Sweet Onion Burgers and Vinegar Oven Fries
Ingredients
For the fries
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons white vinegar, divided
- 3 Russet potatoes, peeled
- Cooking spray
- Fine sea salt or kosher salt
For the onions
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 large onions, quartered, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 large bay leaf
- Salt
- White pepper and finely ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons pickle relish, such as Wickles
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon safflower, vegetable or canola oil
- 1 1/2 pounds 80% lean ground beef
- 8 slices sharp American cheese, such as Cooper, mild cheddar or Swiss
- 4 potato burger rolls
- Chopped iceberg or gem Romaine lettuce
- Bread-and-butter pickle slices
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Place 2 tablespoons vinegar and about 3 cups water in a bowl. Cut the peeled potatoes first into planks then into thin fries. Add fries to vinegar bath and soak 20 minutes.
While the fries are cooking, in a skillet over medium heat, melt butter for the onions. Add onions and bay, and season with salt and both peppers. Cook onions 15-20 minutes until very soft and light caramel in color. Add 1 cup of water and cook 10 minutes longer until onions are a deep caramel color and the water has been absorbed.
In a bowl, combine sour cream, ketchup, relish and Worcestershire sauce.
Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high to high heat with oil, 1 turn of the pan. Divide the meat into four portions and loosely roll each portion into a ball. Add balls to the hot pan and smash them into patties with a metal burger spatula. Season with salt and pepper, and cook 3 minutes then flip and top each patty with 2 slices of cheese. Cook burgers 2-3 minutes more, tenting with foil to melt the cheese.
To build the burgers, slather sauce on the bun bottoms and top with lettuce, pickles, a burger patty and some sweet onions. Set bun tops in place and serve.