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Turkish Kofte Burgers & Greek Salad
This is one of my all-time favorite meals that takes me right back to visiting my family in Turkey. On hot afternoons, we’ll turn on the grill and turn out dozens of these juicy, tender, perfectly charred and gently spiced köfte burgers, paired with a giant bowl of fresh, herby, crisp Greek salad. An easy and delicious way to feed a crowd (or party of 1!), this meal is the perfect balance of something filling and flavorful, but still light enough to eat while soaking up the summer sun. Add your icy cold beverage of choice and enjoy a little slice of Mediterranean heaven.
Turkish Kofte Burgers
Ingredients:
Greek Style Red Wine Vinaigrette:
2 lemons, juiced
1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp oregano (or 1 tsp fresh)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 garlic clove, creamed
1 tsp honey
½ cup olive oil
½ sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt & freshly cracked pepper to taste
Turkish Kofte Burgers:
1 lb ground beef, 20% fat 80 % lean
1 garlic clove, creamed or grated
½ sweet yellow onion, grated
1 piece day old bread (or toast), soaked in whole milk
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
Kosher salt & freshly cracked pepper
Olive oil for cooking
Greek Salad:
3 heads of romaine, chopped
2-3 Persian cucumbers, chopped
½ cup Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 Cubanelle or other mild green peppers, sliced in rings
½ cup flat-leaf parsley, leaves torn & tender stems minced
1 tbsp mint, finely chopped
½ cup Pepperoncini peppers, sliced
½ cup kalamata olives, pitted
4 oz Feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions:
•Make the salad dressing in a medium bowl: combine lemon juice, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic salt, creamed garlic, and honey. Combine, then slowly whisk in the olive oil to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add onion and allow to sit until ready to dress.
•In a small bowl, combine your spices with 1 tsp kosher salt.
•In a large bowl, prepare your meat blend. Add spices and salt, parsley and egg. Lift from the bottom of the bowl and press all ingredients together to evenly distribute, being careful not to overwork the meat. Stop mixing when herbs and spices are just distributed. With damp hand, shape meat mix into kofte burgers – you can make them regular size quarter pounders (there will be 4 of them), or more egg sized and shaped which are nice for making platters. Set aside on a plate and store covered in the refrigerator until 20 minutes before you are ready to use.
•Brush a grill pan or cast-iron skillet with 2 tsp olive oil and set over high heat. Once it is hot and oil on the surface glistens, drop the heat to medium.
•Place the patties on the hot surface, spaced 2 inches apart. Grill for about 4 minutes until nicely browned on one side. Patties should easily release. Turn and brown the other side for another 3-4 minutes until cooked through and both sides have plenty of rich, golden brown crust.
•In a large salad bowl, add romaine, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, parsley, mint, pepperoncini peppers, kalamata olives, and feta cheese. Toss with desired amount of salad dressing, and serve with a portion of kofte burgers!
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