When you think of a hamburger, you probably think bun, patty, lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mustard, and maybe a slice of cheese. Polish Hamburgers are not that. Polish Hamburgers are often served more akin to the Salisbury Steak — a dinner situation where ground meat is used in patty form, but it’s served with a delicious gravy.
That’s the idea here, except that Polish Hamburgers are extra hearty — made up of both beef and pork and stuffed with crushed saltines, chopped bell peppers, and more and then simmered in a velvety mushroom gravy to boot. It’s a rustic, stick-to-your-ribs kind of recipe, and it’s entirely delicious.
FOR THE PATTIES:
1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground beef
1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed
2/3 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 green bell pepper, minced
1 tablespoon of dried drill
1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter
FOR THE MUSHROOM SAUCE:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons sour cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
PREPARATION
Line a baking sheet with parchment or aluminum foil. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine ground pork, ground beef, crushed saltines, milk, eggs, onion, bell pepper, dill, garlic powder, parsley, and nutmeg. Season generously with both salt and pepper and mix until well combined.
Form mixture into six patties, about 2 inches thick each. Transfer patties to prepared baking sheet and let rest 30 minutes.
Once patties have rested, heat the 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer 2-3 patties to the skillet and brown well on the first side before turning, about 5-7 minutes. Flip, and sear on the second side until well browned.
Remove to a paper towel lined plate to rest while you finish browning the remaining patties.
Next, make the mushroom sauce:
Add remaining butter to the skillet, followed by the mushrooms. Add the Worcestershire sauce and garlic and cook, stirring often and scraping up any stuck on bits from the bottom of the pan.
Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Gradually stir in beef stock until smooth, then bring mixture to a simmer.
Add patties back to the pan, then cover with a lid, reduce heat, and let simmer 30 minutes.
Uncover, stir in sour cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve and enjoy!
