Uptown Burgers and Tots
- 6 medium starchy potatoes, peeled and cubed
- Salt
- 3 tablespoons finely grated onion
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
- Finely ground black pepper
- Oil for frying
- 1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin, cut into cubes or ask your butcher to coarse-grind the tenderloin for you
- 1/4 cup very finely chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup grated onion
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 1 large egg yolk, beaten
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Sliced mozzarella or mild cheddar, optional
- Brioche burger rolls, split, lightly toasted
For the tots, boil potatoes until tender. Drain and pass through a ricer into mixing bowl. Combine with grated onion, flour, egg, minced rosemary and season with salt and pepper. On a floured surface, roll into 1-inch thick logs and cut into tots.
Heat frying oil in a countertop fryer to 350F or heat a few inches of oil in a large Dutch oven. Fry tots in small batches when burgers are ready to serve. Season cooked tots with a little extra salt.
For the burgers, with meat grinder attachment on a stand mixer, coarse-grind meat if you didn't get it already ground. Transfer ground meat to a mixing bowl and add parsley, onions, salt, pepper and egg yolk. Form 4 patties. Heat a cast-iron pan or large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and when it foams, add burger patties. Cook 6-8 minutes for rare to medium-rare, turning once. Add cheese in last minute for cheeseburgers, tenting with foil to melt. Serve on brioche rolls with tots alongside.