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Surf and Turf Burgers

By Russell Selander

Published on June 2, 2020

Time

35 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Surf and Turf Burgers

Ingredients

8 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over for shells¼ cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard ¾ teaspoon table salt, divided½ teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juicePinch cayenne pepper 1 Grind-Your-Own Ultimate Beef Burger Blend recipe (see note) or 1¾ pounds 85 percent lean ground beef¼ teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, plus extra as needed8 ounces thin asparagus, trimmed and halved4 hamburger buns, toasted if desired

Before You Begin

We prefer to use either our Grind-Your-Own Sirloin Burger Blend or our Grind-Your-Own Ultimate Burger Blend here; however, you can substitute 1¾ pounds of 85 percent ground beef if desired. If food safety is your primary concern, you may want to cook your burger to a higher internal temperature. To learn more, check out this guide.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine crab, mayonnaise, tarragon, mustard, ¼ teaspoon salt, lemon zest and juice, and cayenne in bowl. Season with salt to taste. Set aside until ready to serve.
  2. Divide burger blend into 4 lightly packed balls, then gently flatten into ¾‑inch-thick patties. Using your fingertips, press center of each patty down until about ½ inch thick, creating slight divot.
  3. Season patties with remaining ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat oil in 12‑inch skillet over high heat until just smoking. Using spatula, transfer patties to skillet, divot side up, and cook until well browned on first side, 2 to 4 minutes. Gently flip patties and continue to cook until well browned on second side, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer patties to rimmed baking sheet, divot side down, and bake until burgers register 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare) or 130 to 135 degrees (for medium), 3 to 8 minutes. Transfer burgers to platter and let rest while cooking asparagus.
  4. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon fat from skillet. (If necessary, add extra oil as needed to equal 1 teaspoon.) Add asparagus and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until just tender and spotty brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Serve burgers on buns, topped with asparagus and crab mixture.
Surf and Turf Burgers
Photography by Daniel J. van Ackere. Styling by Catrine Kelty.

Surf and Turf Burgers

Headshot of Russell Selander
By Russell Selander
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Time

35 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 Grind-Your-Own Ultimate Beef Burger Blend recipe (see note) or 1¾ pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil, plus extra as needed
8 ounces thin asparagus, trimmed and halved
4 hamburger buns, toasted if desired

Ingredients

8 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 Grind-Your-Own Ultimate Beef Burger Blend recipe (see note) or 1¾ pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil, plus extra as needed
8 ounces thin asparagus, trimmed and halved
4 hamburger buns, toasted if desired

Ingredients

8 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 Grind-Your-Own Ultimate Beef Burger Blend recipe (see note) or 1¾ pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil, plus extra as needed
8 ounces thin asparagus, trimmed and halved
4 hamburger buns, toasted if desired

Why This Recipe Works

Our goal was to translate its components into a rich, elegant burger. To keep our recipe streamlined (we were making a burger after all), we decided to make a cheater’s béarnaise by combining mayonnaise, lemon juice, fresh tarragon, and a bit of Dijon; mixing our béarnaise with the fresh crabmeat made for a cohesive topping. While our burgers cooked, we trimmed and halved asparagus spears and seared them until they just developed flavorful browning but were still crisp-tender. We placed the asparagus on top of the beef patties and topped it with our crabmeat mixture, which held the asparagus in place. The result was a sumptuous steakhouse meal on a bun.

Before You Begin

We prefer to use either our Grind-Your-Own Sirloin Burger Blend or our Grind-Your-Own Ultimate Burger Blend here; however, you can substitute 1¾ pounds of 85 percent ground beef if desired. If food safety is your primary concern, you may want to cook your burger to a higher internal temperature. To learn more, check out this guide.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine crab, mayonnaise, tarragon, mustard, ¼ teaspoon salt, lemon zest and juice, and cayenne in bowl. Season with salt to taste. Set aside until ready to serve.
  2. Divide burger blend into 4 lightly packed balls, then gently flatten into ¾‑inch-thick patties. Using your fingertips, press center of each patty down until about ½ inch thick, creating slight divot.
  3. Season patties with remaining ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat oil in 12‑inch skillet over high heat until just smoking. Using spatula, transfer patties to skillet, divot side up, and cook until well browned on first side, 2 to 4 minutes. Gently flip patties and continue to cook until well browned on second side, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer patties to rimmed baking sheet, divot side down, and bake until burgers register 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare) or 130 to 135 degrees (for medium), 3 to 8 minutes. Transfer burgers to platter and let rest while cooking asparagus.
  4. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon fat from skillet. (If necessary, add extra oil as needed to equal 1 teaspoon.) Add asparagus and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until just tender and spotty brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Serve burgers on buns, topped with asparagus and crab mixture.

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