Superiority Burger Cookbook

PUMP CHEESE

Makes 3 cups

6 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 poblano pepper, chopped

1 jalapeño chile, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon chile powder

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1½ cups roasted cashews

1 russet potato, peeled and thinly sliced

1 large carrot, unpeeled and chopped

¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes

1 tablespoon hot pepper pickle juice or white wine vinegar

Heat the grapeseed oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, poblano, and jalapeño and cook until well-caramelized and browned. Add the cumin, chile powder, and tumeric and cook for a few more minutes to release the oils from the spices. Add the cashews, potato, carrot, and about 4 cups of water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer until everything is mushy. Stir in the nutritional yeast and pickle juice off the heat.

In batches, transfer the solid matter to a high-powered blender, adding some of the cooking liquid (or water) as necessary to create the desired cheeselike consistency. Season with salt and black pepper. You can add more tumeric if you want a more yellow hue, but be careful, as the tumeric flavor will begin to overpower everything.

PICKLED ONIONS AND OTHER ALLIUMS

Makes 2 cups

2 cups golden balsamic vinegar

1 cup cane sugar

1 tablespoon Korean chile flakes

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 medium red onions (or substitute ramps, garlic scapes, or shallots), thinly sliced

Bring the golden balsamic vinegar, sugar, chile flakes, and salt to rolling boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Blanch the onions in the boiling vinegar for about 45 seconds. Remove from the pan and spread on a baking sheet to cool. Once they are cool, put the onions in a storage container. Let the pickling liquid cool also and pour over the onions to fully cover them. It’s best to let the onions sit in this liquid overnight—they will turn translucent when they are ready.

FRIED SALT-AND-VINEGAR WONTON WRAPPERS

Makes 8 fried wonton wrappers

1 quart grapeseed oil

8 square wonton wrappers

Malt vinegar powder

Heat the grapeseed oil in a tall-sided saucepan to 350ºF. Gently fry the wonton skins until crisp and bubbled, jostling them around in the oil. Drain on paper towels and season aggressively with salt and malt vinegar powder.

CHILE OIL

Makes 1 cup

1 cup grapeseed oil

1 teaspoon Korean chile flakes

Warm the oil slightly and let the chile flakes bloom in the oil. Chill and keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.

PICKLED GOLDEN RAISINS

Makes 2 cups

1½ cups golden raisins

1 cup cider vinegar

½ cup water

½ cup raw sugar

1 tablespoon Korean chile flakes

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Put the raisins in a heat-safe container. Bring all the other ingredients to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Once boiling, remove from the heat and pour over the raisins. Let sit for at least an hour before using. The pickled raisins will keep for up to 2 months.

CASHEW CREAM

Makes 2 cups

1½ cups raw cashews, soaked in water overnight

1 cup water

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Drain the soaked cashews and rinse with fresh water. Place the cashews in a high-powered blender. Add the water, lemon juice, and salt and blend, starting slowly and gradually increasing the speed. Blend on high until super smooth. You may have to add a little more water or agitate the cashews while blending on low to get the whole thing going. Check the seasoning for more salt if needed. It should have a consistency slightly looser than sour cream. You can omit the lemon juice if you want to use the cashew cream in place of heavy cream, such as in creamy soups.

HAMMERED MUSHROOMS

Makes 2 cups

2 pounds button mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1½ tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon Korean chile flakes

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Toss the sliced mushrooms with the olive oil, maple syrup, and chile flakes in a medium bowl until they are evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the mushrooms evenly between the two pans and spread into a single layer. Bake for 25 minutes. Toss the mushrooms with a spoon and return to the oven. Continue to cook the mushrooms, checking on them every 10 minutes or so and stirring every time you check. The mushrooms are done when they are a deep brown color (but not burned) and slightly dried out—dried at the edges and firm in the center. Remove from the oven and let cool a little before using.

