A winning burger recipe by a Virginia woman will strike a chord in Hawaii residents.
Jennifer Beckman of Falls Church, Va., won $100,000 for her Screen Porch Burger recipe in the 21st annual Build a Better Burger contest, Sutter Home Winery’s annual competition. Beckman’s burger includes a sweet corn basil cheese spread and a topping of "frickle," flour-, cornmeal- and panko-coated pickles that are deep fried.
But what’s surely to be of interest to local folks is her choice of bun: King’s Original Hawaiian Sweet Sandwich Buns, a sandwich-sized version of the company’s beloved sweet bread. In a news release from King’s Hawaiian Bread, Beckman says she chose the buns because they "add perfect balance" to her savory ingredients.
Find the buns at Safeway stores on Pali Highway, South Beretania Street, Manoa, Kapahulu and Salt Lake. The original sweet bread is sold at most Safeway and Longs Drugs stores.
Screen Porch Burger
Created by Jennifer Beckman
» Sweet Corn-Basil Cheese:
6 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese
1 cup sweet corn kernels, from about 3 ears
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup mayonnaise
» Bread and Butter Frickles:
1 cup vegetable oil
12 long sandwich-cut (stacker) bread and butter pickles
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
» Patties:
2 pounds ground chuck
1/2 cup finely sliced green onions
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
6 King’s Original Hawaiian Sweet Sandwich Buns
6 slices (1/4 inch-thick) heirloom tomato
6 leaves red-leaf lettuce
To make the cheese spread, in medium bowl shred cheese and combine with corn, basil and mayonnaise; stir to blend. Set aside until ready to serve.
Heat grill to high.
To make frickles, put cast-iron skillet on grill for 5 minutes, add oil and heat to 350 degrees. While pan is heating, lay pickle slices in single layer on paper towel and blot with second towel.
Arrange 3 small bowls: Place flour in the first, beat eggs and milk together in second, and mix cornmeal and panko in third. Season contents of each bowl with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and mix to combine.
Bread pickle slices by turning in flour, dipping in egg mixture and coating with panko-cornmeal mixture. Fry in batches, turning once, until golden brown and crisp, about 90 seconds per side. Drain.
Reduce grill heat to medium-high.
For patties, in bowl, combine all ingredients and mix gently.
Divide into 6 equal portions and form into 3/4-inch-thick patties to fit the buns.
Brush grill rack with vegetable oil. Place patties on rack, cover and cook, turning once, until done to preference, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare.
After turning patties, arrange buns, cut side down, around edges of grill to toast.
To assemble, place a patty on each bun bottom. Top each with 2 crisscrossed frickles, a tomato slice and a lettuce leaf.
Spread the top half of each roll with a scant 1/4 cup of cheese mixture and serve. Serves 6.
Approximate nutritional information per serving (includes cheese and frickles): 1,100 calories, 61 g fat, 17 g saturated fat, 200 mg cholesterol, greater than 2,000 mg sodium, 89 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 25 g sugar, 49 g protein