It’s Thai Time Burgers with Chunky Peanut Satay Sauce

Ingredients

"A Jad" Cucumber Salad
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 teaspoons palm sugar or brown sugar
3 shallots, thinly sliced
3 Thai chile peppers, thinly sliced
1 medium sized cucumber, finely sliced into coins
Chunky Peanut Satay Sauce
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons shallots, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons red curry paste
8 tablespoons coconut milk
1 tablespoon palm sugar or brown sugar
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
Patties
2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
6 (4 1/2-inch) soft Kaiser rolls, split
3 cups shredded romaine lettuce

Instructions

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. To make the cucumber salad, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, shallots, and chili peppers in a bowl. Mix well to combine. Gently stir in the cucumber slices. Refrigerate until serving. To make the satay sauce, combine peanut butter, garlic, shallots, curry paste, coconut milk, and sugar in a 10-inch nonstick, fire-proof skillet, and place on the grill rack. Cook the peanut mixture for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring regularly, until sauce thickens and turns a nice roasted peanut color. Remove the pan from the grill and set aside. Stir in the rice vinegar. To make the patties, combine chuck, ginger, cilantro, shallots, soy sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form the portions into patties to fit the rolls. When the grill is ready, brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done to preference, 5 to 7 minutes on each side for medium. While patties are cooking, remove cucumber slices from liquid to drain on a paper towel covered plate. When the patties are cooked, remove from the grill, stacking to keep warm. Place the rolls, cut side down, on the outer edges of the grill rack to toast lightly. To assemble the burgers, spread a generous amount of the satay sauce over the cut sides of the rolls. On each roll bottom, place a 1/2 cup of the shredded romaine, a patty, and 5 cucumber slices arranged in thin layer. Add the roll tops and serve. Makes 6 burgers