Pub Patties (Burgers) With Horseradish Sauce and Cress

Entered for safekeeping, From Every Day with Rachael Ray, June/July 2009. If only the Wimpy burger I tried long ago had been anything like this! This is very British with horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and watercress (although the British prefer cress sprouts, which are tinier and have excellent flavor, but in the U.S. you'd be lucky to find watercress). Personally, I love the bite of horseradish with my beef.

• Ready In: 18 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 4 hamburgers

Ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup sour cream
• 1⁄4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1⁄4 cup  plain breadcrumbs
• 1⁄4 cup  prepared horseradish
• 1⁄4 cup chives, chopped
•  salt, to taste
•  black pepper, to taste
• 2  lbs  ground sirloin
• 1⁄4 cup Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it)
• 1⁄4 cup fresh curly-leaf parsley (Rachel Ray called for curly parsley, but I only cook with Italian flat-leaf parsley) or 1⁄4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley (Rachel Ray called for curly parsley, but I only cook with Italian flat-leaf parsley)
• 1  tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4  seeded  kaiser rolls, split
• 1  bunch watercress or 1  bunch  cress  mixed sprouts
• 1  tablespoon fresh chives, chopped (for garnish)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, applesauce, breadcrumbs, horseradish, 1/4 cup chopped chives, and a generous amount of pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the beef, Worcestershire sauce and parsley; season with salt and pepper.
3. Form into 4 patties, press your thumb into the center of each patty to prevent bulging during cooking, and coat each with olive oil.
4. In a large skillet, cook the patties over high heat until the bottoms are well-browned, about 4 minutes. Flip, lower the heat and cook for 4 more minutes for medium-rare.
5. Top each roll bottom with some of the watercress or cress sprouts, a beef patty, lots of horseradish sauce, and a sprinkling of chives. Crown with the roll's top.