The snow is starting to back off, and I am tempted to excavate
the garage to dig out the grill. I also have this urgent craving for hamburgers (the food, not the germans).
So how do you make your burgers? A homemade burger is definitively on
the menu in my book of favourite foods.
Here, I’ll share with you my reciepe on moose-burgers:
500 gram minced moose meat
500 gram ground beef
1 finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon of: oregano, paprika powder, black pepper and salt
2 eggs
1 large tablespoon of Tabasco and Worchestershire sauce
Fits perfetly between two pieces of white toast and some fried bacon
on the side.
Nothing too complex here- sprinkle plenty of Montreal Steak Seasoning and a bit of Tabasco on the meat, let sit for about 20 minutes, then throw on the George Foreman (I hate the Great Outdoors). For me, cheese (Kraft Singles) is a must have, as is mustard. Lettuce and tomato optional, depending on how motivated I am.
IMHO- burgers belong on hamburger buns. Putting a burger on toast is heretical, as is the metric system.
Can’t find moose meat here in the American South, but my Uncle Bill usually hooks me up with some ground venison a couple of times a year. Trade?
I like my burgers quite plain. Ground beef, finely minced onion, dash of Worcestershire, breadcrumbs, S&P and an egg. Moose would probaby be quite good in a burger, but it’s not all that easy to find hereabouts.
When I need a change, I’ll usually make Greek Chicken Burgers (ground chicken + fresh oregano + crumbled feta + breadcrumbs + egg). Mix, form into patties, slap on a hot BBQ and grill until done. Very tasty served in warm pita pockets with thinly sliced cucumber, tomato, and a generous dollop of tzatziki sauce.
I keep it simple. Each burger patty should be formed out of 1/3 pound of 80/20 ground chuck. Season patties on both sides with ground black pepper and onion salt. Grill and serve.
That’s really all you need; to me, anything more is frippery that makes your burger taste like a steak, instead of a burger.
I don’t know why anyone would just form ground beef into a patty and grill it up (with all due respect to Max Torque). I always add stuff. Typically garlic salt, dill weed, mustard powder, finely diced onion and green pepper, Worcestershire sauce and other spices depending on my mood. Sometimes I will add sweet curry, sometimes it is simply an Italian blend, and sometimes it is the range of separate Italian-type of spices. Grill it leaving it pink in the middle and we enjoy a good burger. This approach seems to surprise people. I’ve made it for friends and they always comment on how much better the burger is than what they typically have.
I’ll have to try that Greek Chicken burger. It sounds like a tasty variation.
Or meatloaf. While a meatloaf sandwich is a thing of beauty in its own right, it’s not the same as a hamburger.
I’m with Max, 80/20 chuck or ground trimmings, salt, pepper and maybe a squirt of worcestershire sauce or fish sauce mixed in before I make it into patties.
Then onto a med-high grill for about 3 mins per side.
2 lbs of 96/4 lean ground beef
1 lb of Jimmy dean hot sausage
1 container of either blue of feta cheese
Liberally season with SuzieQ santa maria seasoning
Makes 8 man sized burgers top with Romaine, tomato, Cholula Hot sauce, Katsup and Mustard on Potato buns.
Oh ya the best way is to cook them over Red Oak to medium rare.
Best thing is that these burgers are great the next day as cold leftovers. Most people eat one.
ahh man grill culture is probably what i miss most about america. well ok theres one or two things…and then that. two inch fat burgers with the center still alive…MMMmmm
I use an 80/20 mixture of ground deer and ground pork made into nice, thick patties. Season lightly before grilling with salt and pepper. Any other seasonings or condiments may be added at the table by those who don’t get enough pleasure from the flavor of sweet, blessed meat.
Stpauler, Minnesota style, AKA the Jucy Lucy (serves 5):
Charcoal grill (with chimney starter, no lighter fuel taste)
3 lbs 80% ground beef. Lawry’s seasoning salt
Either crumbled bleu cheese(for the grown-ups) or mild cheddar (for the kids)
Pepperidge Farm hamburger buns (so soft and nummy)
Make 10 thin patties, no bigger than 1/4 inch.
Season the tops with Lawry’s.
Put the cheese of choice in the center of five of the patties.
Take the other five patties and seal the cheese inside of each of the newly formed mega-burger.
Grill, flip, grill, put on buns and WAIT. Cheese is molten hot but soooooo good like that.
This is my philosophy as well. Anything more and you’re getting into meatloaf territory. The key is ground beef with decent fat content (80% lean or fatter) and minimal handling of the meat (to preserve a light, airy texture). Working the meat too much, by kneading in ingredients like onions, eggs, etc., compacts the meat and ruins that wonderful lightness a properly made burger has.
And if you start putting stretchers like bread or breadcrumbs into it, then you are clearly in meatloaf territory in my book.
Looks like there are two hamburger-philosophies emerging;
the pure meat without fuss camp versus the spicy hamburger boys.
Pure burgers that preserve the real flavour of the meat; fair enough,
I can understand that. But the meat has to be of real quality, not
the dead cow that has been minced and sold at the local store as
“beef”. I guess I’m desecrating the moose-meat with mixing it with
the cheap slop I get at the store. Someone please slap me with
a spatula! “Whip!”
But the moose-meat is quite dry, so I have to mix it some other
“fatty” meat. Any suggestions?
With dead cow quality meat mostly at hand, I am also intrigued by
the different extras that have been suggested in this thread; cheddar cheese,
garlic, mustard powder, green pepper, cummin seeds, blue cheese. I will
certainly have to try to mix some cheese into my burgers.
To satisfy those on the non-minimalist side of the hamburger camp, I make a pljeskavica, which can be called a “Serbian/Yugoslavian hamburger,” (variations of it exist throughout the region) but I don’t since it’s not what I consider a hamburger. But, anyhow, the ingredients are as such:
mix of lamb, pork, beef (a third of each is fairly standard, although I prefer a little more lamb, up to 50% of the total, in my final product. Some places only use one or two meats. I like all three or, if I had to choose only two, a mix of lamb and beef/veal. The lamb is what, for me, makes this special).
very finely chopped onion and garlic
hot paprika
salt or Vegeta (a Croatian powdered vegetable stock/seasoning)
pepper
Mix together ingredients and let rest for a couple of hours to let flavors mingle. Grill. Serve with chopped raw onions, ajvar (roasted red pepper and egg plant condiment) and pita bread. Or serve American style on a hamburger bun.
