Burgers off the beaten path
Even though Fourth of July
– the biggest family barbecue day of the summer – has passed,
there is plenty of summer left for some more grilling.
Burgers off the beaten path
Even though Fourth of July – the biggest family barbecue day of the summer – has passed, there is plenty of summer left for some more grilling.
Though the smell of fast food burgers can be alluring when driving across town with a hungry stomach, they are rarely as good as a fresh off the backyard grill burger topped with fresh vegetables. Heirloom tomatoes and iceberg lettuce are the cherry on top of my family’s summer burgers, but there are plenty of other ways to top off a good burger. Grilled mushrooms and onions are tasty, as are shallots which have a slightly sweeter flavored when sauteed, but pack quite a punch when they are being sliced.
On the weekends when we are feeling especially lazy, we’ve sometimes purchased pre-made patties. Nob Hill sells some that come stuffed with extras. They sell burgers with jalapenos and cheese, sun-dried tomato and basil, and three cheeses. Another good pre-made burger can be purchased from Omaha steaks, which sells meat by mail through the Web or at their store in San Jose. The Nob Hill burgers were full of flavor, but a little messy to handle as the cheese melted out. And Omaha steaks are sometimes a little less flavorful because there is no chance to doctor up the meat.
Making our own burger mix is usually they way we go. What goes into the burger decides how flavorful, how moist and how well burgers hold up to cooking. Our basic burger recipe calls for some Worcestershire sauce, which makes burgers extra moist, and some Mansmith’s low sodium grill seasoning for extra flavor.
Another option for making burgers is using grassfed beef as the base, and San Benito County residents can purchase Morris grassfed beef at the Farmer’s Market on Wednesday afternoons. I had never tried it before until a friend offered me some recently. The meat is much leaner than that from traditionally-raised cattle. Without the extra fat, the meat is more likely to dry out during cooking so it’s important not to cook it past medium – a hard thing for someone like me who is a well-done burger kinda girl.
The grassfed burgers were a different texture and didn’t stay together as well as others, but without any doctoring with seasoning or fillings, these burgers had way more flavor. Of course, I couldn’t quite get over the red center so I just ate the well-cooked edges.
The next time around, I’ll cook the burgers a little longer and use the meat for one of my favorite burger recipes. When we are feeling more energetic, we tackle one of these recipes below – one cuts the meat in half by replacing with veggies and the other includes some fresh seasoning and grilled veggies as a topper. Add some roasted corn and either of these recipes makes the perfect summer time meal.
Bistro Burgers
Recipe courtesy of “Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats”
5 tbsp. olive oil
4 large shallots, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp. sherry or balsamic vinegar
2 lb. ground sirloin
2 tbsp. fresh thyme
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. grilling seasoning
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
4 thick slices of crusty country-style bread
Add tomato and lettuce if desired
Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill to high
Preheat a small skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Add shallots, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 6 min. until lightly brown. Add 2 tbsp. of vinegar and continue to cook for 1 min., then remove from the heat and reserve.
While shallots are browning, combine beef, thyme Worcestershire, grill seasoning and mustard in a large bowl. Divide the meat into four portions and form patties. Grill for 5 to 6 min. per side for medium rare and 7 to 8 min. for medium well.
Drizzle or brush olive oil onto both sides of the bread, season with salt and pepper, and add to the grill. Place patty on a slice of bread and top with shallots.
Sicilian Portabella Burgers
Courtesy of Nob Hill Foods
1 lb. ground round
3 oz. portabella mushrooms, chopped (about 2 c.)
1/2 c. shredded Italian blend cheese
1/4 c. chopped Nob Hill Trading Co. Roasted Bell Peppers
1/4 c. seasoned dry breadcrumbs
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
4 potato hamburger buns, toasted Romaine lettuce, thinly sliced red onion
Mix all ingredients except buns, lettuce and onion until well combined. Divide into 4 equal portions and shape into fairly flat patties. Grill over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 160°F. Serve on toasted buns with lettuce and onion.
Makes 4 servings. Recipe may be doubled.
Grilled Corn
Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence “How to boil water”
12 ears fresh corn, in the husk
1 1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Cayenne pepper
Lime wedges, for serving
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the corn, still in its husks, directly on the oven rack and roast for about 20 minutes until the corn is soft when pressed on. Take the corn out of the oven and let it cool a little until it can be handle or until ready to serve.
When it’s time to eat, place a large grill pan on 2 burners over medium-high heat or preheat an outdoor gas or charcoal barbecue and get it very hot. Take a few paper towels and fold them several times to make a thick square. Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towel. Then carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates of the grill to make a nonstick grilling surface.
When the grill or grill pan is hot, peel down the husks from the roasted corn and pull out the corn silk. Then tie the husks in a knot so you can hold on to the knot like a handle. Char the corn on the grill or grill pan, turning, until the kernels are slightly blackened all around and start popping, about 6 minutes. Brush the corn with mayonnaise, and sprinkle with the Parmigiano and a little cayenne pepper so it’s nicely coated. Serve with lime wedges.
