Well Seasoned Blog

As spring marches forward one of the most anticipated moments of the season at my house is the preparation of the first BBQ’d burgers of the season. There is just something so incredibly satisfying about the warm juices from a fresh off the grill burger running down your forearm as that slice of tomato desperately tries to escape the confines of the bun. You just don’t get that experience unless you grill the burger at home.

I am not much of a fast food kinda girl and I am generally repulsed by the pale gray, greasy little pucks that seem to endlessly appear on the menu at quick serve restaurants, mysteriously for less and less money every week. The price of ingredients goes up every single day yet the price of fast food continues to drop – an anomaly I truly struggle to understand. I am waiting for everything eventually to be free so you can just buy the toy your kid wants and get back to making real food at home.

I digress…

Now weather you are a vegetarian or a meat eater burgers are kind of a universal food…much like pizza. There is something there for everyone. Technically a burger is a sandwich containing a cooked meat patty – usually ground beef but occasionally pork, turkey or chicken placed between the two halves of a bun. Typically the burger is dressed with ketchup, mustard, relish and onions. For those with a wild streak – cheese! Just about everyone I know has a burger recipe they love, most guys I know claim the burger as their”signature move” on the bbq. Burgers and toppings are as individual as the person creating them. Personally I like to keep things simple. Into fresh ground chuck (I get my butcher to grind it for me while I wait) I add an egg, some seasonings, a finely chopped onion and a bit of just cooked chopped bacon. I form them into disks big enough to fill the bun and chill them until I am ready to grill. I get my grill nice and hot, lightly oil the grill and put them on over direct heat. Cooking them 4 -5 minutes per side, turning only once. Contrary to what your Dad probably did, please try to resist pressing down on the burgers with your spatula. That only squeezes out the juices, encourages flare-ups and dries out your burger. You’ve gone to so much trouble, do not want a dry burger! Now you are ready for the bun and your toppings. I am a cheddar cheese, mustard, tomato and mayo girl. I like a soft bun, not too crusty and the bun to burger ration is very important – too much bun or over toasting it can ruin the whole experience for me. Burgers aren’t an everyday food at my house nor should they be at yours, like everything moderation is the ticket but regardless of how you do your burgers you’ve got to admit there is something soul satisfying about a good one.

Happy grilling.