Frita Cubana (Cuban Hamburger)

It is true that Cubans fry everything. Hamburgers are no exception. In fact, a Cuban hamburger is called a frita, the Spanish word for fried.

Possible to grill it... though it would not be a frita. Either way, here's the recipe for an outrageous patty, 8 to be precise:

Yields 8 frita patties

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground chorizo sausage (remove casings)
6 cloves of garlic, mashed
3 tablespoons onion powder
1 large onion, chopped
1 large can of shoestring potatoes (or make them at home by running potatoes though a grater and frying them)
½ cup of ketchup (More ketchup for later)

There are several variations on the frita. Some call for worcestershire sauce, one egg as a binding agent, or cumin powder. Feel free to experiment. You can buy sirloin instead of regular ground beef if you want to cut the fat a little bit. You can also use bagged shredded hash brown potatoes, separate them and fry in a deep fryer to use instead of the canned ones.

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix the three kinds of meat well and add the garlic, onion powder and ketchup, plus any of the optional ingridients that call out to you. Form into patties and fry or grill.

Serve on a regular hamburger bun. Top patty with chopped onion (use raw or sauted, depending on preference), shoestring potatoes and ketchup (optional).

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Tags: beef, chorizo, cuban hamburger, frita, frita cubana, pork, recipe, sausage

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Comment by Chantal on August 29, 2010 at 12:03am: I ended up making this. Amazing! Best burger ever. My only problem was that the chorizo I had was a little too oily, other than that, will definitely make again. Thank you!

Comment by Michelle Ruiz on August 27, 2010 at 9:05pm: Thank you JORGE for showing me the way to get this recipe I'm going to try and recreate this at home tomorrow.... yummy.

Comment by Chantal on July 8, 2010 at 12:29am: I definitely have to make this. Thank you!

Comment by Cindy Kennedy on July 4, 2010 at 2:14pm: Maydel - from a carnivore's viewpoint, this may well be the ultimate 'burger. Fritas are going onto our menu!

Comment by Olga M. Torres on July 3, 2010 at 10:54pm: Fritas cubanas are the best ! I love them, the combination of the burger and the potatoes create the perfect match!! Thank ypou so much for the recipe!

Comment by Sonia R. Martinez on July 3, 2010 at 10:31pm: Pretty much like what you do, except I use just pork and beef, no chorizo...I use minced garlic and onions, no onion powder. sometimes I fry my own shoestring potatoes - depends on mood. ;-)

Comment by Maydel Santana-Bravo on July 3, 2010 at 10:02pm: Oh, wow! I don't have any memories of having fritas in Cuba... but I'll live vicariously through you, Sonia. Thanks for sharing. How do you make them?

Comment by Sonia R. Martinez on July 3, 2010 at 7:48pm: I love to make fritas, but don't indulge much any longer....In Cienfuegos, where I was born, there was an old Chinese man who made the best fritas. His stand was on the way to and from school...A group of us would stop at least two-three times a week on the way home from school for a merienda of 'el chino Julio's' fritas!