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Blue-chip burgers: Wichita hosts national cook-off

By Joe Stumpe

The Wichita Eagle

As the original home of White Castle, Wichita has long staked a claim as the birthplace of the fast-food burger. Now it's making a run at capital of the upscale burger. A burger recipe contest sponsored by Cargill recently brought six chefs from around the country (out of 66 entries) to the company's test kitchen off north Broadway.

Judges awarded first prize and $10,000 to St. Paul, Minn., chef Andrew Casale for his Black and Green Burger, which had a Mediterranean flair thanks to its olives, sun-dried tomatoes and Ciabatta bun.

Second prize and $1,000 went to San Diego school cook Sarah Spero, who topped her burger with a sweet-spicy chili and queso fresco cheese. Chicago chef Dan Burrows won third place and $500 by folding his burger inside a tortilla with roasted poblano, shredded cheese and more.

A Kansan, Olathe caterer Troy Tedder, also was among the finalists with his burger topped with a smooth bourbon barbecue sauce.

The finalists' recipes will be publicized to professional chefs through trade magazines and other venues.

But here, for the first time anywhere, are versions of four finalists, slightly simplified for home cooks.

New York chef Marcus Samuelsson, who was brought in as the event's celebrity judge, said Casale's burger was the top pick of all four judges.

"In order to get a great burger, you have to shift somebody's perception of what a burger should be," Samulesson said. "You can see what (the competitors) are passionate about."

The other key, he said, is the "ratio between burger and bun." Home cooks should adjust the amount of meat used in the following recipes so that the burgers are at least as big around as the buns they sit on.

Andrew Casale's first-place winner gets its name from the black and green olives used in the tapenade.

TAPENADE:

½cup black or kalamata olives, pitted

½cup pimento-stuffed green olives

¼cup sun-dried tomatoes (water- or oil-packed)

¼cup chopped red onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

3 tablespoons olive oil

BURGERS:

1 1/3 lb. ground beef

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 Ciabatta buns, sliced in half

Melted butter

4 slices provolone cheese

Mayonnaise

To make the tapenade: Chop the olives and sun-dried tomatoes. Combine in a small bowl with red onion, garlic, Italian seasoning and olive oil.

Form beef into 4 patties. Season to taste with salt and pepper (the olives in the tapenade will provide some salt).

Grill burgers to desired doneness. While burgers are cooking, brush buns with melted butter and lightly toast on grill. Near end of cooking time, top each burger with a slice of provolone.

Spread mayonnaise on top half of each bun and tapenade on the bottom half. Place burgers between buns and serve.

Makes 4 burgers.

The Wichita Eagle

CHIPOTLE CHILI BURGER

Second-place winner Sarah Spero used chipotle and brown sugar to give the chili on this burger a kick. The chili is also great with hot dogs or on its own.

CHIPOTLE CHILI:

1 lb. ground sirloin

1 cup chopped bell pepper

1 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

¼cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced

1 cup chicken broth

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

BURGERS:

1 1/3 lbs. ground beef

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 seeded hamburger buns

Melted butter

Queso fresco cheese, crumbled

Optional garnishes: chopped tomatoes, diced red onion, grated radishes

To make the chili: Brown sirloin in medium saucepan with bell pepper, onion and garlic. Stir in brown sugar, salt, cocoa powder, cumin, chipotle chiles, chicken broth and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

Form beef into 4 patties. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Grill burger to desired doneness. While burgers are cooking, brush buns with melted butter and lightly toast on grill.

Place burgers on buns and top with chili, queso fresco and garnishes, if using.

Makes 4 burgers.

The Wichita Eagle

QUESADILLA BURGER

Third-place winner Dan Burrows of Chicago put his burger inside a different kind of a bun _ a tortilla.

CHIPOTLE KETCHUP:

1 cup ketchup

2-3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced

PICKLED RED ONIONS:

1 red onion, thinly sliced

Juice from pickle jar (enough to cover onion)

BURGERS:

1 1/3 lbs. ground beef

Store-bought Southwestern-style rub

1 cup shredded quesadilla cheese

1 poblano pepper, roasted, seeded and chopped

4 10-inch flour tortillas

Toppings: shredded iceberg lettuce; diced tomato; queso fresco cheese, crumbled; cilantro sprigs

To make the chipotle ketchup, combine ketchup and chipotle peppers in small bowl.

To make the pickled onions, combine onions and pickle juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.

Form beef into 4 patties and season to taste with Southwestern rub. Grill burgers to desired doneness.

While burgers are cooking, place quesadilla cheese and chopped poblano pepper on half of each torilla. Fold over into a half-moon shape. Grill on both sides about 1 minute, or until cheese is melted. Remove from grill.

Spread chipotle ketchup on one-quarter of each tortilla. Place burger on ketchup, then top with pickled red onion, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, queso fresco and a few sprigs of cilantro. Fold quesadilla over burger and serve.

Makes 4 burgers.

The Wichita Eagle

BOURBON BBQ BURGER

"A little barbecue, a little smoky and a little spicy" is how Olathe caterer Troy Tedder described this burger, a finalist in the contest.

BOURBON BBQ SAUCE:

1 cup hickory-flavored barbecue sauce

1-ounce shot bourbon whiskey

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, thinly sliced

BURGERS:

1 1/3 ground beef

Store-bought Southwestern rub, to taste

4 slices Pepper Jack cheese

4 sourdough hamburger buns

In a small bowl, combine barbecue sauce and bourbon.

In a small saucepan, melt butter and add onions, sauteing until soft. Add bourbon barbecue sauce to saucepan and cook until sauce is heated through. Remove from heat.

Form beef into 4 burgers and season to taste with Southwestern rub. Near end of cooking time, top each burger with a cheese slice.

Spread barbecue sauce mixture on both sides of buns, place burger between buns and serve.

Makes 4 burgers.

The Wichita Eagle

Reach Joe Stumpe at 316-269-6752 or jstumpe@wichitaeagle.com.