Beef Lemongrass Sliders

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Beef Lemongrass Sliders 1When I went gluten-free, my burger consumption plummeted. No longer being able to eat the gluten-filled versions at Nico’s Pier 38 meant that burgers became something of a complicated meal to make at home. Gluten-free buns had to be procured from the vegetarian health food store. The ground beef and all the other fixings from another market, etc.

Beef Lemongrass SlidersBut it occurs to me that maybe I’ve been going about gluten-free burgers all wrong. Instead of making a bland patty that needs to be dressed up with condiments, why not pack all the flavor into a compact, little package and skip the bread altogether?

Beef Lemongrass Sliders 2Infused with a shallot, garlic, ginger and lemongrass paste, these sliders are simple to make, but just as good as those cheeseburgers that I used to enjoy so much.  A bit of rice is mixed in with the ground beef to help bind the mixture and provide some starchy goodness.

The sliders are great plain, but you’ll get bonus points for serving them with some tart and garlicky tamarind sauce or some sweet and fiery chile sauce.

Beef Lemongrass Sliders 3

Beef Lemongrass Sliders

Yield: 4 servings, about 16 sliders

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
2 Tablespoons minced lemongrass (woody ends and tough outer leaves trimmed- use the white and pale green sections only)
4 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup leftover, cooked rice
1 teaspoon salt
oil for frying

Directions:

Place the ground beef in a large bowl and sprinkle with the turmeric and cayenne.

In a food processor, combine the shallots, lemongrass, garlic, and ginger and process until it becomes a paste. Add the rice and salt and pulse several times. Add the mixture to the ground beef and mix thoroughly to incorporate the spices and shallot-lemongrass paste into the beef.

Shape the mixture into golf ball sized balls and then flatten each slightly to form a thick patty.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef patties and cook for approximately 2-3 minutes before flipping the patties over. Cook until the sliders have developed a golden crust of until they’ve reached your desired level of doneness.

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