Frita Cubana

Here's that 3rd Cuban recipe I mentioned in a previous post. Wow! These burgers were so full of flavor! They were really good and unlike any hamburger I've ever had. I was afraid they would taste really greasy, since the recipe calls for you to fry them in oil but they really weren't. I made sure to pat them with a paper towel when they were done and the outcome was a crispy, delicious burger.

I did sway from the recipe at the very end. It calls for you to make 4 patties (out of the 2 pounds of meat!!!). I thought those would be way too big so I made 8 smaller patties and served them on these cute little slider buns I found at the grocery store. I served our Frita Cubanas with chips and apple slices from our trip to the orchard the day before.



Frita Cubana
Also Known As the Cuban Hamburger
Source: In a Cuban Kitchen by Alex Garcia

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 white onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 T. paprika
1/2 t. ground cumin
1 t. dried oregano
2 t. salt
Vegetable oil, for frying
4 Kaiser or white bread rolls, cut in half
2 med. tomatoes, but into 8 slices
1 sm. red onion, cut into 8 thin slices
French fries for serving (optional)
4 T. yellow deli mustard (optional)

In a mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the beef, pork, onion, garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano, and salt. Divide the meat equally to make 4 patties, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat 3/4 inch of oil in a skillet. Pan-fry the patties, turning once, until cooked through, for about 4 minutes per side.

To assemble each hamburger, place a patty on the bottom half of a roll and top with a tomato slice, an onion slice, and serve with French fries. Spread 1 T. of mustard on the inside of the top half of the roll and place over the patty to close.