Turkey Burgers With Avocado Sauce

The Fourth of July. Year three at Rivera's, year forty-one of Marcus Rivera standing at a grill on Independence Day. Rivera's served 297 people — a new record, pushing toward the 300 mark that Jessica has circled on the dashboard as a target. The hot links sold out by 12:45 PM. The brisket by 2 PM. The birria tacos (Fourth of July special) by 12:30 PM. Sofia grilled fifty-eight ears of corn — her new personal record, tracked on her phone, shared with no one because Sofia's records are for Sofia and not for applause.

At the altar that evening: forty-two people. The annual convergence. Every grill. Every burner. Fuego in the yard with Diego, both of them running, both of them tireless, both of them convinced that the Fourth of July is measured in distance covered at full speed. Sparklers at sunset — Diego at his two-limit (the negotiation for three continues, and I suspect by age nine I will capitulate, because the boy's negotiating skills improve annually while my resistance deteriorates), Sofia writing her name in cursive this year, the handwriting evolving from print to script, the name appearing and disappearing in the dark like a signature on the sky.

Roberto watched the fireworks from his lawn chair. He did not stand. He has not stood for fireworks since last year, and this year I noticed that the transition from standing to sitting has become the default, not the exception. The man who stood at grills and counters and parades and fireworks for sixty-eight years now sits for the things that do not require his standing. He stands for handshakes and toasts and the moments that demand his full height. He sits for everything else. The sitting is not surrender. The sitting is conservation. The man conserves his standing for the moments that matter.

I sat next to him during the fireworks. The same spot as last year. The same silence. The same desert sky. I put my hand on his arm. He put his hand on mine. The fireworks exploded above us and the fire crackled beside us and the family shouted and laughed and the dog barked and the children waved sparklers and Roberto and I sat in the silence that forty-one years of father and son have built — the silence that says everything without speaking, the silence that is not empty but full, full of the fire and the food and the grill and the forty-four years of carne asada and the index cards and the one-nod and the word "proper" and the phone call at 9 PM that said "I am proud of you" and the sitting that is not defeat but conservation and the love that is not spoken but is always, always present.

The fire burns. The father sits. The son sits with him. The sky lights up. The year continues.

After a day like that — 297 people, fifty-eight ears of corn, every burner lit and every grill running — you would think the last thing I’d want to do is cook again. But the days after the Fourth, when the yard is quiet and it’s just family left, I always find myself back at the grill with something simple. These turkey burgers with avocado sauce are what I make when I want to keep the fire going without the crowd — something Dad can eat from his lawn chair, something the kids can dress themselves, something that carries the spirit of the day into an ordinary evening without demanding anything from anyone.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 27 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the burgers:
1 1/4 lbs ground turkey (93% lean)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
4 burger buns, toasted
For the avocado sauce:
2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
For serving (optional):
Sliced tomato, red onion, crisp lettuce

Instructions

Make the avocado sauce. In a bowl, mash the avocados until mostly smooth. Stir in the Greek yogurt, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, salt, and cayenne. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Mix the burger patties. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and red onion. Mix gently with your hands until just combined — do not overwork the meat. Divide into 4 equal portions and form into 3/4-inch-thick patties. Press a slight indent in the center of each to prevent puffing.
Heat the grill. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat (about 400°F). Lightly oil the grates.
Grill the burgers. Place patties on the grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Do not press down on the patties while cooking. In the last minute, place buns cut-side down on the grill to toast lightly.
Assemble and serve. Spread a generous spoonful of avocado sauce on the bottom bun. Add the burger patty, then top with tomato, red onion, and lettuce if desired. Add more avocado sauce on the top bun. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Turkey Burgers With Avocado Sauce — The Grill Never Stops