POLENTA PLANKS

Makes about 12 planks

Extra virgin olive oil

7 cups water

2 cups high-quality polenta (we use Anson Mills)

Kosher salt

Lightly grease a quarter sheet pan or an 8-inch square baking pan with a little bit of olive oil.

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add salt and taste the water—it should taste well seasoned. While whisking, pour the polenta into the boiling water. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, whisking occasionally. When ready, check the seasoning again for salt and then carefully pour the hot polenta into the pan and smooth the top as evenly as possible. Let set up at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. It will cut most easily into clean pieces if refrigerated for a couple hours or overnight. Cut into 12 planks.

CHEESY BRINED TOFU

Makes 2 cups

1 pound extra firm tofu, drained well, coarsely crumbled or cut into 1½-inch cubes

½ cup white miso

½ cup nutritional yeast flakes

1½ tablespoons cane sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

¼ cup white wine vinegar

Place the tofu in a large, sealable, heat-safe container. In a medium saucepan, combine the miso, nutritional yeast, sugar, salt, white wine vinegar, and 4 cups water and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, whisking often to completely dissolve the miso. Once the mixture is boiling, remove from the heat. Carefully pour the hot brine over the tofu. Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating. This should sit for at least 4 hours before it is used to allow the flavors to fully infiltrate the tofu. It will only get better when it is refrigerated overnight or even a couple of days.

PASTRAMI TOFU

Makes 1 block, serves 6

¾ cup black peppercorns

½ cup coriander seeds, toasted

¼ cup crushed red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup kosher salt

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 cup dry white wine

½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 pound extra firm tofu, drained, cut into ½-inch slabs

4 tablespoons grapeseed oil for searing

Maple syrup

Grind the peppercorns, coriander seeds, and red pepper flakes together in a spice grinder. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the cinnamon, salt, garlic, white wine, and brown sugar to the bowl and mix to create a paste with the spices. Rub the outside of each tofu slab generously with about 2 tablespoons of the rub per slab. Place the slabs in a plastic storage container that has a tight-fitting lid—make sure to pack them in tightly. Sprinkle any remaining rub over the top of the tofu before sealing the container and putting it into the refrigerator. Let sit in the rub for about 4 days before using. When ready to use, rub off any excess seasoning from the outside of the slabs. Cut into ½-by-½-inch pieces. Sear in a hot pan with the grapeseed oil until they are golden brown and crispy. Right before they are finished, add a few tablespoons of maple syrup and let it caramelize and coat the exterior of the tofu. Serve hot.

CRUNCHY POTATOES

Serves 6

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch pieces

Extra virgin olive oil

Place the cut potatoes in a large pot and fill with enough cold water to fully cover the potatoes. Season the water with plenty of salt. Bring up to a boil over high heat and reduce to a simmer. This is a good time to preheat the oven at 400ºF. Cook the potatoes until it seems as though they are overcooked. They should be on the brink of falling apart and no longer have any sharp edges from being cut. Drain in a colander and return the potatoes to the now-empty pot. Add ¼ cup olive oil, along with salt and pepper, to the potatoes and stir gently to coat. Lightly grease two baking sheets with oil.

Divide the potatoes between the two baking sheets and spread into a single layer. Put into the oven and set a timer for 25 minutes. When the time is up, take the sheets out of the oven and use a metal spatula to scrape and flip the potatoes. The surface that was touching the sheets should be golden brown. Return the sheets to the oven and set a timer for another 15 minutes. When the time is up, flip the potatoes again. Keep cooking in 5-minute intervals until they are golden brown all over. Serve hot.

CONFIT POTATOES

Serves 6

2 pounds small Yukon Gold or fingerling potatoes, sliced into ½-inch coins

4 cups grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons kosher salt

Spices, herbs, or aromatics

Place the sliced potatoes, grapeseed oil, salt, and flavorings in a large pot. Heat slowly over medium-low heat until bubbles just start to develop and rise to the surface from the potatoes. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 1 hour. Take the pot off the heat and let the potatoes sit in the oil for at least another hour. Using a strainer set over a large bowl, strain the potatoes, making sure to save the oil. The cooking oil can be refrigerated and reused up to three times.

