Mallorca takes a big bite out of American food

Brox, a hamburger chain has created a striking culinary creation: ensaimada with smash burger, sobrasada with honey, Mahón cheese, alioli made with sobrasada and candied orange. ‘The truth is that it is a peculiar hamburger because of the contrast between sweet and savoury. It’s suitable for the more curious people who like to try different things’, says Juan Gomila who, together with Tom Bestard, are the owners of Brox and the burger “is proving a great success”.
The Mallorcan take on the hamburger follows the trend for unusual combinations: ‘Now they’re making all kinds of very different burgers, with Lotus biscuits, waffles with crispy chicken, doughnuts...’

The Porkades chain is also no stranger to culinary innovation and the fusion of American fast food and more local ingredients is part of the whole menu. ‘We have patented the pansaimada, which is a sandwich bread made with ensaimada dough,’ says Inot, owner of Porkades, who is finalising the opening of a large establishment in the former La Tertulia, next to Plaza Santa Pagesa. ‘We have done all sorts of crazy things. We do local fast food. Our entire menu is made with local products and the star is the porc negre.’

Each of their dishes ‘are based on ingredients and recipes that are centuries old’. They have created their own version of the Big Mac, with an oil made with sobrasada containing pickles flavoured with snail herbs. Their hamburgers are served with potato bread and they have also invented local tacos filled with frito mallorquín (Mallorcan fried potatoes and vegetables), tongue with capers or pica-pica (a selection of mini-dishes).

Porkades uses the ensaimada as a cone for Murmui ice cream. And the KFC-style chicken burger is coated in quelitas - typical Mallorcan biscuits. The whole American repertoire has its more insular version. Inot’s motto is ‘no mengis porqueries, menja porkades’ (‘don’t eat rubbish, eat porkades’. And that’s how he goes about it: creating fusions without any fear of risk.