RECIPES
July 18, 2016
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 13
Cooking on deadline: Asian
beef-and-mushroom burgers
By Katie Workman
The Associated Press
n grilling season,
there’s probably no
food more popular
than burgers. And while
many kinds of burgers
have become mainstream,
from turkey to tuna to
vegetarian, beef remains
king.
But how can you have the
taste and juiciness of beef
while cutting back on a bit
of the fat?
The answer: Add in some
mushrooms.
When chopped, mush-
rooms (either cooked or
raw) have a similar texture
to ground meat, and blend
right in. It’s a nice way to
lighten up a summertime
staple.
And then there’s ponzu
sauce, with which I’ve
recently become a little
besotted. Ponzu is a
citrus-based sauce used
often in Japanese cooking.
It is salty and tangy, made
from vinegar, mirin (a
low-alcohol rice wine),
seaweed, and fish flakes
(please, don’t be turned
off), and it has just a
wonderful
flavor.
The
citrus most commonly
added is either juice or zest
from yuzu or sudachi, two
fruits from East Asia.
Ponzu sauce is often
I
SWEET-AND-SOUR SALMON. A serving of Wild Salmon with Grilled Pineapple and Scallions is seen at
the Institute of Culinary Education in New York. The dish is from a recipe by Elizabeth Karmel. (AP Photo/Richard
Drew)
Grill fish and fruit for an
appealing summer dish
By Elizabeth Karmel
The Associated Press
hen I first started grilling, I had
one of those beginner’s luck
experiences that made grilled
salmon and pineapple a mainstay in my
dinner rotation.
I was visiting my uncle in Florida and
offered to make dinner. The only thing that
everyone ate was salmon, so salmon it was!
I wanted to give the salmon a sweet-and-
sour flavor much like my uncle’s favorite
Asian dish. So I marinated the fish,
scallions, and thick slices of pineapple
with traditional Asian seasonings of
toasted sesame oil, fresh ginger, citrus
juice, rice wine vinegar, and soy sauce.
Because there was a fair amount of
sugar in the marinade, I grilled the salmon
on a cedar plank so it wouldn’t burn and
the bottom skin wouldn’t get too fishy. By
contrast, I wanted the whole scallions and
W
the pineapple rings to char in places. I
placed them directly on the cooking grate
around the planked salmon so the natural
sugars would caramelize.
The sweet ingredients in the marinade
may promote sticking, so use a wood plank
if possible. If you don’t use a plank, slide
two spatulas under the fish — one from
each side — and lift, leaving the skin on
the grill. If you like salmon skin, turn up
the heat and let crisp for two to three
minutes before removing from the grill. If
you don’t like the skin, place the burners
on high and burn the skin off. Brush the
grates once the salmon skin has turned to
“ash.”
Add steamed jasmine rice and you have
a grilled meal with an appealing sweet-
and-sour ying and yang.
Editor’s note: Elizabeth Karmel is a barbecue and
Southern foods expert. She is the chef and pit master
at online retailer CarolinaCueToGo.com and the
author of three books, including Taming the Flame.
Wild Salmon with Grilled Pineapple and Scallions
Grilling Method: Indirect/Medium Heat
Special Equipment: Cedar or alder wood plank, soaked in water
Marinating Time: 30 to 60 minutes
Makes 6 to 8 servings
1 center-cut wild salmon fillet, about 2 pounds
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice, about 3 juicy limes
Juice and zest of 1 orange (about 2 tablespoons juice and 1/2 teaspoon zest)
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar
4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger, about a 5-inch knob
4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 golden pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into rings
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and cleaned
Lime wedges
Fleur de Sel
Remove any bones from the fish with a pair of tweezers; rinse, pat dry, and set
aside.
Combine the lime juice, orange juice and zest, vinegar, oils, brown sugar, ginger,
soy sauce, and sesame seeds in an extra-large heavy-duty plastic food bag. Add
salmon, pineapple rings, and scallions; seal securely. Rotate to distribute marinade
and make sure all the food is covered. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to one
hour, turning occasionally.
