Intro

I hope that you all are enjoying reading my weekly entries as much as I enjoy writing them. I am writing this entry today (the 16th of June) for posting on the week of June 22nd; as I will be on vacation for a week or so with my wife, Louise, and daughter, Caitlin. Most likely, we will head north from Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo, then on to Carmel, up to San Fran for several days and finally up to Sonoma. They call San Luis Obispo SLO for a reason; it is the polar opposite of Los Angeles and that is probably why it is attractive to Angelinos...it is quite a change of pace. Carmel, likewise, with the famed 17-mile drive is a great way to enjoy Mother Nature at her finest…undisturbed and pretty much untouched by man. San Fran is one of my favorite west coast cities; probably because it reminds me more of an east coast city....the whole vibe, the restaurants, the street scene and all is very reminiscent of a Boston or New York City. Great bars, shopping and restaurants add up to a great experience. In Sonoma County, the laid back towns of Healdsburgh, Geyserville, and Sonoma are a pleasant way to spend the mild days of June. My wife, daughter and I are looking forward to a very relaxed, laid back time out of L.A.
 

Grill Tips & Recipes

Last week, I mentioned how much I enjoy my Kitchen Aid mixer, and the attachments that are available. When I purchased the meat grinder, I am sure Louise probably thought "what now, is Ralph's or Pavilion's not a good enough source for our ground meat needs!" I know, I know, after reading this, there will be no great rush to Williams-Sonoma to deplete the stock of meat grinder attachments; but, for those who have the $99.00 of discretionary income to spend....this is a major step forward in upgrading in your family's meals.
 
We all purchase, from time to time, the prepackaged ground meat offerings at our local grocery store. They are gassed (sorry, not the best way to describe the process, but it is safe) and seem to have the half-life of uranium!!!  Truthfully, it is a great convenience and permits us to buy meat today and choose to consume it a week from now. Now, as I said, it is safe and a great convenience, but come now.....it just doesn't seem right!!! It never freakin' changes color!!!  Ok....I'm over it, but here is a great alternative. Once you accept the cost of the grinder....it take minutes to take a great chuck roast and turn it into great hamburger meat. So here we go with this week’s recipe.
 
BURGERS....(BEEF AND OTHERWISE)

I am going to keep this simple. There are a few choices of what to use and in what proportion to make a great beef burger. I have tried many combinations and here are my favorites.
 
Option 1)    Buy a chuck roast or thick steaks at your local grocery....usually these are not gassed, just cello wrapped. Usually, the fat content untrimmed and ground will give you the desired 15-20% fat content you want. This is a great classic burger.
 
Option 2)    A mixture of sirloin and chuck...I use a ratio of 25-50% sirloin (it is leaner)   and 50%-75% of chuck (this gives you the best of both worlds the former for flavor, the latter for finesse.) You are probably going to end up with about 15% fat with the leaner sirloin and the fattier chuck.
 
Option 3)    Skirt steak - very flavorful.  Make sure there is enough fat 15-20% is desired...you may have to add some trimmings…don't laugh. I save trimming from raw steaks for just such purposes.
 
One word about fat: before moving on. We don't eat these burgers every day, but when you do, you want something that is bursting with flavor, juicy and is a great canvas for the other accompaniments you will put on the burger. Yes, lot of calories...but why cut corners???  To save 100 calories!!!  You folks may be getting the idea that this blog will not include any items that fit into a balanced, well rounded diet.  Actually, all of the items we are doing fit, but moderation is the key. Mix in a salad and veggie once in a while and life is good. So, when I do my favorite Chinese Chicken Salad in a few weeks (one of my favorites) there will be something for everyone...

PORK/TURKEY  BURGER
For those of you who want something different, I am offering you a Pork or Turkey Burger with Double Cheese.

• ½ cup finely chopped bacon
• 1 ½ pounds either ground Pork or Turkey
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 tsp finely chopped thyme
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp ground pepper
• (4) ½ inch thick red onion slices
• olive oil, for drizzling
• 4  hamburger buns or ciabatta rolls
• 2  melted butter (unsalted)
• 6-ounces Camembert cheese, cut into (8)-1/3 inch slices
• 2- ounces Gorgonzola cheese, cut into (4)-1/3 inch slices
• Arrugula and 4 tomato slices

 
In a skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until cooked through---about three minutes. Transfer to paper towel and drain. In a large bowl mix the bacon with the ground pork(turkey),garlic, thyme,salt and pepper. Shape into (4)- one inch thick patties. Light the grill and drizzle the olive oil over the onion slices and grill over moderately high heat until lightly charred. Set aside. Brush the cut side of the buns with melted butter and grill until toasted...about 1 minute. Grill the burgers until charred on the outside and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Arrange Camembert slices and a Gorgonzola slice on each burger and cook until cheese is melted...about 1 minute. On the bottom half of the bun arranges the arugula, tomato, burger and grilled onion. Close the burger and enjoy.

