A juicy beef burger loaded with roasted garlic and melted catupiry, inspired by Brazilian churrasco stands.
Brazilian burger stands, especially the beloved X-Tudo ("everything") style found at street carts and churrascarias, pile beef patties high with cheese, and this version channels that spirit with a more restrained but flavor-packed build: a beef patty seasoned simply with salt and pepper so the beef itself stays the star, topped with sweet roasted garlic and melted catupiry, the tangy Brazilian cream cheese found on countless burgers, pizzas and stuffed peppers across the country. Roasting a whole head of garlic ahead of time is the move that separates this from an ordinary burger — the cloves turn soft, sweet and spreadable, losing all their raw bite, so you can smear them directly onto the bun or mash them into the cheese before it melts. Grilled over high heat the way Brazilian churrasco cooks handle beef, the patty gets a deep sear on the outside while staying juicy inside, and it's finished simply, without excess sauce, since the roasted garlic and cheese already carry plenty of richness.
Serves 4
Heat oven to 200C/400F. Slice the top off the garlic head, drizzle with oil, wrap in foil and roast 35-40 minutes until soft and caramel-colored. Cool slightly, then squeeze cloves into a bowl and mash with a fork.
Divide ground beef into 4 portions and shape into patties slightly wider than your buns, since they'll shrink as they cook. Press a shallow dimple in the center of each with your thumb to keep them from doming.
Season both sides generously with salt and pepper right before cooking, not earlier, to keep the beef juicy.
Heat a cast-iron pan or grill over high heat until smoking. Cook patties 3-4 minutes per side for medium, without pressing down, until a deep crust forms.
In the last minute of cooking, top each patty with a spoonful of mashed roasted garlic and a slice of catupiry, and cover the pan briefly to melt the cheese.
Toast the buns cut-side down in the same pan for 30 seconds. Spread mayonnaise on the bottom bun, add lettuce and tomato, then the patty, and close.
Buy 80/20 ground beef, not leaner blends — the fat content is what keeps the patty juicy at high heat.
Roast a double batch of garlic; the leftover mash keeps a week in the fridge and is excellent on toast.
Let the patties come to room temperature for 10 minutes before cooking so they sear evenly instead of staying cold in the middle.
Full X-Tudo style: add a fried egg, ham and corn on top of the cheese for the classic Brazilian loaded burger.
Swap catupiry for provolone if you can't find it, though the flavor will be less tangy.
Grill the patties over charcoal for a smokier, more authentic churrasco flavor.
Cooked patties keep refrigerated for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a covered pan over low heat. Roasted garlic mash keeps up to a week refrigerated in an airtight container.
The X-Tudo burger tradition grew out of Sao Paulo's lanchonete (snack bar) culture in the mid-20th century, where cooks began piling burgers with local ingredients like catupiry cheese, ham and corn, turning a simple beef patty into a full meal.
Yes, roast it up to 5 days ahead and store the whole head, wrapped, in the fridge until ready to use.
A blend of cream cheese with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lime gets close to its tangy, spreadable texture.
You're likely using lean ground beef or pressing the patty down while it cooks, which squeezes out the juices; use 80/20 beef and leave it alone on the grill.
Per serving (300g / 10.6 oz) · 4 servings total
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