What's in Your Burger? Chefs moving beyond beef and offering recipes with lamb, tuna and even beans

Say the word burger, and people tend to envision a plump, juicy piece of ground beef.

But it doesn't have to be that way. And, increasingly, it isn't.

Sure, people still want their burgers plump and juicy. But these days, the "meat" may not be beef.

Look through any recent grilling cookbook, and a hamburger is pretty likely to be represented. But it's even more likely that any recipes for beef burgers will be matched or even outnumbered by recipes for burgers made from pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, seafood or vegetables.

Take the new Burger Bar (Wiley, $22.95), for example, by Hubert Keller with Penelope Wisner. Keller owns the Burger Bar restaurant in the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Resort in Las Vegas. His book has recipes for 10 beef burgers, and 18 for other creative creations to put on a bun.

Emeril Lagasse's new Emeril at the Grill (HarperStudio, $24.99) has two beef burgers, but five burgers without beef.

Ellen Brown's Great Year-Round Grilling in the Southeast (Lyons Press, $19.95) has nine burger recipes, but only two contain beef, and one of those is half beef and half sausage.

Fred Thompson's new Grillin' With Gas (Taunton Press, $19.95) certainly does justice to beef with six recipes, but it has six other kind of burgers, too, including yellow-fin tuna burgers with ginger-mustard glaze, and a "turkey burger worth eating" -- the latter a jab at so many recipes that produce bland or dry burgers because special care isn't taken with the turkey.

That's another way of saying that burgers of another stripe often need special treatment. Chicken and turkey need ingredients and cooking methods that keep them moist, and they frequently need extra ingredients to boost flavor.

Crab burgers need gentle, light seasoning and condiments that don't mask the delicate crab flavor.

Bean burgers usually need some kind of binder to keep them from falling apart.

Lamb burgers lend themselves to the flavors of Greece or the Middle East where lamb is so prominent in the cuisine.

And it would be a shame to cook a burger made with expensive fresh tuna beyond medium-rare or else its texture and taste start to resemble canned tuna. And though there's nothing wrong with canned tuna, who pays $16 or more a pound for it?

In short, every type of burger has its own needs -- and the potential to create something new and exciting to stave off burger boredom.

Black Bean Burgers With Sweet Corn Salsa

Recipe adapted from Grillin' & Chillin': 164 Fire-Kissed Foods (Meredith Books, $12.95) from the editors of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Unlike bean burgers that are mostly beans, these hold together well because of the addition of eggs, and because the beans are slightly pureed. Be careful not to puree them all the way, though, some chunks or whole beans make for a better texture. In the original recipe, the corn is first grilled in the husks (with the silk removed). Feel free to do this for added flavor.

Burgers:

1½ cup walnuts, toasted (See Note)

⅔ cup chopped onion

⅔ cup snipped fresh cilantro

2 teaspoons ground cumin

3 cloves garlic

½ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

½ teaspoon dried basil, crushed

2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained

¼ cup canned diced green chile peppers, drained

2 eggs, lightly beaten

¾ cup fine dry bread crumbs

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Salt to taste

Salsa:

Kernels from 2 ears of cooked fresh corn (about 1 cup)

1 medium tomato, chopped

¼ cup chopped onion

¼ cup snipped fresh cilantro

Juice and grated peel of 1 lime

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ jalapeno, seeded and minced

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

6 English muffins, split

1. For the burgers, combine walnuts, onion, cilantro, cumin, garlic, oregano and basil in a food processor. Cover and process using the pulse button just until combined. Add black beans and green chiles. Pulse a few times just until combined. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in eggs, bread crumbs, and pepper. Add salt to taste.

2. Using damp hands, shape bean mixture into six ¾-inch-thick patties. Place patties on a baking sheet, cover and chill until ready to grill.

3. For the salsa, combine corn, tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice and grated peel, oil, jalapeno, salt and pepper. Cover and chill until needed.

4. Heat a grill to medium heat. Space patties an inch or two apart on the grill and cook 12 to 14 minutes, turning once, until nicely browned.

