Bistro Burgers with Pickled Onion

Back in LA, it was so difficult to find brioche rolls. I called various bakeries and supermarkets and they were nowhere to be found. But when I was doing my weekly grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s here in San Francisco, I found these beautiful brioche rolls by the bread aisle. I was overfilled with joy and couldn’t wait to make these fancy burgers.

So this was actually my first time cooking with brioche rolls and wow, they were so unbelievably buttery! They were the perfect burger buns for the medium rare patties that were topped with these wonderful pickled onions. They had such a nice crunch/crispness to them with the refreshing yet tangy burst of flavor. The patties came out a bit smaller than I would’ve wanted them to but they still tasted amazing. I’ll be sure to make this again and again!

Bistro Burgers with Pickled Onions (adapted from Martha Stewart):

Yields 4 servings

2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 red onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 pounds ground beef (I used 80/20)
4 split brioche rolls

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Add the sugar and vinegar; toss to coat. Let mixture cool.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic and mayonnaise.

Divide ground beef into 4 balls. Press each lightly to form 3/4-inch-thick patties; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil in a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium high heat. Grill the patties for 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare or 4-5 minutes for medium, flipping only once.