Remove fish, pineapple, and scallions from marinade and drain, discarding
marinade. (Alternatively, boil the marinade for three minutes and serve as a sauce
for the fish.) Lay fish, skin side down, on a soaked cedar plank or directly on a very
clean cooking grate. Cook for 10 minutes.
After the fish has cooked for 10 minutes, place pineapple rings and scallions
directly over the heat on either side of the fish. Turn pineapple and scallions once
halfway during the cooking time, about three to four minutes per side. Remove fruit
and scallions to a clean plate when they are warmed through and marked on the
outside.
The fish is done when the flesh is opaque and the stripes between the orange flesh
are solid white, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Transfer the fish to a platter along with fruit. Garnish with lime wedges. Season to
taste with salt.
Nutrition information per serving: 256 calories (111 calories from fat); 13 g fat (2 g
saturated, 0 g trans fats); 62 mg cholesterol; 169 mg sodium; 13 g carbohydrate; 1 g
fiber; 9 g sugar; 24 g protein.
BETTER BURGERS. An Asian-flavored beef burger with chopped
mushrooms is seen in New Milford, Connecticut. The recipe includes
ponzu, a citrus-based sauce used often in Japanese cooking. (Katie
Workman via AP)
drizzled over foods for a wasabi mayo is optional.
finishing touch, or used as They also would be great
a dip, but here it’s blended with ketchup or mustard,
into the meat and mush- and of course lettuce,
rooms for yet another layer onion, and tomato.
A last cooking tip:
of umami (Japanese for
Chilling the burgers before
“savory”).
Both ponzu sauce and grilling them helps them
wasabi paste (or wasabi hold their shape. They also
powder, which can be are great seared up in a pan
— and hold together even
blended with water to
better.
make a paste) are available
Katie Workman has written
at Asian markets and in
two cookbooks focused on
the Asian aisle of well-
easy, family-friendly cooking,
stocked supermarkets.
Dinner Solved! and The
For these burgers, the
Mom 100 Cookbook.
Asian Beef-and-Mushroom Burgers
Start to finish: 2 hours
Servings: 6 burgers
Asian Burgers:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound shiitake or baby Portobello mushrooms
Sliced Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons ponzu sauce, plus more for brushing
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 teaspoons grated ginger
2 pounds ground beef
Wasabi Mayonnaise (optional):
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon wasabi paste, or to taste
6 hamburger buns
Lettuce
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced onions
1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms to
the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the mushrooms release any
liquid and it evaporates, and the mushrooms begin to turn nicely browned, about
eight to 10 minutes in all. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and cool to room
temperature.
2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, three tablespoons of ponzu sauce, garlic, and
ginger. Finely chop the cooled mushrooms using a knife or by pulsing in a food
processor, then add them along with the beef to the bowl. Use your hands to gently
mix until well combined.
3. Form the mixture into six patties; use your thumbs to make slight indentations
in the center of each burger. (That will cause them to end up flat when they cook.)
Refrigerate the burgers for at least an hour, preferably two or three, to let them firm
up. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise with the wasabi paste.
Adjust the level of heat to your taste, adding more mayo or wasabi paste as needed.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the burgers for four to five minutes
on each side, turning them carefully with a large spatula, until they are done to your
liking. Alternatively, heat a large, nonstick pan over medium-high heat and sear the
burgers four to five minutes on each side. Brush the tops lightly with the additional
ponzu sauce. Serve on the buns (toasted if you wish) with the wasabi cream, lettuce,
tomatoes, onions, or anything you like!
Nutrition information per serving: 548 calories (313 calories from fat); 35 g fat (11
g saturated, 1 g trans fats); 147 mg cholesterol; 907 mg sodium; 29 g carbohydrate; 3
g fiber; 6 g sugar; 28 g protein.
Find more recipes online at <www.asianreporter.com/food.htm>.