5. Toast the English muffins on the grill, just until lightly toasted, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

6. Serve burgers on muffins, topped with salsa.

Makes 6 servings.

Yellowfin Tuna Burgers With Ginger-Mustard Glaze

Recipe adapted from Fred Thompson's Grillin' With Gas. Pickled ginger is sold in Asian markets as well as the Asian section of most large supermarkets. This is Thompson's version of the tuna burger served at Union Square Cafe in New York City.

For the glaze:

⅓ cup reduced-sodium teriyaki or soy sauce

2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger

1 small garlic clove, finely minced (about ½ teaspoon)

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon natural (unseasoned) rice vinegar or white-wine vinegar

For the burgers:

1½ pounds yellowfin tuna, well chilled

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Canola oil

4 good-quality hamburger buns, preferably with sesame seeds

¼ cup Japanese pickled ginger, drained

1. For the glaze, put teriyaki sauce, ginger, garlic, honey, mustard and vinegar in a 1-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the glaze coats the back of a spoon, 4 to 5 minutes. Strain through a sieve. This can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

2. For the burgers, use a large, sharp knife to chop the tuna until it has the texture of ground beef. (Cold, evenly slightly frozen tuna, is easier to chop. Don't use a food processor; it will shred the fish.) Place tuna in a bowl and mix in the garlic, mustard, cayenne, salt and black pepper. Divide tuna into four equal portions. Using your hands, form into patties.

3. Oil the racks of a grill. Heat grill to high.

4. Brush both sides of each burger with oil. Make certain the grill rack is very hot. Place burgers on the grill and cook about 4 minutes. Turn and cook about 3 minutes longer, or until the burger feels just slightly firm to the touch, for medium-rare. Once burgers have been turned, put buns cut side down on grill until lightly toasted.

5. To serve, place each burger on the bottom half of a bun. Spread a tablespoon of the glaze over each burger and divide about a tablespoon of pickled ginger slices on top. Cover with the top half of the bun and dig in.

Makes 4 servings.

Southwestern Turkey Sliders

Recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse's Emeril at the Grill. Sliders are small burgers. Figure two to a serving. Or make only six burgers that are twice as big and adjust the cooking time.

Lagasse overcomes the dry blandness of many turkey burgers in several ways. First, he uses some dark meat, which has slightly more fat.

Second, he uses assertive seasonings, such as cumin and serrano chiles. Third, he mixes in egg whites for added moisture. Note that unless a package of ground turkey specifies breast or dark meat, it's probably a blend of the two.

2 pounds ground turkey, preferably a blend of dark thigh meat and breast meat

½ cup minced red onion

¼ cup minced green onion, white and green parts

1 or 2 serrano chiles, to taste, minced

2 egg whites, whisked

1½ tablespoons Emeril's Southwest Essence or other spice blend

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

12 mini burger buns or small soft dinner rolls, warmed

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

12 small lettuce leaves

12 slices tomato

1 cup thinly sliced red onions

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced

Mayonnaise, optional

Mustard, optional

Ketchup, optional

1. Heat a grill to medium-high.

2. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey with minced red onion, green onion, chile, egg whites, Southwest seasoning, cumin and Worcestershire. Mix gently but thoroughly. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions. Using your hands, shape them into 12 small burgers, each about 3½ inches wide.

3. Place the burgers on the grill and cook until the turkey is just done and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees, about 3 minutes on each side.

4. Serve the burgers on the mini buns, topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, sliced red onion and avocado. Garnish with any combination of mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup if desired.

Makes 12 small burgers, or 6 servings.

Greek Burger

Recipe adapted from Burger Bar by Hubert Keller with Penelope Wisner. The original recipe called for sauting and then marinating the eggplant slices in mixture of olive oil, vinegar, honey and spices, but grilling the eggplant is almost as good and a lot less work.

The tapenade, mainly a mixture of chopped olives, is a nice alternative condiment for lots of burgers. Keller also uses it on a chicken burger with a touch of barbecue sauce in the patties and toppings of arugula and tarragon-shallot butter. To save time, tapenade can be bought in the vegetable or pickle sections of most supermarkets.

