Ditch the Bun and Consume a Burger Bowl As a substitute

Whilst developing our tuna poke bowl recipe we puzzled – “What else would paintings in rice bowl?” Hen fajitas? Certain. An omelette? In fact. (Admittedly, the Jap have already got that on coated.)

Cheeseburgers? Why now not?

It’s now not that we don’t love bread. We do. However our carb horizons expanded after we’ve came upon the utter healthy goodness of Jap brief grain rice. Japonica rice, repeatedly known as sushi rice, has a delightful chew and nutty taste. Sushi cooks have used top quality rice to raise uncooked fish. Why couldn’t we use sushi rice to do the similar for burgers?

Uncover the international’s perfect burgers.

Right through a standard workday, hungering for lunch and tiring of salad, we spotted a leftover hamburger sitting within the refrigerator. Prior to we knew it, our first cheeseburger bowl was once born.

On this dish, rice brings the burger parts in combination in an impressive mishmash the place acquainted flavors combine to create one thing instantly out of style reminiscence.

Consuming a burger in a bowl as a substitute of on a bun is not any sacrifice. You get pleasing protein from the meat, vegetal crunch plus candy and bitter flavors from the pickle and onion, candy umami from the ketchup, contemporary tomato taste from (duh!) contemporary tomatoes, pungency from the yellow mustard and wealthy salty intensity from cheddar cheese.

You’ll be able to name it deconstructed and even misconstructed. We name it lunch. It’s as amusing to make as it’s to consume. Right here’s what you want to make it:

Component amounts are detailed within the printable recipe card underneath.

When cooking any burger, we propose purchasing flooring red meat with a minimum of 20% fats. When you, like us, are living in position the place American red meat is tricky to seek out, you’ll have your butcher grind meat for your specs.

You CAN use a premade burger patty however provided that its of superb high quality. For ease, we love to mildew and prepare dinner a unmarried six-ounce patty in a cast-iron pan. We then cut up the patty to feed two folks. You’ll be able to simply double the recipe to feed 4 however you’ll want to make two patties. We prepare dinner the burger to medium for this rice bowl dish however you’ll prepare dinner it for your desire.

Professional Tip
Substitute the bottom red meat with flooring turkey or perhaps a veggie burger in case you’re now not a red meat eater.

We adore brief grain Jap rice. It’s to be had at maximum Asian markets (and a few higher supermarkets) and it’s value a splurge. If you’ll to find Koshihikari rice – purchase it. It’s the most efficient high quality Japonica rice to be had.

That being mentioned, whilst it’s now not slightly as excellent, you’ll additionally use on a regular basis lengthy grain white rice if that pleases you or if Jap brief grain rice isn’t readily to be had the place you are living.

We make a choice to prepare dinner our rice in a rice cooker however you’ll additionally prepare dinner rice on a range, following directions at the rice field or bag. Usually, you’ll use a range ratio of 300 grams of rice to 375 grams of water.

When you use a rice cooker, like a Zojirushi, observe the system directions for Jap rice. As soon as the rice is done, run a fork or rice paddle throughout the rice to fluff it up and funky it down quite.

Professional Tip
Season the rice with a beneficiant pinch of sea salt. In spite of what different recipes suggest, vinegar and kombu are now not important on this recipe.

Cheddar cheese is a vintage burger topping whether or not the burger is inside of a bun or on most sensible of rice.

We adore cheddar that’s meltable and now not elderly. American slices and even (mon dieu!) Velveeta would paintings. You should even pass intellectual and use gruyere or blue cheese.

Professional Tip
Grate the cheese from a block the usage of the most important hollow of a field grater.

The easier tomatoes you purchase, the easier taste you’ll get. The most productive ones are to be had in the summertime.

For this recipe, we cube a ripe tomato. Doing so makes the tomato more uncomplicated to combine with the rice.

Pickling the onion takes the burn out of the onion and brings out its sweetness.

We slice a medium crimson onion onion in skinny rings. We then pickle the rings through blending them with a couple of quarter cup of cider vinegar and a part teaspoon of salt.

Professional Tip
Pickle the onion a couple of part hour upfront of creating this recipe.

Not anything improves a burger like a top quality dill pickle.

We purchase our dill pickles in a jar and slice them a couple of quarter-inch thick.

Professional Tip
You’ll be able to use relish as a substitute.

Ketchup is a vintage burger condiment that calls for no rationalization to what it brings to the desk.

We, like maximum American citizens, desire Heinz ketchup once we consume hamburgers. It’s additionally the logo we desire on this burger bowl recipe.

Yellow mustard supplies an additional chew and pungency that makes the opposite elements come in combination.

Now not everybody tops burgers with mustard. We will be able to take it or go away it ourselves. Then again, after a lot experimentation, we’ve decided that yellow mustard completes the burger bowl.

We season our burgers with beneficiant quantity of salt and flooring pepper. You’ll wish to do the similar.

Assembling a burger bowl is straightforward and amusing whether or not you’re on my own or with pals. We adore consuming it despite the fact that we disagree about the most efficient utensil for the dish. Daryl likes chopsticks whilst Mindi prefers the usage of a fork.

Step one is to mildew flooring burger meat right into a unfastened ball. Don’t overpack the burger meat or else you’ll create one thing nearer to the feel of meatloaf or a sausage.

After you’ve created a ball, flatten the ball to create a burger patty.

We’ve discovered that knocking down the burger in a 4-inch ring mildew makes for a very good formed patty. You’ll be able to frivolously spherical out the corners of the patty if you want. You’ll be able to then again flatten the burger together with your palm however the completed burger won’t portion flippantly.

After your patty is shaped, create a small indentation within the middle together with your thumb. This will likely save you your patty from changing into a ball. Season it generously with salt and pepper.

Warmth up a pan, ideally cast-iron, on top warmth over a range. As soon as it’s ripping sizzling, pour in a couple of teaspoon of vegetable oil for lubrication.

Position your burger at the sizzling pan and prepare dinner it for roughly 3 to five mins on every aspect till about medium to medium neatly (130°f / 55°c). You’ll be able to additionally prepare dinner your burger medium uncommon (125°f / 51°c) or neatly (140°f / 60°c). It’s as much as you.

When the bottom red meat is cooked, take away the burger and loosely quilt it with foil to stay it heat.

Fluff the cooked rice and take away from the rice cooker or range. Lay it flippantly in two bowls.

Slice the burger into 4 strips (two for every bowl).

Position the burger strips on most sensible of the rice, leaving room for the opposite elements.

Position the rest elements well subsequent to the hamburger strips on every mattress of rice.

Professional Tip
Position the cheese on most sensible of the rice first if you wish to have it to soften somewhat.

As soon as your burger bowl is organized, serve it with chopsticks, a fork or perhaps a spoon.

Combine it up, dig in and revel in your loaded burger bowl. It’s now time to chow down!

Regularly Requested Questions