Mortadella burger: 100% Bolognese flavor and 100% original recipe by Tortellini&CO.
Flavorful but not too much. Soft and tasty.
The mortadella burger smells of lemon and nutmeg.
Best of all, it is made with lots of PGI mortadella, one of the iconic products of Bologna, my city, but everyone in the world likes it, right?
My recipe
Years ago, in 2015, I was inspired by my passion for hamburgers and mortadella to create a burger that spoke Bolognese. So, I started testing to find the right balance.
Burger after burger, trial after trial, I kept adding mortadella to the overall amount of mince until I found a satisfactory percentage.
To the ground mortadella (you can mince it in the home blender), I added minced pork loin, the first time, and then veal (both work fine for me). I also try Italian sausage, but for me, it is not. It makes everything too fatty and covers the other flavors.
Yes, because mortadella is not a flavor added to the mince in this burger. On the contrary, it is a generous amount, and this particular one makes the mortadella burger unique and special.
When developing the recipe, I even argued with my butcher. He almost rebelled, at least he tried to, when I exceeded 2 ounces of Bologna on 500g of mince. At three ounces, he said no or, better, at least, he tried.
He said it wouldn’t work, was unbalanced, and wasn’t right.
But I love being wrong too much to listen to those who try to warn me.
Of course, I almost always walk feet-first into a puddle oozing tragedy. This time, no, I was right.
Recently, I took the recipe back into my hands and added some details. For example, the scent of lemon zest, that goes great with mortadella, a pinch of nutmeg, and more ricotta cheese. Finally, while cooking, I used lemon juice, no oil, and no wine to blend (you find everything in the procedure).
Mortadella burger
The burger that speaks Bolognese, the one with good mortadella, is a real heart stealer.
I like to serve it between two slices of good bread, but you can also cook it on the grill or serve it as a Swiss-style steak and accompany it with a side dish.
Of course, a good burger must come with sauces, cheese, and vegetables.
I have used mayonnaise and plum ketchup. This is another original recipe I developed, and it’s in the blog archive.
I can tell you it’s the bomb!
The cheese must be the kind that melts; a good thinly sliced cheese will do.
Finally, choose lettuce, onion, tomato, or finely chopped red cabbage for vegetables.
Buona cucina, Monica
Suggested
- It is a different burger but it is: Potato and Lentil Burger.
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Mortadella burger
Ingredients
- 250 g of mortadella
- 200 g minced veal or loin or a mix of them
- 100 g of ricotta cheese
- 1 g of salt
- grated zest of ½ untreated lemon optional but strongly recommended
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg optional
- a few basil and sage leaves and a sprig of rosemary, washed and dried
- filtered juice of one or two lemons.
Also
- 4 slices of onion
- 4 slices of tomato
- 8 slices of cheese
- sauces
- olive oil and salt to taste
Instructions
- Finely chop mortadella in a blender.
- Combine mortadella, ground meat, ricotta cheese, salt, grated lemon zest, and nutmeg in a bowl.
- Mix the mixture with your hands and divide it into 4 equal parts (forming balls) to make hamburgers of about 100g each, or make two for big eaters.
- Shape the balls into hamburgers using your hands (press the dough with the palm of your hand and even out the edges). Set aside.
- Arrange the onion slices in a pan with one part of the aromatics and a drizzle of oil, keeping the others aside. Cook until the slices are soft and lightly toasted (add a tablespoon of sugar for a caramelized effect, if you like).
- Cut a tomato into slices, making at least 4, arrange on a plate, and season with salt and olive oil.
- Cut the bread in half for stuffing and set aside.
- In the pan where you cooked the onion, arrange the aromatics on the bottom and the burgers on top, then cook over high heat for about 3-4 minutes per side, fading with lemon juice (use olive oil if you prefer).
- Meanwhile, heat the buns on both sides of the griddle.
Mortadella burger assembly
- On the first slice of bread, put 2 teaspoons of sauce (mayonnaise and ketchup), then a slice of onion, a slice of cheese, the bologna burger, more sauce, a slice of tomato, a slice of cheese, sauce again, and close the sandwich with the last layer of bread.
Tip
- When you prepare the ingredients, preheat the oven to 200C (392F) degrees so you can keep the buns warm while the cheese gets creamy.
