Grind Your Own Chicken Shawarma Burgers Recipes

"GYOB" (GRIND YOUR OWN BURGERS)

Steps:

• Place the beef chunks on a baking sheet in a single layer, leaving a little space around each piece. Freeze the meat until it's very firm and starting to harden around the edges but still pliable, 15 to 30 minutes. Freeze the blade of a food processor at the same time.
• Place half of the meat in the food processor fitted with the chilled blade and pulse until coarsely ground, 10 to 15 one-second pulses, stopping to redistribute the meat with a wooden spoon around the bowl as necessary to ensure even grinding. Turn out the meat onto a baking sheet (just dump it out - try not to touch the meat too much). Repeat the grinding with the remaining meat. Spread the meat on the baking sheet and inspect carefully, discarding any long strands of gristle or large chunks of hard meat or fat. Season the meat with salt and pepper.
• Divide the meat into 4 equal piles. Form the piles with your hands into 4 large thin patties, about 4 inches wide. The patties should be loosely packed.
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet or large heavy griddle pan over high heat. Spread the butter on the cut sides of the buns. Toast the buns in the skillet until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
• Working in two batches, add the beef patties to the skillet and immediately press them down once with a spatula; do not smoosh them again. Cook until crusty brown on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes; flip once, top with a piece of cheese and cook until the other side is crusty and the cheese melts, about 4 more minutes. Place the burgers on the toasted buns; top with sliced avocado. Serve with steamed broccoli.

SHAWARMA BURGERS WITH TAHINI-YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Gather your ingredients.
• For the sauce: Peel a clove of garlic with a crack of knife against the heel of your hand. In a small bowl, whisk up yogurt, tahini, the juice of 1 lemon and cumin. Then grate the garlic into the sauce with a zester or paste it with a knife (add a fat pinch of salt). Whisk sauce again.
• For the burgers: Preheat a cast-iron skillet or heavy griddle or frying pan over medium to medium-high heat.
• Place ground lamb or chicken in a mixing bowl. Season the meat with salt and pepper, cumin, coriander, paprika, sumac if using, turmeric, cardamom, crushed red pepper, allspice and nutmeg. Crack 2 cloves garlic and grate them into the bowl or finely chop. Peel the onion and grate about 3 tablespoons of it into the bowl. Finley chop the mint and parsley then add them to the lamb. Combine all the ingredients and mound up. Score meat into 4 equal portions and form 4 patties, thinner at the center for even cooking.
• To prepare the burgers, add EVOO, 1 slow turn of the pan, to skillet (a thin layer to just glaze the surface). Add patties and cook about 7 minutes for lamb, a minute or two longer for chicken, turning occasionally. If cooking lamb, press down with spatula when you turn the patties -- lean ground lamb tends to tighten as it cooks more so than other ground meats.
• When you remove the patties they can be served as such but for a more authentic facsimile of shawarma, we rest the patties and very thinly slice them on a bias. Regardless, while the burgers cook, prepare your toppings of choice.
• Assemble burgers: bun bottoms, sauce, patty or thinly sliced shawarma, lettuce, hot cherry peppers, cucumbers, herb leaves, dressed fennel and onions, bun top. OR split a pita and fill with giardiniera and Israeli pickles.
• Poke with a couple of toothpicks and split burgers down the middle. Serve burgers with chips.

CHICKEN SHAWARMA WITH TOMATO CUCUMBER RELISH AND TAHINI SAUCE

Steps:

• For the shawarma: Mix the cumin, paprika, allspice, chili powder and garlic together. Place the chicken inside a resealable plastic bag with the olive oil. Add the spice mixture and rub in until fully incorporated. Seal that bag and place it into the refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
• After marinating, use the skewers to pierce the pieces of chicken through the center. Slide the pieces down leaving enough room for you to hold the skewer, about 3 pieces of chicken per skewer. Continue this process until chicken is all skewered. Sprinkle with salt and place on a hot oiled grill top for 4 minutes per side, or 8 minutes total.
• For the relish: Mix the oil, vinegar, oregano, tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, onion, parsley and some salt and pepper.
• For the tahini sauce: In a medium bowl, combine the tahini paste, olive oil, lemon juice and 1/4 cup water. Season with salt.
• To serve, fill the pitas with the grilled chicken and serve with the cucumber relish and tahini sauce.

GRIND-YOUR-OWN CHICKEN SHAWARMA BURGERS

Steps:

• Put the chicken cubes on a baking sheet and put in the freezer until very firm, about 30 minutes. Put the blade and bowl of a food processor in the freezer as well.
• Meanwhile, mix together the cumin, paprika, turmeric, garlic, allspice, chili, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon salt in a bowl. Mix in the olive oil to make a paste.
• Working in 2 batches, put the firm, almost-frozen chicken into the cold food processor and pulse 10 to 15 times until coarsely chopped. Transfer the chopped meat to a bowl and repeat with the remaining chicken cubes. Add the spice blend paste to the meat and mix to gently combine. Divide the meat into 4 balls and flatten into 3/4-inch-thick patties.
• Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Clean and oil the grates. Brush each patty with some oil, then season with a bit of salt and pepper. Grill until the inside of the patties registers 160 degrees F, about 5 minutes per side. Let the burgers rest for 5 minutes. Butter and toast the rolls.
• Burger Build: On each roll bottom, place 1 leaf of romaine, then a burger and some giardiniera. Add a nice schmear of the Lemon Tahini sauce on each roll top.
• Vigorously whisk the tahini, lemon zest and juice, honey, olive oil and 2 tablespoons water together in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.