Written by Hispanic Kitchen member Maydel Santana-Bravo

It is true that Cubans fry everything. Even hamburgers. In fact, a Cuban hamburger is called a frita, the Spanish word for fried.

It's possible to grill it, though it would not be a frita. Either way, here's the recipe for one outrageous patty:

Recipe yields 8 frita patties

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground chorizo sausage (remove casings)
6 cloves of garlic, mashed
3 tablespoons onion powder
1 large onion, chopped
1 large can of shoestring potatoes (or make them at home by running potatoes though a grater and frying them)
½ cup of ketchup (More ketchup for later)

There are several variations on the frita. Some call for Worcestershire sauce, one egg as a binding agent, or cumin powder. Feel free to experiment. You can buy sirloin instead of regular ground beef if you want to cut the fat a little bit. You can also use bagged shredded hash brown potatoes, separate them and fry in a deep fryer to use instead of the canned ones.

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix the three kinds of meat well and add the garlic, onion powder and ketchup, plus any of the optional ingredients that call out to you. Form into patties and fry or grill.

Serve on a regular hamburger bun. Top patty with chopped onion (use raw or sauteed, depending on preference), shoestring potatoes and ketchup (optional).

Editor's note: Jorge Bravo is the founder of Hispanic Kitchen, the social network that celebrates Latin food.