Beef

Lemongrass-Ginger Burger Patties

by:
September 26, 2012
5
1 Ratings
Lemongrass-Ginger Burger Patties
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

Very lightly adapted from Burma: Rivers of Flavor by Naomi Duguid (Artisan, 2012) —Nicholas Day

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground beef or ground pork
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons lemongrass, minced
  • 1/2 cup shallots, minced
  • 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup cooked jasmine rice, cooled
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
  • 1/4 cup plum tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
Directions
  1. Place the meat in a bowl and sprinkle with the turmeric.
  2. In a large mortar or a food processor, combine the lemongrass, garlic, shallots, ginger, and salt and pound or pulse until they become a rough paste. Add the rice, cayenne, and tomatoes and pound or pulse again. Add the paste to the meat and mix well, kneading them together.
  3. Shape the mixture into balls about 1 inch in diameter, then gently press each into a thick patty.
  4. Place a heavy skillet over high heat. Add the peanut oil, lower the heat very slightly, and then add the patties. (If the patties release water, raise the heat to evaporate it.) Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or to your desired doneness.
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Nicholas Day
I'm the author of a book on the science and history of infancy, Baby Meets World. My website is nicholasday.net; I tweet over at @nicksday. And if you need any good playdoh recipes, just ask.

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6 Reviews

Pat R.
Pat R. February 21, 2014
I am a beginner paleo what can I use as a binder?
 
tlynnec
tlynnec February 21, 2014
I'm made them without the rice - they don't hold together quite as well, but they still taste great. Alternatively, you could use almond or coconut flour - I suspect almond might alter the taste of this recipe though - or a small amount of baked sweet potato. I've never actually tired the substitutions because i just omit, but almond, coconut, and and sweet potato or all things i've used with success in paleo meatloafs
 
Susan B.
Susan B. September 3, 2013
I just made these and since I don't eat red meat, I substituted skinless, boneless salmon, which I cut in small pieces and then pulsed with the rest of the ingredients toward the end. Wow! Served it with a Thai-inspired mango salsa.
 
LeBec F.
LeBec F. September 2, 2013
i very much like the idea of this but believe it would improve by taking a tip from all those talented chefs in India: sautee that lemongrass through salt mixture before proceeding.
 
tlynnec
tlynnec November 12, 2012
Just made this for dinner, and it was great. Another great use for my lemongrass plants! I did make 1 substitution: I realized that I had no rice, so I used mashed potatoes to act as my binder instead. They came out great.
 
Skylor P.
Skylor P. October 2, 2012
This sounds delicious - if I can't add tomatoes, any ideas? Are they needed for the liquid factor?