Yesterday was the one year anniversary of the release of my book Annual pantry And in honor of that, I thought it was time to share one of my favorite recipes from the book: A Black Bean Smash Burger.
When I moved to California ten years ago, In-N-Out quickly became my go-to question—have I tried it? what did i think Was it really a California institution? I was a little surprised at first because fast food isn’t really my area of expertise and I felt like there was a lot of fun going on when I moved to California.
In any case, the talks got me thinking about what a vegetarian Smash Burger would be like, and after several iterations, I landed on this recipe. But before you do, there are a few things you should know.
Getting Smash Burger right
Here are a few tips to make sure these burgers are just right. For starters, don’t skip the waiting time with the bean mixture. This will help the mixture come together a bit. In terms of size, don’t think that bigger patties are better. The smaller patties make them easier to flip and in terms of flipping, don’t rush to cook the first side – the edges should be crisp before flipping. And finally, the cheese is important – it acts as the glue that holds everything together.
These patties are a little pricey but in my opinion, worth it!
About the sauce
The spread is the Thousand Island version but I find it tends to go a little sweeter with the help of ketchup and a sweet pickle relish. You can change it up for your favorite burger sauce but let me tell you, I think the sago burger works.
And onions
Finally, in the book we call these caramelized onions, but they’re really just fried onions because they don’t have to be cooked that long. Ideally, the onion is soft and starting to brown – no need for a long caramel.
Thousand Island Dress
- ¼ 60 g of mayonnaise;
- 2 A spoonful of soup Ketchup
- 1 A spoonful of soup Sweet sour taste
- ½ Tea spoon Yellow mustard
- ½ Tea spoon Rice vinegar
- ½ Tea spoon Kosher salt
Black Bean Patties
- 1 ½ Cups 280 g boiled and boiled black beans
- 6 A spoonful of soup 24 g of Japanese-style panko
- 1 Big egg
- 2 A spoonful of soup Red miso
- 1 Tea spoon Kosher salt
- ½ Tea spoon Smoked paprika
- ½ Tea spoon Garlic powder
Fried onions
- 2 A spoonful of soup Avocado oil
- 1 Medium yellow onion (cut off)
to serve
- Avocado or other neutral high heat oil (to fry)
- 8 Thin slices of cheddar cheese
- 8 Lettuce leaves
- 4 Thick slices of tomato
- 4 Sesame breads
- Pickled slices (to serve (optional))
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Make the dressing: Combine mayo, ketchup, relish, mustard, vinegar and salt in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed, at least 30 minutes.
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Make the black bean patties: Pulse the black beans in a food processor until the beans have a mashed texture. Transfer to a bowl and add panko, egg, miso, salt, paprika and garlic. Let stand until well mixed, then leave for 20 minutes.
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Cook the onions: Heat the oil in a well seasoned griddle or cast iron pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion slices are soft and browned, 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
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Bring the pan to a boil and serve: Return the grill to medium heat and drizzle liberally with avocado oil. Lighten your hands and form the black bean mixture into eight balls slightly larger than golf balls.
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Place the black bean ball on a hot stove. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top and, using the back of a spatula and your hands, press down until the patty is flat and only ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Repeat as many patties as possible on your grid, working in groups as needed. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, add oil to the pan as needed to maintain a thin layer for cooking. Once the bottom of each is brown and crisp, flip and add a slice of cheddar cheese. Cook until the second side is brown and crisp. Transfer the patties to a plate and repeat until all are cooked, adding more oil if necessary.
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Lightly grill the buns. Spread a little soup on the bottom bun and if desired, make them with two patties, lettuce, tomato, onion and vinegar. Spread a little more sauce on top and add to the burger.
Be patient. As long as you have a good idea of the temperature on your stove, you’ll be fine. It’s more likely to flip sooner rather than later.
Make Ahead: The patties can be frozen and kept for up to 3 months. To do this, sandwich each ball between pieces of parchment paper and press down to form a patty. Cool this way and when ready to use, peel off the parchment and place the patty in a hot oven. The dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
* Recipe reprinted from my cookbook, An annual pantry.