Calico Burgers

Calico burgers get their name from the colourful flecks of green pepper, onion, and parsley running through the patty like a calico print. The cooked rice folded into the mix isn’t filler exactly. It’s a clever Depression-era trick that absorbs the juices the beef releases as it cooks, keeping the patties moist and stretching a pound and a half of ground beef to feed six.

The patties shape into ovals rather than rounds, which is traditional for this recipe and gives more surface area for the grill marks. Grilling over hot coals for 15 to 20 minutes gives a properly charred exterior and lets the smoke flavour work into the rice-studded interior.

Keep the mix loose when shaping. Compressing the patties hard squeezes out the juices the rice is meant to absorb and leaves you with a dense, dry burger.

Kitchen Tips

• Use day-old cooked rice rather than freshly cooked. Fresh rice is too wet and turns the patties mushy; day-old rice is drier and has separate grains that distribute through the meat.
• Don’t substitute raw rice for cooked. Raw rice won’t fully cook in 20 minutes on a grill and you’ll bite into hard grains.
• Dice the green bell pepper and onion fine, about the size of a corn kernel. Big chunks fall out of the patties as they grill.
• Let the patties rest 5 minutes after grilling. The rice continues to soak up juices during the rest, locking moisture inside.

Variations

• Swap white rice for cooked brown rice or wild rice for extra nuttiness.
• Use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef for a leaner version; the rice helps prevent the patties from drying out.
• Stir in a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce for deeper savoury flavour.