This recipe combines lamb and beef -- just like the meat for a Greek gyro -- and it's one of many modern burger recipes that uses beef in combination with another meat, sometimes lamb or veal, but more often pork. If desired, these burgers can be made from all beef or all lamb.

1½ pounds ground lamb, preferably a coarse grind of shoulder or leg meat, chilled

⅔ pound ground chuck, chilled

2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano

1 tablespoons grated lemon zest

1½ teaspoons sweet paprika

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large eggplant,(about 1 pound)

Olive oil for brushing

Salt

4 ciabatta or other buns

About ⅓ cup Tapenade (recipe below)

1 small cucumber, halved, seeded and cut crosswise into crescents

1 large tomato, thinly sliced

2 ounces (about ⅓ cup) crumbled feta cheese

Handful baby greens or other chopped lettuce

1. Put lamb and beef in a large bowl. Add garlic, oregano, lemon zest, paprika, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Knead the ingredients together lightly but thoroughly. Handling lightly to keep the texture light and juicy, shape the mixture into 4 evenly sized patties about 1 inch thick. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight.

2. Meanwhile, slice the eggplant crosswise into ½-inch circles. Sprinkle lightly with salt and set in a colander to drain for 30 minutes. Rinse and dry thoroughly by pressing the slices between sheets of clean dish towels or paper towels. Brush on both sides with oil and set aside.

3. Heat a grill to medium-high. Oil the cooking grate. Season patties generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Brush them with oil on both sides and place on the grill without touching. Cover and cook, turning once or twice, for a total of 7 to 10 minutes for medium-rare, or slightly longer for greater doneness. During last 2 minutes, place buns on grill until lightly toasted. Remove buns and burgers and set aside.

4. While burgers rest, place eggplant slices on the grill without touching and cook until browned and tender, about 4 minutes on each side, turning once.

5. Spread a generous tablespoon of tapenade on each bun bottom. Add a bed of cucumber, then tomato slices, burger and slice or two or eggplant. Sprinkle each with a bit of cheese and top with a pinch of baby greens. Add top of bun and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Tapenade

Recipe adapted from Burger Bar by Hubert Keller with Penelope Wisner. If you don't have cognac or brandy, you could use white wine, or just omit the alcohol altogether. Don't add any salt -- the olives, anchovies and capers are already plenty salty.

1⅓ cups pitted brined-cured black olives, such as kalamata

4 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained (optional)

2 tablespoons capers, drained

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 large garlic cloves, peeled

Leaves from 10 sprigs fresh flat-leafed parsley or basil or a mix of both

Leaves from 2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 teaspoons cognac or brandy

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Put the olives, anchovies, capers, oil, garlic, parsley, thyme, cognac, mustard, lemon juice and pepper in a food processor or blender. Process, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides, until it becomes a fairly smooth puree. Transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate until needed. It will keep up to one week in the fridge.

Makes about 1½ cups.

Pork Burgers With Apple-Tarragon Slaw

Recipe adapted from Weber's Way to Grill (Sunset Books, $24.95) by Jamie Purviance. A neat trick here is the applesauce to help keep the patties moist. Don't leave out the hot sauce -- it counters the sweetness in the applesauce. A good alternative to applesauce is a tomato-based thick barbecue sauce, and traditional coleslaw can stand in for the apple-tarragon slaw.

Slaw:

2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage

½ cup coarsely grated tart green apple (such as Granny Smith)

½ cup coarsely grated carrot

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

½ teaspoon celery seed

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Patties:

1½ pounds ground pork

⅓ cup applesauce

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large bowl, mix the slaw ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble the burgers.

2. In another large bowl, gently mix all the patty ingredients. Gently shape into 4 patties of equal size and about ¾ inch thick. With your thumb or the back of a spoon, make a shallow indentation about 1 inch wide in the center of each patty.

3. Heat the grill to medium. Brush the grill grates clean, if necessary, then put patties on grill without touching. Close the lid and grill over direct heat, turning once, until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. During the last minute, place the buns on the grill until lightly toasted.

4. Place the burgers on the buns and top with slaw.

Makes 4 servings.