Experimental burgers

Cafe Society
1

For the record, I’m a huuuge fan of a good old fashioned burger– simple, pure, nothing too fancy at all. Meat, salt, pepper, cheese, bun, maybe soft onions, mustard, possibly mayo.

That being said, I’ve been known to experiment with my hamburgers from time to time, this weekend being one of those times.

I’ve been trying to cut back on sat fat and cholesterol, but still wanted to enjoy some grilled meats this holiday weekend, and so I got a bit adventurous and invented a Hybrid Hamburger: part ground beef, part veggie.

Basically I took a pound of meat and mixed it with a pound of a non-meat mixture (black beans, onion, garlic cloves, bread crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, smoke seasoning-- all diced together in a processor). I gotta say, I was very pleased with the results-- didn’t really taste like a hamburger proper, but also didn’t taste “beany” or like a veggie burger. The texture was great, and they crusted nicely on the grill. I may add some egg whites next time to help hold the stuff together, as a couple of them got a little crumbly as they cooked, but nothing serious. Plus, I got to eat my usual amount of burgers with only half the fat content. Another plus, I wrote everything down so I’ll be able to replicate down the road.

So any one else like to experiment with their burgers? Healthy variants? Alternative meats? Mixing meats?

2

If you want to reduce fat, I’ve had good success by very finely shredding zucchini, squeezing out its excess liquid, and mixing that with the ground meat. The zucchini has so little flavor of its own that you don’t end up with that “veggie burger” flavor that drains all the joy out of eating a burger.

3

If I want healthy I’ll grill mushrooms instead of meat.

My favorite alternative is what I mentioned in the other thread: mix 80/20 chuck 3:1 with hot Italian sausage before you form your patties. Gives the burger a nice zing.

4

My gf likes extremely rare beef. We get around this by buying various cuts of beef, primarily steak, and having the butcher grind it. I’ve also made lamb burgers and ostrich burgers thhis way.

5

Yes, get your butcher to take some steak you’ve chosen, cut off the fat, and mince it, that will reduce the fat content significantly…

Then again, I do tinker with the concept of Jalapeno minced into the burger. Hmmmn…

6

I’ll throw another alt burger I’ve been grilling for a few years, I call it the Italian cheeseburger:

Mix some ground round with a ton of Parmesan, ton of finely chopped spinach or Italian parsley, a couple cloves of finely minced garlic, a bit of horseradish, salt and pepper. Make them into 1/3 lb patties. You want to keep them on the grill considerably less time than you would normally keep your burgers on there as the Parmesan will dry them out. But they are quite delicious, although not very healthy.

7

Mr. Shoe occasionally makes burgers with a big pat of guacamole in the center of them. He’ll also sometimes, if he’s grinding his own meat, mix a few strips of bacon into the beef mixture - calls 'em “squealers.” If I’m a REALLY good girl, he’ll do … both. :smiley:

8

Just had one this weekend that was a 3:1 mixture of ground beef and chorizo. That was one goddamn tasty sonofabitch. Had some jack cheese and grilled onions on it.

9

When it comes to burgers, I don’t really do healthy. I watch my calorie intake, but burgers are not the place to do it, IMHO. Meat has to be at least 20% fat, preferably more, up to 30%. Don’t mix it with anything, because as soon as you handle the meat by incorporating other ingredients inside the burger, you get more of a sausage texture than a burger texture. Biting into a burger should not have the rubbery resistance of a sausage, but rather an airy, soft, barely held-together consistency of ground beef that is loosely packed.

That said, I do occasionally do burger-like patties that incorporate lamb, pork, and beef.

Most recently, I made a “Buffalo chicken burger” with ground chicken, fried chicken skin, a bit of Franks & margarine, and a slaw made of shredded celery with a bit of carrot tossed in homemade blue cheese dressing. That worked very well, and the fried chicken skin, with careful application of the Franks & margarine (i.e. not drowning in it) was the key to making it something other than just another “Buffalo”-named burger.

10

Last time the husband wanted to do homemade ones, he had me use the 80/20 ground beef, Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix, egg, bread crumbs, little milk, worchestire sauce (I know - I probably spelled it wrong) and sauteed onions, garlic and green pepper finely chopped. It was pretty much a meatloaf burger (that’s kind of my meatloaf recipe). He uses a 4" PVC coupling as the mold (I have pictures of this - it’s kind of cool) and then throws them on the grill. I always ask for two pieces of cheese. And I toast the buns. But the coupling makes them the PERFECT size!

Yes, my husband can be kind of - well - eccentric. :smiley:

11

My favorite (but very unhealthy) burger is an inside-out cheeseburger. Cheese inside the meat. So, so, so, so good. I don’t know why it’s so much more fun than a regular cheeseburger, but it is.

12

Many burger places around me (no idea if this is a Chicago thing or everywhere) have burgers stuffed with Merkt’s cheese spread. Really, really, way too good.

13

Huh. I’ve never encountered one in Chicago (and I’ve lived here for like, what 25 years), but you’re talking about a Juicy Lucy aren’t you? (A Minnesotan thing.)

14

Huh! I’ve lived here for 46 years and haven’t seen this! Can you tell me where? I’d be interested in checking it out. Sounds pretty good!

15

Every once in a while I’ll make a lamb burger. Season it up like a gyro, make some tzatziki sauce, and you’re golden.

16

I did a meatloaf once that way - that turned out REALLY good!

ETA - especially since I wrapped it in bacon.

17

Then do what I do - add a little tomato paste.

18

This is great! Get a big bella, scrape out the gills and marinade it in vinagrette for a few hours. Toss that sucker on a rocket hot grill for just a minute or two to get it hot and hit it with some provalone and slap that puppy in a nice bun with some lettuce, tomato, and a thick slice of grilled onion.

And lamb burgers with feta and greek oregano and lemon vinagrette is the bomb!

19

The first place I had one was actually in Joliet, and I can’t remember the name.

More recently had one at Lockdown on Western. Awesome, awesome burger bar with a prison / heavy metal theme.

I’ve seen it on a couple other menus recently, but I really can’t place names. I believe Longman & Eagle in Logan Square had SOMETHING with Merkt’s on the menu…

20

Merkt’s is not uncommon around here. It’s the Merkt’s inside the burger that’s a little different.