Louisiana Cane Glazed Burger avec Creole Remoulade and Cajun Slaw

We have seen the Cajun food craze come and go and come again. My Cajun French-speaking family knows that Cajun food is not a passing fancy. For us it was and still is a way of life. We are descendants of the refugees who were expelled from Acadia, now Nova Scotia, who found a new home in south Louisiana. Creoles, (descendants of native south Louisianans born of European parents), African-Americans, (descendants of enslaved sugar plantation workers, cooks and servants), and Cajuns form the melting pot of south Louisiana cooking. This hamburger recipe reflects these three great cultures.

Ingredients:

Creole Remoulade
1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup Creole mustard or coarse ground mustard
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Cajun Slaw
½ cup Creole cream cheese or sour cream
1 tablespoon Colavita Balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon raw or light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups supermarket shredded cole slaw cabbage and carrot mix

Cane Glaze
1 cup sugar cane syrup or molasses
¼ cup Colavita Balsamic vinegar

Patties
¾ cup of crumb from French bread or baguette torn into about ½-inch pieces
¼ cup buttermilk
2 pounds ground chuck, 80 percent lean
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground red cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil for brushing on the grill rack
6 pieces French bread or baguettes cut about 3 to 4 inches wide and long, cut in half lengthwise

Instructions:

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. Ensure that the grill has a hot zone and a warm zone.

To make the Remoulade, in a small bowl, add the mayonnaise and mustards. Stir until well blended. Refrigerate.

To make the slaw, in a medium bowl, whisk the Creole cream cheese (or sour cream) balsamic vinegar, sugar and salt until blended. Add slaw mix and toss until well coated. Refrigerate.

To make the glaze, in a small bowl, stir the cane syrup (or molasses) and balsamic vinegar until blended.

To make the patties, in a small bowl, add the bread and milk. Mash with a fork until a paste is formed. In a large bowl, sheet pan, or cutting board, arrange the ground chuck in about a ¾ inch layer. Sprinkle the salt, onion, garlic and pepper evenly on the surface of the ground chuck. Spoon the panade evenly over the ground chuck. Gently mix with hands until incorporated. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions, gently form balls and pat into patties that are slightly larger than the bread. Press down with fingers on the center portion of the patties to create a 1/4-inch depression.

When the grill is ready, brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack in the hot zone, cover and cook until browned on the bottom, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the patties and brush the cooked side with the glaze. Cook 3 to 4 minutes more, flip and brush with glaze. Move to the warm zone of the rack and continue cooking and flipping every minute or so until done to about 160 degrees F and remove from grill. During the last few minutes of cooking, place the bread cut side down on a cooler portion of the rack to lightly toast. Remove from grill.

To build the burgers, spread a generous amount of the Remoulade on each of the 6 bread tops and bottoms. Place patties on the bottoms followed by equal portions of slaw and tops. Serve.