Hot, Sour, Salty, and Sweet – these are the 4 flavors that Asian cuisine is built around, and a fifth is sometimes added into the mix called umami. Each meal is carefully crafted around balancing the different flavors and textures so that the overall meal is satifying. I love this whole concept, and I try to work it into my recipes as often as I can. Today, there’s a little heat in the form of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce in the burgers, a slight bit of tang in the slaw that plays off the sweetness of sweet potato, and it’s all wrapped up with a touch of saltiness from the blue cheese crumbles. And… technically the blue cheese does double duty because it’s also a little umami thrown it. Speaking of umami, the basic translation is a ‘pleasing savory taste’ and it’s found in mushrooms, cheese, seaweed and several other foods. I prefer to think of it as the reason I’m addicted the cheese, but it’s probably just because cheese makes everything taste amazing! These burgers started with a craving for Buffalo wings and morphed into a new obsession. It’s hard to get tired of classic combinations, and Frank’s Red Hot paired with blue cheese always hits the spot. However, I know there’s a few out there who really don’t like blue cheese, so feel free to substitute feta cheese instead if you’d like. You could also leave the cheese out entirely because there’s just so much flavor going on here.
I was able to find some pretty big sweet potatoes which made it easier to use just 1-2 slices per burger. If your sweet potatoes are on the smaller side you might need to use 3 or more slices per burger, or make mini burgers.
I’m definitely a fan of the food processor for shredding things up at lightning speed, but if you’re cutting it by hand, start by cutting the round part of the cabbage from either side of the core. Lay each half flat side down on the cutting board and cut it into about 6 slices.
Finally, cut across the slices as thinly as possible to create a fine shred. And… for the easiest method of all – pre-done slaw mix!
For the dressing, I like to make a vinaigrette of sorts with the blue cheese crumbles added in for pockets of extra flavor. Everyone has differing tastes on how much blue cheese tastes good to them. So I recommend starting with less than is called for. Then taste the dressing, and then add from there until it tastes good to you.
I made 6 burgers from 1 pound of ground turkey because that’s what fit the size of my sweet potato rounds, but you can form the patties however you’d like. The only thing I’d caution is the bigger the patties are, the harder they are to turn over on the grill. Something about turkey burgers can be extra delicate compared to beef burgers. I’d be double sure the grill is clean and lightly greased before putting the burgers on. Or… if in doubt, use beef because that’s a great flavor combination too, and they’re easier to work with. And 1 more final thing, the teensy amount of slaw you see piled on the burgers in the pictures is only for looks. The recipe is formulated so that you have a good sized amount of slaw with each burger. That way, it’s a complete meal in just one recipe without having to make a side dish to get your veggies in! 5 from 3 reviews
