Cuban Smash Burger with Chile-Limón Plantain Chips

Name: Cuban Smash Burger with Chile-Lim&#243;n Plantain Chips
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Cuban
Ingredients: 2 quarts (2 l) canola oil, plus more for cooking burgers; 1 small red onion or 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced; 2 ripe but firm avocados, pitted, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch (6-mm) slices; 1 jar whole pickles, such as Grillo&rsquo;s Pickles, cut into pickle chips, pickling liquid reserved; 2 Tbs. kosher salt; Zest of 1 lime; 1/2 tsp. mild chile flakes, such as gochugaru chile flakes; 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) mayonnaise; 2 Tbs. yellow mustard; 2 medium garlic cloves, finely grated; 1 tsp. sugar; Zest of 1 lime; Zest of 1 lemon; Zest of 1/2 orange; 2 tsp. oregano; 2 tsp. granulated garlic; 2 tsp. granulated onion; 1 tsp. ground cumin; 1 1/2 Tbs. kosher salt, plus more for seasoning; 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper; 1 lb. (500 g) ground beef (80/20); 1 lb. (500 g) ground pork; <br> 8 green plantains; 1/2 lb. (250 g) Black Forest ham, thinly sliced; 1/2 lb. (250 g) sliced Swiss cheese; 16 slices Cuban or crusty French sandwich bread, or 8 brioche buns

Prep Time: 60 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 8

Co-founder of Avaline, Cameron Diaz developed this smash burger for Williams Sonoma’s culinary stage at BottleRock 2024, one of America’s premier culinary and music festivals held in California’s Napa Valley. Cameron took inspiration from her Cuban heritage, with the updated “smash burger,” that includes an extra-flavorful Cuban twist, accompanied by the lightest, most delicious plantain chips. This meal has so many bright flavors, it’ll pair beautifully with Avaline’s lighter, citrusy sips like Rosé, White, Sauvignon Blanc, and even Sparkling Rosé. Cheers!

Note: This recipe makes 8 single smash burgers, but if you’d prefer to prepare 4 double burgers (as pictured), simply prepare the burgers as directed, but use 8 slices of bread or 4 buns, and stack two patties in each burger with an extra layer of pickled onions and avocados between the patties.

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Ingredients:

2 quarts (2 l) canola oil, plus more for cooking burgers

For the pickled onions and avocados:

1 small red onion or 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
2 ripe but firm avocados, pitted, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch (6-mm) slices
1 jar whole pickles, such as Grillo’s Pickles, cut into pickle chips, pickling liquid reserved

For the chile-limón salt:

2 Tbs. kosher salt
Zest of 1 lime
1/2 tsp. mild chile flakes, such as gochugaru chile flakes

For the golden aioli:

1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) mayonnaise
2 Tbs. yellow mustard
2 medium garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tsp. sugar

For the burgers:

Zest of 1 lime
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1/2 orange
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. granulated garlic
2 tsp. granulated onion
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 Tbs. kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 lb. (500 g) ground beef (80/20)
1 lb. (500 g) ground pork
8 green plantains
1/2 lb. (250 g) Black Forest ham, thinly sliced
1/2 lb. (250 g) sliced Swiss cheese
16 slices Cuban or crusty French sandwich bread, or 8 brioche buns

Directions:

Pour the canola oil into a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot and heat over medium-high heat to 350°F (180°C) on a deep-frying thermometer.

Preheat an oven to 200°F (95°C)

Meanwhile, make the pickled onions and avocados: In a medium bowl, combine the onion and avocados. Pour the reserved pickling liquid over the top. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the chile-limón salt, in a small bowl, combine the salt and lime zest. Massage together with your fingers to release the lime oils, then stir in the chile flakes. Set aside for seasoning the plantains.

To make the golden aioli, in another small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, garlic and sugar. Set aside for serving with the burgers.

To make the burgers, in another small bowl, stir together the lime, lemon and orange zests, the oregano, granulated garlic, granulated onion, cumin, salt and pepper. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef and ground pork. Add the zest-spice mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Divide the meat mixture into 8 equal-sized balls, each about 4 oz. (125 g), and refrigerate while you prepare the plantain chips.

To prepare the plantain chips, line a baking sheet with 2 or 3 layers of paper towels. Cut off the ends of the plantains and peel off the skins. Using a mandoline, slice the plantains lengthwise as thinly as possible. Using the preheated pot of oil (350°F/180°C), fry the plantains in small batches until the bubbling slows down and the chips are golden, about 5 minutes per batch. Use a spider strainer or a slotted spoon, transfer the chips to the prepared baking sheet and immediately season generously with the chile-limón salt. Repeat the process until all the plantain chips are fried.

To cook the smash burgers, preheat a large sauté pan or griddle over high heat. When preheated, lightly oil the cooking surface. Working in batches as needed, add the burgers, taking care to not overcrowd the pan; they will require extra room for smashing. Cook, undisturbed, for 1 minute, then using a wide spatula, flatten the burgers to about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Season with salt and let the patties cook for about 2 minutes more to develop a crust, then flip them over. After flipping, add 2 or 3 pickle chips, a slice of ham and a slice of cheese to each burger. Cover with a lid or a baking sheet and let the steam melt the cheese.

Meanwhile, generously spread the golden aioli on both sides of the bread slices and lay the pickled onions and avocados on the bottom side of the bread. When the cheese is melted, the burgers should be fully cooked. Transfer a burger to each prepared bread slice, then cover with a second bread slice.

Working in batches as needed, return the assembled burgers to the pan. Using a clean spatula, press the burgers to toast the exterior of the bread on both sides. When the bread is golden brown and toasty, transfer the burgers to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat the process with the remaining burgers. Serve with the plantain chips. Serves 8.

Recipe courtesy of Cameron Diaz, co-founder of Avaline