#FoodieExtravaganza Hamburgers: Frita Cubana (Cuban Hamburger)

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays or cook and bake together with the same ingredient or theme each month. This month we celebrate National Hamburger Month by
serving up burgers of all kinds.

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This month’s Foodie Extravaganza focuses on Hamburgers! My burger recipes are definitely lacking, so this was a great opportunity to expand a bit. There are variations of the hamburger throughout the world, so I had plenty of ideas to choose from. I wanted to try something that was new to me and came across the Frita Cubana.

The Frita Cubana is a burger that originated on the streets in Cuba and was brought to Miami in the 1960s. The patties are made from seasoned ground beef with the optional mix-in of ground pork or Spanish chorizo. The fried patty is placed on top of a hamburger bun and topped with a spiced tomato sauce, shoestring french fries, and occasionally thinly sliced onions.

I used Spanish chorizo, but you can also use ground pork.

I ground the chorizo with the onions and garlic using the food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, then you can finely chop the chorizo, mince the garlic, and grate the onion.

Mix the ingredients to make the patties just until combined. Over-mixing creates tough burgers.

Make the patties about 1/2 inch thick at the most. If they are thicker, then you can run into issues with the edges burning while the center remains raw. Adjust the temperature between medium high and medium low as needed.

Fry the potatoes right before serving the burgers so they are warm and crisp.

Check out what everyone else made!:

• Cheeseburger in Paradise by The Freshman Cook
• French Onion Burgers by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Frita Cubana (Cuban Hamburger) by Tara’s Multicultural Table
• Guacamole Bacon Burger by Fearlessly Creative Mammas
• Maw-Maw’s Hamburger Surprise by Cooking With Carlee
• Mushroom Veggie Burgers with Roasted Tomato Mayo by The Joyful Foodie
• Pineapple and Bacon Burgers with Candied Jalapeños by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Spiced Lamb Burgers with Pomegranate Chutney and Mint-Pistachio Pesto by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Sweet and Smoky Bacon Cheddar Burger by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Thai Turkey Burgers with Siracha Mayo by Our Good Life
• Western Bacon Burgers with BBQ Mayo and Crispy Onion Straws by Making Miracles
• Zucchini-wrapped Cheesy Pea Burgers by Food Lust People Love

 

Frita Cubana (Cuban Hamburger)
Adapted from NBCLatino and Three Guys from Miami
8 Hamburgers

Sauce:
6 ounces tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup granulated sugar or panela
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Spanish sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
Hamburgers:
8 ounces Spanish chorizo, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic
1 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons ketchup
4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Spanish sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup canola oil
For Assembly:
4 medium russet potatoes
Canola oil for frying
8 hamburger buns
1 onion, thinly sliced, raw or fried (optional)

 

To make the sauce: In a small saucepan, whisk together tomato paste, water, sugar, vinegar, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and salt over medium heat. Once it comes to a boil, decrease heat to low and simmer, stirring often, for 10-15 minutes. It will thicken slightly.

Remove from heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

In a food processor, add chorizo, onions, and garlic. Process until ground and well minced.

In a small bowl, stir the cream into the bread crumbs until they become a paste.

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, chorizo mixture, soaked bread crumbs, eggs, ketchup, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and worcestershire sauce gently using your hands. Divide into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball and place on a large plate. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

In a large pan, drizzle canola oil over medium high heat. Flatten 2-3 of the balls into patties 1/2 inch thick. Arrange in heated pan and cook until golden on each side and medium well in center. Adjust heat lower if needed. Repeat with remaining meat mixture.

While the hamburger patties are cooking, fill a large saucepan with 2 inches oil and place over medium heat.

Peel the potatoes and thinly slice. Cut the slices into matchsticks. Fry the potatoes in batches in the heated oil until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon to a towel lined plate.

Place the patties on hamburger buns. Generously drizzle with the prepared sauce and top with onions, if desired. Cover with freshly fried matchstick french fries. Drizzle with more sauce if desired.

Serve immediately.