Image via WikiÂmeÂdia ComÂmons
In 2013, the food writer Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan stumÂbled across an artiÂcle in the Boston Globe describÂing a trove of digÂiÂtized docÂuÂments from Ernest HemÂingÂway’s home in Cuba that had been recentÂly donatÂed to the John F. Kennedy PresÂiÂdenÂtial Library and MuseÂum, home of HemÂingÂway’s perÂsonÂal archives. One line in the artiÂcle caught her eye: “And the more munÂdane, like his instrucÂtions to the houseÂhold staff, includÂing how to preÂpare his hamÂburgÂers: ground beef, onions, garÂlic, India relÂish, and capers, cooked so the edges were crispy but the cenÂter red and juicy.”
Tan, a HemÂingÂway fan and the author of A Tiger in the Kitchen: A MemÂoir of Food and FamÂiÂly, set out to find the recipe and try it. She reportÂed her expeÂriÂences on the Paris Review DaiÂly blog. “I had made burgÂers before, countÂless times on countÂless evenings,” Tan writes. “This one was difÂferÂent; I wasÂn’t makÂing just any burgÂer — I was attemptÂing to recreÂate HemÂingÂway’s hamÂburgÂer. And it had to be just right.”
Here is Papa’s favorite recipe for pan-fried hamÂburgÂers, as reportÂed by Tan:
IngreÂdiÂents–
1 lb. ground lean beef
2 cloves, minced garÂlic
2 litÂtle green onions, fineÂly chopped
1 heapÂing teaÂspoon, India relÂish
2 tableÂspoons, capers
1 heapÂing teaÂspoon, Spice Islands sage
Spice Islands Beau Monde SeaÂsonÂing — 1/2 teaÂspoon
Spice Islands Mei Yen PowÂder — 1/2 teaÂspoon
1 egg, beatÂen in a cup with a fork
About 1/3 cup dry red or white wine
1 tableÂspoon cookÂing oil
What to do–
Break up the meat with a fork and scatÂter the garÂlic, onion and dry seaÂsonÂings over it, then mix them into the meat with a fork or your finÂgers. Let the bowl of meat sit out of the iceÂbox for ten or fifÂteen minÂutes while you set the table and make the salÂad. Add the relÂish, capers, everyÂthing else includÂing wine and let the meat sit, quiÂetÂly marÂiÂnatÂing, for anothÂer ten minÂutes if posÂsiÂble. Now make your fat, juicy patÂties with your hands. The patÂties should be an inch thick, and soft in texÂture but not runÂny. Have the oil in your fryÂing pan hot but not smokÂing when you drop in the patÂties and then turn the heat down and fry the burgÂers about four minÂutes. Take the pan off the burnÂer and turn the heat high again. Flip the burgÂers over, put the pan back on the hot fire, then after one minute, turn the heat down again and cook anothÂer three minÂutes. Both sides of the burgÂers should be crispy brown and the midÂdle pink and juicy.
Spice Islands stopped makÂing Mei Yen PowÂder sevÂerÂal years ago, accordÂing to Tan. You can recreÂate it, she says, by mixÂing nine parts salt, nine parts sugÂar and two parts MSG. “If a recipe calls for 1 teaÂspoon of Mei Yen PowÂder,” she writes, “use 2/3 tsp of the dry recipe (above) mixed with 1/8 tsp of soy sauce.”
HemÂingÂway’s widÂow, Mary, pubÂlished the same basic recipe in 1966 in the sixth volÂume of the WomÂan’s Day EncyÂcloÂpeÂdia of CookÂery. The one-pound of beef was intendÂed for only two servÂings. For more on HemÂingÂway’s hamÂburgÂer recipe and his culiÂnary tastes, includÂing a fasÂciÂnatÂing list of gourmet foods he had shipped from New York to his home in Cuba, be sure to read Tan’s artiÂcle at the Paris Review.
Update: You can also now enjoy Ernest Hemingway’s SumÂmer CampÂing Recipes.
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