MARINATED YUBA STRIPS

Makes 1 quart (enough for 2 pounds yuba)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted

1 cup roasted mushrooms

1 cup ground toasted walnuts

2 tablespoons ground coffee (Café Bustelo is our pick)

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

2 teaspoons Bragg Liquid Aminos

2 tablespoons malt vinegar

3 cups water or vegetable broth

2 pounds yuba, cut into ¼-inch strips

Combine the olive oil, pepper, coriander seeds, and roasted mushrooms in a medium saucepan over medium heat to toast the spices and release the smells.

Add all the other ingredients except the yuba and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or so, until the sauce starts to thicken.

Meanwhile, unfold the yuba into a single sheet and cut it into ¼-inch strips that are about 3 inches long; put them into a large container. Once the sauce thickens, remove it from the heat. Carefully blend the sauce in small batches in a blender until smooth—add water if needed. Season with salt if needed. When the sauce is still hot, pour it over the yuba and let marinate for at least 1 hour.

BROWN RICE

Makes 2 cups

1 cup high-quality brown rice (we use Koda Farms)

1½ cups water

Kosher salt

Toast the rice in a medium pot over medium heat—no oil needed—stirring constantly until it begins to smell nutty. Add the water and a hefty pinch of salt to the pot and turn the heat up to high. Once the water has come to a rolling boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a sheet of aluminum foil with a few holes poked in it, and let cook for 35 to 40 minutes. Turn off the heat when the rice is just about done and let steam for another 15 minutes, covered, but off the heat. Either use right away or cool on a baking sheet, put into a sealed container, and refrigerate for up to 2 days until ready to use.

CORN BREAD

Serves 9

2 cups soy milk

3 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1½ cups corn flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup medium-grind cornmeal

6 tablespoons cane sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 tablespoons grapeseed oil

¼ cup coconut oil (liquid)

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Whisk together the soy milk and white wine vinegar in a medium bowl and let sit. In a large bowl, combine the corn flour, all-purpose flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk the grapeseed oil into the soy milk mixture. Pour the soy milk mixture into the flour mixture and, using a spatula, fold gently to combine. When nearly fully combined, add the coconut oil and mix until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 20 minutes, until it is firm to the touch. Let cool for a little bit.

This recipe can be modified—add 2 teaspoons Korean chile flakes and ½ teaspoon black pepper for a spicy and savory version. Stale corn bread can be crumbled up and toasted in the oven set to 325°F for 15 minutes or so.

CHICKPEA MAYO

Makes 2 cups

½ cup liquid from a chickpea can

20 individual chickpeas

1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon cane sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2½ cups grapeseed oil

Combine the chickpea liquid, chickpeas, mustard, cider vinegar, sugar, and salt in a tall container just large enough to fit the head of an immersion blender. Blend at high speed until the mixture is completely smooth and all the whole chickpeas are broken down. While the blender is running, slowly drizzle in the grapeseed oil. As you add the oil, an emulsion will form and it will begin to thicken. Check the seasoning for salt and sugar. This will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for about 1 week.

SPECIAL SAUCE

Makes about 2 cups

1 cup Chickpea Mayo (page 211)

½ cup Roasted Red Tomatoes (page 71)

¼ cup ketchup

¼ cup hot chile sauce

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Combine all the ingredients in a tall container just large enough to fit the top of an immersion blender. Blend until smooth and the tomatoes are broken up. Season with salt, if necessary, and a little bit of pepper. This can also be done in a food processor.

SPICY MAYO

Makes about 1 cup

1 cup Chickpea Mayo (page 211)

3 tablespoons habanero hot sauce (we like Matouk’s Calypso)

Mix together the mayo and hot sauce with a whisk. Hold, covered, for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.