THE UMAMI BURGER is excerpted from FLAVOR BOMBS © 2018 by Adam Fleischman.
Photographs © 2018 by Wendy Sue Lamm. Used by permission of Rux Martin Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
The Umami Burger
Makes 1 burger
Ingredients
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
6 ounces chuck, boneless short ribs, skirt steak, or hanger steak, nicely marbled, about 20% fat, or a combination
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1½ ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
1 potato bun, split
Umami Ketchup
Caramelized Onions
2 slices Oven-Dried Tomatoes (recipe follows) or ripe tomato
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat mat or parchment paper.
- Divide the cheese into neat piles on the baking sheet about 4 inches apart. Flatten the piles with a spatula or the bottom of a cup to form 3-inch rounds.
- Bake until the rounds are crisp and golden, about 10 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the cheese crisps to a rack and let them cool completely before using; you should have 15 to 20 crisps. You’ll need only one Parmesan crisp per burger; save the rest for other burgers, or for snacking on later. Store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Do not refrigerate.
- While the cheese crisps cool, make the patty. Cube the meat and place it in the freezer for 20 minutes (see page 102). When the meat is cold, place it in your food processor and pulse a few times, just until it’s coarsely ground.
- Place a cast-iron skillet on the highest heat. You want the pan to be wicked hot so you can quickly sear the patty crisp without overcooking the inside.
- Dump the meat out on a plate and loosely shape it into a flat ball or something close to that general shape. Don’t pack the patty—it should barely hold together. Season the patty generously with salt and pepper.
- Add the oil to the pan, wait a few seconds, then carefully place the patty in the pan; it should crackle and pop right away.
- Sear the patty for 3 minutes, then flip it over and cook another 3 minutes for a medium-rare burger. Set aside.
- Lower the flame to medium. Place ½ tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet, then toss in the mushrooms. Sauté until the caps are softened, about 2 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel, throw in the remaining ½ tablespoon butter, and toast both halves of the potato bun cut side down.
- When the bun is nice and toasted, remove it from the pan and assemble your burger, starting with the ketchup. I like to ketchup both the top and bottom bun, but use as much or as little as you want. Place the patty on the bottom bun and top with the Caramelized Onions, a Parmesan crisp, mushroom caps, tomato slices, and the top bun. Eat. Enjoy.
Oven-Dried Tomatoes
Makes at least 6 slices, depending on the size of the tomatoes and how you slice them
These tomatoes are sliced and dried for several hours—ideally overnight—to really concentrate their umami. Use them on your burgers the next day or, for longer storage, place them in a jar or other container, cover with oil, and keep in the fridge for five to seven days… if they last that long!
2 medium tomatoes
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Umami Master Sauce
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Set your oven to its lowest possible setting. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat mat or parchment paper.
- Slice the tomatoes as thick or thin as you’d like and place them on the baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, tomato paste, master sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Brush this mixture onto both sides of the sliced tomatoes.
- Place the tomatoes in the oven and dry them out, preferably overnight but for at least 6 hours, until shriveled but still juicy.
