Truffles, cakes, cocktails—what will we put coffee in next? Add burgers to the list as one of the more surprising foods that you can kick up with caffeine. Seattle’s Hard Rock Café serves a Java Lava Burger as its “Local Legendary” Emerald City sandwich, and restaurants across the Northwest and the U.S. have experimented with the unconventional topping. Some add coffee to the meat mixture, some use it for cooking the burger, and some work coffee into the toppings.
How to do coffee burgers yourself? A coffee rub. This recipe works great with both lamb or beef burger patties. Sides, buns and toppings are up to you—slice some espresso cheese, pay homage to Chef Kai Krupa by caramelizing onions with fresh-brewed coffee, or whip up a batch of coffee barbecue sauce to bring out the roasty flavors of these burger patties. Happy grilling!
Coffee Rubbed Burgers
Makes 8 burger patties
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground lamb or beef, formed into eight patties (add 1-2 eggs to the mixture if desired)
¼ cup coffee, freshly ground for drip (dark is great, try Jivaro Dusk from Cherry Hill Coffee in Kelowna, BC)
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
Directions:
Dip both sides of burger lightly in rub and grill until slightly charred. Top, serve and pair with one of last week’s coldbrew cocktails.
