James Beard-nominated chef and owner of Balise, Justin Devillier, is known for his refined French bistro food that has just the right amount of Southern decadence to bring it home. The burger at Balise is one of our favorite in New Orleans. Soft brioche cradling the freshly ground chuck patty lightly blanketed in “comeback sauce” – keeps us, well, coming back.
Comeback sauce, originally from central Mississippi and now common all over the south, is a mayonnaise and ketchup mixture spiked with tangy pickles and apple cider vinegar and a bit of paprika and cayenne. If you have extra, it makes a great dipping sauce for fried shrimp too.
Ingredients
Burger
- 1 pound of fresh ground chuck (divided into 3 patties 1/4 inch thick)
- 3 brioche burger buns
- 3 tablespoons caramelized or grilled onion
- 3 slices of Sharp Cheddar
- 9 slices of bread and butter pickles
- 9 tablespoons comeback sauce (recipe follows)
Comeback sauce
- 1 cup of homemade or favorite mayo
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pickles
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 2 tablespoons Apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Makes 3 burgers
For the burger:
Season the patties with salt and pepper. Grill to desired temperature (medium is recommended). Melt the cheddar on the patty. Slightly toast the brioche and warm the onions. Build your burger. First place the pickles, then the patty with the cheese, the onions, and on the top bun smear about 2 tablespoons of the comeback sauce.
For the comeback sauce:
Fold together all of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until use.
