Burgers In Spain Simply Hit Different - And It's All In The Meat
Every country has a different way of preparing popular foods. These variations can range from unique bread choices, higher quality or lower quality ingredients, and even differing sauce choices. When it comes to Spanish burgers, the secret touch is in the meat. Instead of using beef alone, burger recipes in Spain often incorporate pork, which adds to the burgers' overall juiciness. Though this choice improves the taste of the patty, it's also utilized due to its affordability. Sometimes, beef is even eliminated entirely and replaced with minced pork.
Mixing beef with pork works for various reasons – the meat is sweeter than when a patty is made with beef alone. In addition, fattier meats, such as pork, produce smells that make them more desirable. The texture is also a benefit, as fattier cuts of meat retain seasonings better than others. Because of this, the burger patty will be more flavorful.
Pork can make many delicious dinners, but how you cook these unique burger patties is important, as well.
Cooking methods and ingredient swaps make all the difference
As mentioned, Spaniards sometimes nix beef completely from their burger patties. One Spanish recipe calls for four slices of serrano ham and 2 pounds of ground pork. The ham slices are briefly cooked on a skillet at medium-high heat; to ensure both sides of the meat pack a nice crunch, it's best if they're flipped midway through. The pork, on the other hand, should be cooked on the grill. Using the same level of heat, each side of the ground pork should be heated for five minutes.
Another pork-based burger incorporates chorizo. This meat is naturally spicy and shines best when it's fresh. If you can't find fresh chorizo, Italian pork sausages serve as a great substitution. These sausages are mildly spicy and subtly sweet, though certain seasonings — like red pepper flakes and coriander – can amp up the spice to better match that of chorizo. To prepare these patties, you must first combine the pork and chorizo into one big bowl before forming the patties and placing them on the grill.
Although additional mixtures and ingredients are often included, the key to perfect Spanish burgers lies in the pork.