If you
asked me what my favorite food in the entire world is, I’d probably have to go
with the ubiquitous hamburger. I’m not sure at what point in my life the
hamburger finally trumped pizza and sushi, but there’s just so much about it I
love: warm and tender bread, hot and juicy meat, and the frequent appearance of
cheese, usually in gratuitous amounts. What’s not to like?
I’ve made
many hamburgers over the years, and the recipe I’m presenting to you here is
what I consider to be my best burger. Feel free to tweak the recipe as you
like, but this concoction has never led me astray. As far as toppings are
concerned, my hands-down favorite burger ever is topped with pimento cheese
(HOMEMADE! NO NEON ORANGE COTTAGE CHEESE!) and some sort of pickle with just a
dash of sriracha. This combination of ingredients possesses an equal balance of
richness, tanginess, and heat and provides a nice, hearty texture. Because I
was feeling particularly adventurous, I decided to make my own pickled onions
for this batch of burgers. They are ridiculously easy to prepare, and they will
last in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Concerning buns, I personally love a
soft brioche bun (which is what I’m using for this batch) or a chewy ciabatta.
The proper cooking
method of burgers is immersed in a controversy I’m not willing to enter. I will
acknowledge that each cooking method has its own merits, but for me, the
charcoal grill is the clear winner. However, to each his own. I will insist,
though, that you not press the meat with a spatula while it’s cooking, or the
meat’s juices will drain out, and you’ll wind up with a tough hockey puck.
(My new mini-grill my mom got me -- I just love it!)
Here are a
few tips for making your burger patties – Start with room-temperature meat. It’s
easier to mix, and it cooks more evenly than cold meat. Also, don’t be afraid
to make big patties. Burgers will inevitably shrink during the cooking process,
and you don’t want surprise sliders. Once you have formed the patty, squish it
out as much as you can, and make an indentation in the middle with your thumb
so that the finished burger won’t be too puffy.
Tyler’s
Best Burger
Warmed brioche bun
Grilled burger (Recipe to follow)
Homemade pimento cheese (Recipe can be found here)
Easy pickled onions (Recipe to follow)
Sriracha
Side of fries (Recipe can be found here)
Grilled Burger
1.5-2 lbs. ground chuck
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced*
*Why am I using minced garlic instead of garlic powder, you
ask? Well, to tell you the truth, I have always experienced better burgers when
using fresh garlic, and I have no idea why. Just trust me on this one.
In a bowl, combine all the ingredients by hand until evenly
mixed. Form patties to desired size and thickness. Grill burgers to desired
doneness (usually around 15-20 minutes for medium-well to well-done).
Easy Pickled Onions
1 medium onion*
¾ cup rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. sugar
Boiling water
*Usually, the red onion is recommended for pickling. However,
I only had yellow onions on hand, but the results were just as delicious.
Bring water to boil in a pot or kettle. Add vinegar, salt,
and sugar to a resealable container and stir until salt and sugar are
dissolved.
Thinly slice onion and place in a strainer in the sink.
Slowly pour boiling water over the onions and gently shake away excess water. Place
par-blanched onions in the container with vinegar mixture and refrigerate. Onions
will be ready to consume in 30 minutes and will last up to 2 weeks.
(Buns.)
Now, onto
dessert! If you asked me what summer tastes like (What’s with the hypothetical
questions in this entry? I dunno. I talk to myself a lot.), I would probably
say cantaloupe. Some might find that selection strange, but as far back as I
can remember, we have always had cantaloupe around during the summer, even more
so than watermelon. There are few things more refreshing than a bite of cold,
juicy melon straight from the refrigerator.
I’ve always
found it odd that I don’t encounter more recipes that incorporate melon. So in
my perplexity, I concocted this recipe. I adore the end result. This sorbet is
cool and refreshing and absolutely bursting with sweet cantaloupe goodness! Also,
if you wanted to scoop some in a glass and pour a little sparkling wine over
it, you would have a stunning dessert cocktail.
Cantaloupe Sorbet
3 cups diced cantaloupe (roughly ½ of a melon)
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbs. vodka*
1 tbs. lemon juice
*You may omit the vodka, but it lends the sorbet a slightly
creamier texture as vodka will not freeze. For this recipe, I used Absolut
Hibiskus, which added a lovely floral sweetness.
Process cantaloupe in a food processor or blender until
completely pureed. Stir in vodka and lemon juice.
In a saucepan, bring water and sugar to medium-high heat,
stirring until sugar is dissolved. Once the mixture comes to a boil, remove
from heat, and add the mixture to the cantaloupe mixture. Stir until evenly
incorporated, and refrigerate for 3 hours or until sorbet mixture is completely
chilled.
Once chilled, pour the mixture into an ice cream freezer and
follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure to store the sorbet in a
freezer-proof container with a tight lid.
("I came in like a MEEEEEEELON BALL!" -- I'm sorry. I'm kind of ashamed of that.)
Enjoy!
