Add the onion, garlic, parsley, flour, cumin, coriander, chili powder, turmeric, and salt and pepper along with the beans and process until fairly smooth. It will be very thick so you can form it into patties.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet with the oil. Form the bean mixture into 4 large patties and cook for 3 minutes on each side.