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CARAMELIZED ONION SMASH BURGERS

Pair with the Grilled Sweet Potato recipe next door or roasted vegetables of your choice
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Total Time 1 hr
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

CARAMELIZED ONIONS

  • 2 medium sweet onions thinly sliced
  • 4 tablespoons grassfed organic ghee
  • pinch of salt

BURGERS

  • 1 pound organic lean ground beef like 93%
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon avocado oil or any high heat oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted organic butter
  • 4 slices plant based sharp cheddar cheese or leave off
  • 4 Use Living Lettuce as your bun

GARLIC HERB AIOLI

  • ½ cup avocado mayo
  • 2 tablespoons chopped basil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions
 

  • CARAMELIZED ONIONS
  • Thinly slice the onions. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the ghee. Once melted, add in the onions with a pinch of salt. Stir to combine everything. Cook, stirring often, for 20 to 30 minutes, until the onions caramelize. You can also make these ahead of time and store them sealed in the fridge, submerged in a bit of olive oil.
  • BURGERS
  • Divide the beef into 4 equal parts. Form into balls so they smash into a more circular burger.
  • Heat a large cast iron skillet or your grill griddle over medium-high heat. You want it to be hot, so heat it for at least 5 minutes.
  • Once it's hot and your burgers are ready to go, quickly brush the skillet with oil and place half of the ghee on the skillet. It will smoke, so work quickly! Place one of the balls of beef on the skillet and press it down with a burger press, spatula, mason jar, etc - once or twice. You want it to be about 1/2 inch in thickness (or a little less) and want to try and press it only 2 or 3 times. Season it with salt and pepper and repeat with the rest of the beef. Cook the burgers for 2 to 3 minutes and then flip, season and cook for 2 minutes more. Add your plant based cheese (or don't). Keeping in mind most plant based cheeses do not melt fully like dairy cheese does. Let it melt for just 60 seconds or so.
  • Remove the burgers from the heat. Spread the aioli on the burger and top with the caramelized onions. Serve immediately sandwiched between Living lettuce.
  • GARLIC HERB AIOLI
  • Whisk together the ingredients until combined. You can make this ahead of time and store it in the fridge.
  • Pair with Grilled Sweet Potatoes