Islak Burger
A recipe for the Islak Burger from the cookbook, Istanbul Cult Recipes! Ground beef patties and buttered hamburger buns are simmered in a garlicky tomato sauce.
Servings 4 Hamburgers
Ingredients
- 3 garlic cloves
- 150 milliliters (5 fluid ounces) tomato passata tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 400 grams (14 ounces) minced (ground) beef ask your butcher to do this so that it is as fresh as possible
- 4 round hamburger buns split in half through the middle and lightly buttered
Instructions
- Crush the garlic with a little salt using a mortar and pestle. Mix together the tomato passata, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and the garlic in a large bowl. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
- Divide the meat into four equal portions and shape into four patties.
- In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, sear the patties quickly on both sides (about 1 minute) in the remaining oil.
- Pour over the tomato sauce, reduce the heat to very, very low and cook for 5 minutes; the meat needs to become impregnated with the sauce.
- Push the patties to one side of the frying pan and arrange the bun halves face down on the tomato sauce. Cover and cook for 10 minutes (still over low heat). The buns should be 'wet'- that is the whole idea.
- To finish, sandwich each patty between two pieces of bun.