Xíu Mại Burger Recipe
A classic with a twist
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What is Xíu mại??
This is Xíu mại 🤩
The Vietnamese meatballs… sweet, tangy, juicy and sooooo fkn’ delicious! I have a video on how to make them if you’re interested in that. Just like other meatballs, these are very versatile, it can be paired with pretty much anything. It taste the best with a baguette but I also enjoy them on a bed of rice or just by itself.
What makes these “Vietnamese”?.. well the flavors duh! but there is an ingredient in here that’s not in the common meatballs and that is Jicama. The jicama adds a subtle sweetness, texture and freshness to the meatballs, making them stand out from the rest.
Like a lot of my recipes, it’s definitely not the traditional way to make it, but it’s definitely a personal way to make it. I take the flavors that I’m inspired by and turn it into something refreshing and new, cooking is all about using what you have (ingredients, knowledge, technique) and turning it into something new and enjoyable. Food is always evolving so there will always be space to create and play. I came up with my own version of Xíu mại and now I’m taking it a bit further by turning it into an all American smash burger.
Introducing the Xíu Mại Burger (Serves 4-6)
Ingredients
Ground Beef (1 pound)
Shallot (medium sized, about 2 tablespoons minced)
Garlic (1 bulb, the more the better tho)
Jicama (1)
Scallions (2-3 stems)
Roma tomato (3)
Egg (1)
Fish sauce
Oyster sauce
Soy sauce
Ciabatta bun bread
Avocado
Butter Lettuce
Swiss cheese
Mayo (regular or Kewpie)
Salt & Pepper
Directions
Core stem from 1 tomato then quarter it. Lightly salt tomato, feel free to add some garlic cloves in there if you want. Place it in the oven at 400 for about 15-20 minutes or until the skin starts to blister & releases juice.
I added some rosemary but that is optional Mince the shallot (about 2 tablespoons), mince the garlic bulb, thinly slice the green onions and mince a quarter of the jicama (should be about half a cup. Leave it on the side.
Add 1 pound of ground beef to a clean bowl big enough for mixing, add minced shallots, minced garlic, thinly sliced scallions & minced jicama into the mixing bowl and work into the meat.
Add 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce ,2 tablespoons of sugar & 1 egg into the meat mixture and work into the meat.
Before we form the meat mixture into balls, we need to test how the meat taste. Always do this when you’re making a meat mixture like patties, meatballs, sausages, etc… Better be safe than sorry.
My little tester Form the meat mixture into balls, mine was a little smaller than a billiard ball but bigger than a golf ball.. sorry I forgot to take a picture of it, but use your imagination. Also, do it based on your preference.. ask yourself “how big do I want my patties?” and go from there, don’t let a recipe tell you what to do.. it’s just a guide, you da boss.
By this point your tomato should be done so take it out now. Let’s prep the area for an efficient burger building station. Wash the lettuce, slice the avocado, slice the tomatoes and toast the buns.
Make the aioli by combining 1 cup of mayo and roasted tomatoes with each other. You can be adventurous and make your own mayo… but that’s a recipe for another day or you can watch this video for reference on how to make mayo from scratch.. good luck if you do!
I used a cast iron to cook my patty. My fire is on medium-high heat, I drop a ball in, then press it down with a burger press and leave it on for 3 minutes then flip, add the Swiss cheese slice and leave it in the skillet for another minute or two
Then I assemble my burger. Bun, lettuce, patty, another patty, avocado, tomatoes, then crown it with a top bun that’s been dressed with the aioli.
If you decide to try this recipe out, post it and tag me so I can see your version of it & if you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding this recipe please leave a comment below.
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