Ingredients
Patties
- 700 gminced beef, with about 20 percent fat
- 1onion, grated and squeezed dry
- 4 clovesgarlic, crushed
- 2 tbspWorcestershire sauce, which contains anchovy
- 1 tbspsoy sauce
- 1 tspdried oregano
- 1 tsppaprika
- 1 tspsalt
- black pepper
Pink sauce
- 150 gmayonnaise
- 3 tbspketchup
- 1 tbspmustard
- 1 tsphot sauce
- juice of half a lime
- a pinch of garlic powder
Cabbage
- 300 gwhite cabbage, finely shredded
- 1onion, thinly sliced
- juice of 1 lime
- salt
Bread
- 4pan de agua rolls, or soft crusty rolls
- butter for griddling
Sometimes
- sliced tomato
- a slice of cheese
To serve
- at night, from a truck, wrapped in paper
Directions
- Use mince with a decent fat content, since lean mince gives a dry patty. Season it heavily with garlic, oregano, Worcestershire and soy.
- Grate it and squeeze it dry before mixing it in. Onion juice makes the mixture wet and slack and the patties fall apart on the griddle. Mix it thoroughly with your hands, but do not overwork it. Working it too long makes the patty dense and springy rather than tender.
- Fry a small piece and taste it before shaping the rest. Shape flat patties slightly wider than the roll, since they shrink as they cook. Press a slight dip into the middle of each with your thumb. That dimple stops the centre swelling into a dome as the meat contracts. Shred the cabbage as finely as you can and slice the onion thinly.
- Toss them with lime juice and salt and let them stand for twenty minutes. Do not dress it hours ahead, since it goes limp and watery. Squeeze out any liquid before it goes in the bread. It is mayonnaise and ketchup with mustard, lime and hot sauce, and versions differ from truck to truck.
- Make it a little sharper and hotter than seems right, since it is competing with a rich patty. Cook them on a hot flat griddle or a heavy pan rather than over a grill. Press them down once when they go on and then leave them alone. Do not press them repeatedly, which squeezes out the fat and juices.
- Cook for four or five minutes a side until well browned and cooked through. Minced beef should be cooked through, since mincing distributes surface bacteria throughout the meat.
- Spread pink sauce on both halves of the bread, generously. Lay the patty on the base, pile the dressed cabbage over it, and add tomato if you like. Put the cabbage above the patty rather than below, which keeps the bread from going soggy. Add more sauce over the cabbage. Press the assembled chimi down on the griddle for a few seconds. Wrap it in paper and eat it immediately, standing up.
Technique
- Dressed shredded cabbage rather than lettuce is the defining vegetable.
- The bread is buttered and griddled on the same hot plate.
- Pink sauce, salsa rosada, goes generously on both halves.
Substitutions
- Any soft crusty roll in place of pan de agua.
- Pork or a beef and pork mixture, which some trucks use.
Variations
- With a slice of cheese added.
- Made with pork, as chimi de cerdo.
- Made hotter, with more hot sauce in the pink sauce.
History
Grilled seasoned beef burger with cabbage and pink sauce, sold from night trucks in Santo Domingo since the late 20th century.
Frequently asked questions
What is Chimi?
Chimi is a street food from Dominican Republic: dominican street burger with cabbage and pink sauce. Grilled seasoned beef burger with cabbage and pink sauce, sold from night trucks in Santo Domingo since the late 20th century.
How long does Chimi take to make?
Chimi takes 30 min plus 1 hr chilling of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 burgers. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Chimi?
Yes, within limits. Any soft crusty roll in place of pan de agua. Pork or a beef and pork mixture, which some trucks use.
What is the most important thing to get right in Chimi?
Grate it and squeeze it dry before mixing it in. Onion juice makes the mixture wet and slack and the patties fall apart on the griddle. Mix it thoroughly with your hands, but do not overwork it. Working it too long makes the patty dense and springy rather than tender.
