Mississippi Slugburger

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef, 80/20
• 3/4 cup soy grits or fine soy flour
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
• 4 cups peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
• 6 small (5-inch) hamburger buns
• Yellow mustard, for serving
• 1 small white onion, thinly sliced
• 18 dill pickle chips

Before you cook

• Stir the soy grits into the cold water in a bowl and let them sit for 10 minutes until softened and swollen.
• Mix the softened grits into the ground beef along with the egg, salt, and pepper, working the mixture until it is uniform and slightly pasty.
• Divide the mixture into 6 balls and flatten each to a thin patty about a quarter inch thick and 4 inches across.
• Spread the flour on a plate.

Steps

1. Pour the oil into a deep heavy pot to a depth of about 1 1/2 inches and heat it to 350 degrees.
2. Dredge a patty in the flour and shake off the excess.
3. Slide two floured patties at a time into the hot oil.
4. Fry for 3 minutes, turning once at the halfway point, until the patties are dark brown and the edges have gone crisp and ragged.
5. Lift the patties out with a spider and drain them on a wire rack set over a sheet pan.
6. Fry the remaining patties in the same way, letting the oil return to 350 degrees between batches.
7. Squeeze a stripe of mustard on each bun bottom.
8. Set a hot patty on the mustard.
9. Top each with sliced onion and three pickle chips, close, and serve immediately.