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Burger lovers’ perfect dishes
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by Andrew Gauthier
Thursday, September 16, 2004
There are certain milestones that mark a youth’s maturation: first steps, first day of school, first kiss, etc. For some children, those conventional pages in the memory’s photo album are often juxtaposed with some alternative and possibly more vivid and significant moments, such as first Baby Ruth, first Whopper, first Arch Deluxe.
For people in this latterly mentioned category, the word “burger” invokes a savory sense of nostalgia and also encapsulates many emotions fundamental to one’s appetite. The mention of the White Castle slider (the hamburger equivalent of crack) for the former fat kid is essentially on par with the mention of “Anna Karina” or “Crime and Punishment” to the Russian literature scholar. For every American, though, “burger” triggers an alliterative stream of consciousness: barbeque, backyard, bun, baseball, Big Mac, belly.
In football — and thus in tailgating — thousands of hamburgers will be consumed in the autumnal months, and there is no reason why the majority of those have to be banal and bland. Grilling frozen hamburger patties or any made exclusively with ground beef may seem to be the most hassle-free option, but ultimately it becomes very difficult on a charcoal grill or in a broiler to make these taste really good. Therefore, I suggest adding some simple ingredients to ground chuck or using a combination of meats and then shaping your own patties in order to make hamburgers that are impressive and permit a relatively larger room for cooking error; burgers that will hark back to a simpler time.
For everyone, no matter what their memories of youth are, surely one includes a burger slathered with ketchup, and for the former fat kid, fingers, mouth and sweaty tank top slathered with some too.
The Classic: Makes 4-6 burgers
2 lbs. ground chuck
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. your favorite steak sauce (I suggest Cross and Blackwell)
4 thinly sliced green onions (a.k.a. scallions)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (regular salt and pepper will do)
- Turn on broiler, prepare coals, or heat gas grill to medium-high
- In a bowl, combine ground chuck and ingredients with a couple healthy pinches of salt and a generous amount of pepper. Hands make the best mixers for this.
- Using your hands, grab a hunk of the meat mixture about the size of your palm and roll into a ball, then gently form into patties that are about 1/2 inch thick. (Size of the patties depends on personal preference, but be careful not to make them too thick because they will shrink up once they’re on the grill).
- Place patties on the grill and make a half turn at about two minutes or when some juices start to escape. Then after another two minutes or so, flip the burger and repeat the turning process. Start adding cheese, if desired, after the burgers have been flipped for a minute or two. Figure about eight to 12 minutes per burger depending on desired doneness and heat of the grill. Burgers are done if when you pick up with a spatula then drop down again on the grill they completely retain their form and give a little bounce. I would suggest to err on the side of underdone because when you start second-guessing you cook it too long, and also you can always put it on for a little longer. Practice cutting into at least one to know for sure, though.
The Italian: Makes 6-8
2 lbs. ground chuck
1/3 lb ground Italian sausage
2 egg yolks
3-4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 8 oz can of tomato paste
- Combine the meats in a medium bowl
- Beat the egg yolks and put them, along with the other ingredients, into the meat mixture and follow the basic steps of the previous recipe.
Serving suggestions: The Classic needs to be paired with, unsurprisingly, the classic hamburger accompaniments. With the Italian, though, I suggest two serving methods:
Eggplant Ricotta
In a bowl or deep plate, combine olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Thinly slice eggplant widthwise, leaving the skin on. Submerge both sides of eggplant slice in the olive oil mixture and place on the grill (if you’re using a broiler, at this point you can stick them in or also place them on a non-stick skillet on medium-high heat) shortly after you have flipped the hamburgers. Grill for about two minutes per side or until nice grill marks form.
In another bowl, combine eight ounces Ricotta cheese, one tbsp. each chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, and chopped fresh basil, along with a healthy amount of black pepper and a pinch of salt.
Serve the burgers on top of the grilled eggplant and ricotta mixture along with some decent marinara sauce.
Tomato Basil
Serve the Italian with thinly sliced tomatoes (I suggest Roma, Beefsteak or even Heirloom if you can find them), fresh mozzarella and torn fresh basil on top. Sprinkle a bit of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper over it all and drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!
