Chef notes
AL Roker teamed up with cult-favorite burger chain Shake Shack to offer the delicious Roker Burger nationwide. It was only on the menu for a week, but gained lots of fans in that time. So if you missed it or have been craving another taste, here's the home-cook-friendly recipe for you to try yourself!
Ingredients
- 1 pound best quality all-natural beef, freshly ground from whole muscle cuts
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 slices American cheese
- 4 potato sandwich rolls
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 1 cup your favorite pulled pork in BBQ sauce, warmed
- ½ cup red-eye mayo (recipe follows)
- 12 kosher dill pickle chips
- Canola oil
- ½ cup best quality store-bought mayonnaise, extra heavy
- 1½ teaspoons espresso
- 1½ teaspoons white vinegar
- 1½ teaspoons maple syrup
- Pinch salt and pepper
Preparation
Red-eye mayo:
Using a whisk, combine all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and homogeneous in color. Note: Red-eye mayo can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To assemble the burger:
1.Open buns and brush insides with melted butter. Then place buttered side down in a large skillet heated over medium heat and toast inside of buns until golden brown, about 30 seconds.
2.Remove buns from the skillet and spoon on about 2 tablespoons of red-eye mayo on the tops of each bun. Places buns off to the side.
3.Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking.
4.While the pan is heating, divide ground beef into four equal balls, about 4 ounces each. Season the outside of each ball liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
5.Once pan is heated, place balls into skillet, evenly spaced apart. Using the back of a firm spatula, press down upon each ball until a ¾-inch-thick patty forms.
6.Allow pressed patties to cook for 1 1/2 minutes until a deep brown sear forms on the bottom of each patty.
7.Using the spatula, gently release each patty from the pan by slipping the tip of the spatula between the bottom of the burger and the pan, and then flip over. Place two slices of cheese on top of each patty once flipped and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and creamy. About another 1 ½ minutes.
8.Remove the patties from the skillet using the spatula and place on the prepared buns. Divide the pulled pork into 4 equal portions and place on top of burgers. Then top each burger with 3 pickle slices. Close top bun and enjoy.
