Turkish Manti Burger Sliders with Yogurt Garlic Sauce, Tomato Pepper Drizzle and Golden Raisin Corn Spread – AKA The “Full Manti” Burger

This recipe is a burger rendition of a Turkish pasta dish called Manti. Traditionally is it a mini stuffed pasta filled with lamb and then covered in a yogurt sauce and drizzled with a red pepper sauce. I make a vegetarian version with black burgers, so this brings together my version of Manti with a beef burger. It is truly a unique flavor experience and the flavor that penetrates the beef from the black bean, onion and raisin mixture is so delicious. These burgers are also really good when room temperature or even cold from the refrigerator the next day. They are my go to burger lately, you have sweet, salty and spicy all in one mini burger!

Ingredients:

2 ears of fresh corn, brushed with light olive oil

Caramelized Onions:
1/4 cup light olive oil
4 cups of sweet yellow onions, peeled, washed and diced (about 2 medium or 1 large onion)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons fig balsamic vinegar

Burger Pattie Mixture:

8 oz. black bean burgers (approx. 3 patties) from the freezer section in your local supermarket, broken up
1/2 cup reserved caramelized onions
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 lbs. lean ground beef
3/4 Tablespoon kosher salt

Yogurt sauce:

1 cup plain non-fat Greek Style yogurt
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon dried mint, finely ground with your fingers

Hot Pepper Sauce:

3 Tablespoon butter
3 Tablespoon light olive oil
3 Tablespoon tomato paste
3 teaspoon paprika
3 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 Tablespoon water

Golden Raisin Corn Spread:

2/3 cup corn – removed from grilled corn
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup reserved caramelized onions
1 Tablespoon light olive oil

12 potato dinner rolls, split (about 2.5″- 3″ in diameter)

Oil for grill grates

Instructions:

1. Preheat a gas grill to medium heat.

2. Place ears of corn on grill, cook on each side for about 5 minutes, once all sides are slightly charred remove from heat and let cool down to handle. Turn the grill heat level to medium high heat.

3. To make the caramelized onions heat the oil in a fireproof 12″ skillet. Add the onions, salt and pepper. Sauté for 15 minutes or until the onions have caramelized and are a golden/deep brown color. Add in the fig balsamic vinegar, then put aside 1/2 cup of onions for the raisin corn spread.

4. To the remaining onions in the skillet add in the black bean burgers; warm through and combine with the ½ cup reserved caramelized onions. Put the black bean and onion mixture into a food processor along with the golden raisins; pulse until the mixture reaches the consistency of ground beef, let cool.

5. Prepare the burger mixture by placing the ground beef in a large bowl and adding the black bean, onion, raisin mixture and salt. Mix with your hands to combine, then make 12 slider size burgers about 4 oz. each.

6. Brush the grill grates with some oil and place the burgers on the grill and cook the first side for 4 minutes and then flip the burgers and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the second side. Once burgers are done grilling, place on a plate and tent with foil. Turn heat down on the grill to low.

7. While burgers are resting complete the condiments. Combine yogurt, salt, garlic and mint in a bowl, place in the refrigerator or cooler until needed. For the golden raisin corn spread, scrape the corn off the cobs and add the corn, raisins, caramelized onions and oil in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is smooth, put into a bowl. Then add all the ingredients for the tomato pepper sauce in a fireproof 6″ – 8″ sauce pan and place over the low heat on the grill, stir with a wire whisk and cook just until ingredients combine.

8. Place the burger buns on the grill and grill for about 1 minute, remove from heat

9. To serve, build each burger as follows, burger bun bottom, a spoon of the corn raisin spread, a burger pattie, a dollop of the yogurt sauce, a drizzle of the tomato pepper sauce and top with the top of the bun.

Serves 6 people – 2 slider burgers per person.