Lemongrass “Hamburgers”

Name: Lemongrass “Hamburgers”
Yield: makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless pork, preferably from the shoulder; 3 or 4 large shallots or 1 medium red onion, peeled; 4 garlic cloves, peeled; 2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed (page 143) and finely chopped; 1 teaspoon stemmed, seeded, and minced fresh chile or hot red pepper flakes, or to taste; Salt and black pepper to taste; 1 tablespoon nam pla; 1 teaspoon sugar; Lime wedges or Dijon mustard for serving

December 14, 2011

Of all the powerful ingredients in these burgers— lemongrass, shallots, garlic, chile, and nam pla (called nuoc mam in Vietnamese; see page 500 for information on these Asian fish sauces)—none survives the cooking as well as the lemongrass, whose distinctive scent and flavor override all the others, reducing them to bit players. Lemongrass is changed less by cooking than most seasonings, and this goes for its woody texture too, which is why you remove the tough outer layers. You can grind the tender cores with the meat instead of chopping them if you like. Serve the burgers on rolls, rice noodles, or salad. Other cuts of meat you can use here: ground beef sirloin or chuck, which may be combined with pork if you like.

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