Brazilian Roasted Garlic Burger with Catupiry Cheese

About This Recipe

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.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 headgarlic
• 1 tbspolive oil(plus more for garlic)
• 700 gground beef(80/20 blend)
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt
• 0.75 tspblack pepper
• 4 slicescatupiry or cream cheese
• 4brioche buns
• 1tomato(sliced)
• 1 cupshredded lettuce
• 2 tbspmayonnaise

Instructions

1. 1

   Roast the garlic

   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.

2. 2

   Form the patties

   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.

3. 3

   Season and rest

   Season both sides generously with salt and pepper right before cooking, not earlier, to keep the beef juicy.

4. 4

   Sear the patties

   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.

5. 5

   Add the toppings

   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.

6. 6

   Build the burger

   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.

Variations

• •

  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.

Storage

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.

Frequently Asked Questions