How I Revamped Alton Brown's Steak Tartare Into A Burger

Alton Brown has an incredible recipe for Steak Tartare. So I decided to use his recipe as a base for European-style Burgers (and the results were AMAZING).

As some of you may be aware, I run my own recipe development and photography business for food and beverage brands. I spend most weekdays in the kitchen crafting content for my client’s websites, marketing materials, in-store displays… you name it. Being a small business owner, I work almost seven days a week. However, I make up my own hours… and our cat, King Ramzy II, just got promoted as my new boss. So, I’m happy.

Speaking of the perks of my job… the wonderful thing about working with food is the fact that I can eat it afterwards! Earlier this week, I needed to photograph one of my client’s products with steak tartare. I used Alton Brown’s recipe for the photographs, as I love the look of the fresh herbs and lemon zest. It’s a fabulous recipe and I encourage you to try it.

We have two boys under the age of five, so they aren’t exactly lining up to eat Steak Tartare for dinner. In an effort to not let anything go to waste, I decided to revamp Mr. Brown’s recipe into burgers. My husband said these were THE BEST BURGERS HE’S EVER HAD… and I have to agree with him.

ALTON BROWN’S STEAK TARTARE INGREDIENTS:

16 ounces top sirloin, cleaned and trimmed
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup light olive oil
6 tablespoons finely diced shallots
2 tablespoons small, brined capers, drained and unrinsed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup celery leaves, finely chopped and divided
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped and divided
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

I absolutely love the mix of sherry vinegar, dry mustard and capers. His recipe is tart, bright and very flavorful. To make this into patties, simply add a cup of crushed saltine crackers (speaking of saltines, you gotta try my Chimichurri Party Crackers). You need the crackers to thicken the beef mixture, otherwise the burgers will fall apart when you flip them. I complimented the acidity of the patties with sweet balsamic sautéed onions, bright garlic-lemon aioli, salty bacon and a crisp green lettuce leaf. I served it on a toasted Ciabatta Roll with a layer of crispy cheese on the bottom.

Look at all these layers of flavor.

How I Revamped Alton Brown's Steak Tartare Into A Burger

Serves: 4

Ingredients

FOR THE PATTIES:

1 lb. Ground Top Sirloin
2 tsp. Sherry Vinegar
½ tsp. Dry Mustard
2 large Egg Yolks
¼ cup Light Olive Oil
6 tbsp. finely Diced Shallots
2 tbsp. small, Brined Capers, drained and un-rinsed
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
¼ cup Celery Leaves, finely chopped
2 tbsp. Italian Parsley, finely chopped
1 cup Crushed Saltine Crackers

FOR THE BALSAMIC SAUTÉED ONIONS:

1 White Onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. Butter
1 tbsp. Water, optional
2 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

FOR THE GARLIC-LEMON AIOLI:

1 cup Mayonaise
3 cloves Garlic, minced
2 tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice (about ½ Lemon)
¾ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. White Pepper

FOR THE BURGERS:

4 Ciabatta Rolls, cut in half
Shredded Cheese, as needed
8 slices of Bacon, cooked
4 Green Lettuce Leaves

Instructions

Mix all ingredients for the patties in a large mixing bowl. Form into four patties and set aside.
Over medium-high heat, melt butter in a large skillet and sauté the onion. Add water to the pan to quicken up the process, if desired. Once softened, add balsamic vinegar and continue to cook until thickened (about 1 - 2 more minutes).
While sautéing the onion, go ahead and cook the bacon. Use whatever method you prefer. Once cooked, drain on paper towels and set aside.
Whisk together all ingredients for the garlic lemon aioli and place in the refrigerator until you're ready to assemble the burgers.
Remove onions from skillet and transfer them to a small bowl. Set aside.
In the same skillet the onions were cooked in, add another tablespoon of butter and allow it to melt. Depending on the size of your skillet, cook burgers until golden brown on each side. Do not overcrowd the skillet, so work in batches if necessary. I usually cook the patties for about 3 - 4 minutes on each side.
While the patties are cooking, toast the Ciabatta rolls under the broiler. Add shredded cheese to the bottom half of each roll and continue to broil until melted and bubbly, about 1 minute.
To assemble the burgers, simply place the burger on top of the melted cheese half. Then top with onions, bacon, green lettuce leaf and lemon aioli. Enjoy immediately!

FAQ ON STEAK TARTARE BURGERS:

Do you have to use Top Sirloin for the beef? If you are enjoying this as steak tartare, then it is important to use a very high quality beef. If you are cooking it and enjoying this recipe as a burger, any ground beef will work. I personally prefer 85/15 for burgers.
What kind of cheese do you use on the toasted ciabatta rolls? I used Monterey Jack, because that’s what we had on hand. White Cheddar, Swiss, or Havarti would also taste great with this recipe.
Can I use other crackers besides Saltines? Yes, of course! I used saltines because I always have them in our pantry, but feel free to use whatever crackers you enjoy most! You could also try using panko bread crumbs if you’d like. Since we added a bunch of liquid to the meat mixture, you’ll need a binder to form the meat into patties.