 
GRINDING
Before grinding the meat, cut it into strips and use up to a teaspoon of salt for each 1-1/2 pounds of meat. You can season the meat up to 18-24 hours before using. Make sure both the meat and the grinder and blades are well chilled. The idea here is that a warm grinder can melt the fat and produce more of a mash, than a clean crumbly grind.

An alternative is to use your food processor that has a very sharp blade. The patties will be a little more fragile and the texture of the cooked meat a little more crumbly, but the flavor and succulence will not suffer.
 
FORMING
Cold meat, cold hands (run very cold water over your hands) and work as quickly as possible so as not to bruise the meat. Make them at least an inch thick so that they can develop a nice crust on the outside and still be pink/red in the center. A word about pink/red... I know, there are those of you out there who consider a medium well to well done burger, well prepared. If that is the case, I would highly suggest a pat of butter folded into the center before cooking. That way, you retain some fat and moisture, even cooked that way.
 
GRILLING
Start with a clean, well oiled grill. First sear over high heat to develop a nice crust..then move to a bit cooler part of the grill. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER press down on the patty while cooking...it will only squeeze out the juice and make them dry.
 
HOW TO KNOW WHEN THEIR DONE
Simply do the poke test. Medium rare is softly yielding, medium is semi-firm, and well done is hard. This might take a little practice to perfect, but it is the best way to make sure you get the juiciest burger possible.

Condiments

Use the best you can find or make. Keep it simple.....you have worked very hard to come up with a patty that is out of this world. Don't drown the wonderful meat flavor in a combination of over-the top ingredients that will overpower your meat! Some suggestions follow...
 
Ketchup (Do you know the difference between Ketchup and Catsup???)  The only product that can call itself Ketchup is Heinz. You can make your own if you like
 
HOMEMADE "KETCHUP" Recipe

• 1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes in juice
• 1 medium onion-chopped
• 4 garlic cloves-chopped
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp chili powder---your choice
• ½ tsp paprika - can use smoked if you like
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp allspice
• 1-tbsp tomato paste
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup cider vinegar

 
Puree tomatoes with juice in a blender. Cook onion and garlic in oil with 1/4 tsp salt in a heavy 4-qt saucepan over medium heat until golden, stirring, for about 8 minutes. Add spices and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook for one minute. Add tomato puree, tomato paste, brown sugar and vinegar and simmer, uncovered stirring occasionally, until very thick...about 45-55 minutes. Stir more at the end of cooking time to prevent sticking. Puree in blender until smooth. CAUTION......Do not fill blender with any hot liquid. This is like freakin napalm.....it will explode out of the blender, cover you and your kitchen with hot, molten liquid. The only one who will benefit from this will be your general contractor!!!! You will be remodeling!!!  Chill at least 2 hours for flavors to meld
 
CHEESES
Use any cheese that you like....let it sit at room temperature. You want a cheese that melts easily...never serve a burger with cheese that has not been adequately melted before serving. I usually add the cheese after the burger has been flipped and allow at least 3 minutes or so for it to melt nicely
 
ONIONS
Either raw, grilled or sautéed. Marinate in balsamic vinegar before grilling (and a touch of sugar) for a nice flavor. Use the cheap stuff here - good balsamic should only be used as a finishing condiment to something that is already cooked, or to something like the freshest and sweetest summer's strawberries.
 
MUSHROOMS
Sautee in butter and white wine with a touch of salt...until cooked down and liquid evaporates..
 
MUSTARD
Your choice...from yellow ballpark, to Gulden's spicy brown to a whole grain German
 
BACON
Buy the best you can afford. Applewood smoked is great.
 
LETTUCE, TOMATO
Leaf lettuce is best...but iceberg will work, also.....buy in season, vine-ripened...the best you can find...or skip it!!!
 
 
Hope you have enjoyed the narrative on Burgers...it may be more than you ever wanted to know!!  But, guess what??? there is plenty of information here, so that if you choose to take just a couple of ideas from this, you will be well on your way to becoming a super burger chef!!!!
 
Cheers,
 
Joe