Pastrami Burgers with Russian Dressing
These pastrami burgers with Russian dressing are a jazzed-up version of the classic cheeseburger with the addition of chopped pastrami to the patty and a spicy Russian dressing that stands in for ketchup and mayo.
Ingredients
For the Russian dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 1/2 tablespoons grated yellow onion (use the small holes of a box grater)
- 1 tablespoons pickle relish
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon store-bought or homemade Sriracha sauce
- Pinch of garlic powder
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of salt (optional)
For the pastrami burgers
- 4 ounces pastrami
- 1 pound 80/20 ground beef
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 2 1/2 teaspoons Morton kosher salt)
- 4 slices American cheese (or Cheddar, if you must)
- 4 store-bought or homemade hamburger buns
- 16 bread and butter pickles
- 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- Full sour dill pickle spears, for serving
Instructions
Make the Russian dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, onion, relish, Worcestershire, sriracha, garlic powder, and a few grinds of pepper and, if desired, a pinch of salt until well combined. You can store, covered, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Make the pastrami burgers
- Finely chop the pastrami or pulse quickly with a food processor, taking care not to overprocess it as this will heat the meat.
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped pastrami and ground beef and mix until well combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide the meat mixture into 4 patties, gently forming each into a smooth round ball between your palms and then kindly pressing each patty into a flat puck, tossing and patting between your hands until you have a nice flattened patty, about 5 inches [12 cm] across and 1/2 inch [12 mm] thick.
- Transfer the pastrami burger patties to a large plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to cook. The patties can be made up to 1 day in advance.
- Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and coat evenly with the oil. When the oil is shimmering, remove the patties from the refrigerator and sprinkle the tops liberally with half the salt. Flip and sprinkle with the remaining salt.
- Add 2 patties to the skillet and cook until a light brown crust forms on the bottom and the burger is turning from pink to brown at the edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully flip with a spatula and place a cheese slice over each burger. Cook until the desired doneness, 3 to 5 minutes more for medium-rare to medium. The cheese will have melted at this point.
- Transfer the cooked pastrami burgers to a plate or baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining patties.
- With the oil and beef fat still in the skillet, place the buns, cut-side down, in the skillet and cook over medium-low heat until a golden, toasty crust has formed, 2 to 3 minutes. (If you have a lot of grease in the skillet, you'll want to drain almost all of it until just a thin sheen remains before adding the buns.)
☞ TESTER TIP: If you like your buns extra toasty, flip them and skillet toast the second side as well, until the buns are completely heated through, about 1 minute more.
- Spread a tablespoon of dressing on the bottom half of each bun, spreading it out to the edges. Spread out 4 bread and butter pickle coins on top of the dressing and divvy the onion between the buns. Place the cheese-covered patty on top, and cover with a heap of lettuce. Spread a bit more dressing on the top bun to “glue” it to the burger toppings, and use your palm to gently smush everything down. Serve with a sour pickle spear.
Nutrition
Serving: 1burger | Calories: 754kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 3788mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g