Bloody Mary Burgers with Horseradish Dressing
From River Cottage Everyday by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Makes 4 burgers
For the burgers:
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
4 to 8 dashes of tabasco or other hot sauce, to taste
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds ground round
A little canola or olive oil
For the dressing:
3/4 – 1 1/4 inch piece horseradish root, freshly grated
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
To serve:
4 good bread buns, ciabatta rolls, or thick slices of baguette
A few romaine lettuce leaves
A few tomatoes, sliced
Ketchup (optional)
In a medium bowl, mix together the tomato paste, horseradish, celery seeds, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and a generous grinding of black pepper. Add the beef and mix thoroughly with your hands, making sure the seasonings are spread throughout the meat. Let stand for at least an hour for the flavors to develop.
Meanwhile, make the horseradish dressing: Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Break off a small piece of the beef mixture, the size of a walnut, and fry in a little oil until well cooked. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary.
Shape the meat into 4 patties about 3/4 inch thick. Lightly brush each one with oil, then place on a grill over high heat. It’s hard to give exact cooking instructions due to variables such as the thickness of the burger, the heat of the grill, and personal preference. For a medium-rare burger, you probably need to grill 3 to 4 minutes, then flip over and cook the other side for a couple of minutes. If you’re cooking burgers indoors, use a lightly oiled grill pan set over medium-high heat. Let the burgers rest for a minute or two while you prepare your buns.
To serve, toast the buns or other bread lightly on the cut side, then top with the lettuce leaves and tomato slices. Add the burgers and smear with horseradish sauce, and a dollop of ketchup if you like. Top with the other half of the bread.
Good with French fries, obviously, but if they’re too much effort, really good potato chips will do.
For another recipe from River Cottage Everyday, click here!
Photo by Don LaVange
