Ingredients
2 tbsp. butter
4 cloves garlic, grated or minced
1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 (15-oz.) can tomato sauce
1/4 c. water
Salt
Pepper
1 lb. ground beef, 80% lean, 20% fat
1/3 c. bread crumbs
1 egg
1 yellow onion, grated
4 cloves of garlic, grated (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
2 tbsp. parsley, minced (optional)
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. black pepper
Salt
1 tbsp. canola oil
4 hamburger buns (brioche, potato, or Hawaiian preferable)
Preparation
Step 1Set a small pot over medium-low heat. Melt butter and add garlic. Once garlic becomes aromatic (about 30 seconds), add tomato paste and ketchup and stir or whisk to break up the paste and evenly distribute the garlic. Add the can of tomato sauce and water. Stir and let the mixture simmer uncovered on a very low heat to allow the garlic to penetrate the flavor of the tomato sauce as you work on the hamburger patties. Step 2Mix together the ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, and black pepper. Do not add the salt at this stage. Step 3Divide the ground beef mixture into four portions and quickly create patties that are the size of the buns, or a little larger (they will shrink once cooked). Step 4Heat a pan on high heat (cast-iron is ideal); it should sizzle when you splash a few drops of water on it. It is now time to salt both sides of the patties. Drizzle a little bit of canola oil to coat the pan and add your patties. Once the first side is fully cooked (about 3-5 minutes) and releases easily from the pan, flip it. At the end both sides should have a nice sear to it. Set patties aside. Step 5Check on the tomato sauce and salt and pepper as desired. Dip hamburger buns halves and burger patties in the tomato sauce, generously coating both sides. Assemble the burgers on a separate plate.Step 6Place a new pan on medium-high heat and add about 1/2 to 1 cup of water so it covers the bottom of the pan. Once water is heated, place a large sheet of baking or parchment paper over the water in the pan. Place the burgers on top of the parchment paper and cover pan with a lid to allow the burgers to steam for a couple minutes until the bread is soft.
With the addition of breadcrumbs, egg, parsley and other seasonings, this burger patty recipe differs from the all-beef American burger patties you may be used to because the patties take inspiration more from köfte, Turkish meatballs, than American hamburgers. However, I have accounted for American preferences by doubling the size of the burger so that it’s filling enough for a meal. Kızılkayalar Hamburger, a family-operated business to this day, claims to have invented this dish almost 50 years ago in 1972 at their Taksim Square location. Considering that İstanbul was founded almost 2,700 years ago, this is a relatively modern dish that has still managed to gain widespread popularity. Today you can find places serving ıslak hamburgers all over the country. So if you can’t hop on a flight to Turkey tonight, maybe go for the next best thing and whip up some ıslak hamburgers. Afiyet olsun! Tips: •The original Turkish version doesn’t call for a specific type of bun, but I think choosing a softer bread (like brioche, potato, or Hawaiian) would allow the buns to soften a lot faster once steamed. •Raw ground beef should be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than two days, so plan your grocery store visit or delivery accordingly. •For the ground beef, an 80/20 meat-to-fat ratio is ideal. Leaner cuts may result in a dry, crumbly patty. •When forming the patties, use chilled meat and avoid overworking and overheating the mixture. If the mixture is too warm, the fat starts melting, and tends to stick to your hands and work surfaces, instead of staying in the burger. •Do not add salt to the ground beef mixture; season it as close to cooking as possible. If you salt too early, the salt breaks down the proteins in the meat, and results in denser, tougher patties. •Make a thumbprint-sized dent in the center of the patty to avoid having the center bulge too much as it cooks. •Only flip the burger once. You should be able to nudge it slightly with your spatula to test if it is ready to flip. If it still seems to be a little stuck on the pan, it’s not ready yet. A very hot cast iron or stainless steel pan should help quickly create a sear. •You can prepare the patties a few hours ahead of time and keep them tightly wrapped and refrigerated. Don’t allow ground meat to sit at room temperature, growing bacteria. •If you have a panini press or George Foreman grill, you can actually cook this more like the ıslak hamburgers you’d find at Kızılkayalar Hamburger. On high heat, baste both sides of the grill plates in butter or margarine. Then place a dry bottom bun with a raw patty on top and press the grill closed to cook one side of the patty. Once one side is cooked, flip the patty over and press the grill closed again to cook the other side. When both sides are cooked, slather the tomato sauce on top of the patty and then add the top bun. Brush the top bun in melted butter. Quickly press the grill closed so there are grill marks on the top burger bun and then set the burgers to steam in the pan of water and parchment paper set up. Love the idea of a saucy burger? Try our pizza burgers next! Have you tried this yet? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
