“Old Moon” Steak Burger

This burger got my vote as “Best Burger” – there was something about the texture and rich flavors that lured me in. I easily would have paid $25 for my brother’s “Old Moon Steak Burger” in an upscale restaurant. The idea behind the steak burger came to my bro on the night of an “Old Moon” – so it seemed fitting for him to include that in the name. Both my bro and niece framed their recipes and brought them to the party… super cool!

The burger components included tri-tip, caramelized sweet onions and a Cambozola triple creamed cheese. Because this blog is a place for me to research and learn about things, I decided to get more information about the cheese. Cambozola is a cheese native to Germany and Austria that is produced as a combination of a Camembert and a Gorgonzola, thus the name, which is also often spelled Cambazola. The cheese is sometimes marketed as a blue-brie type of cheese.

Ingredients for the Steak Burgers – (Makes 3 large burgers)
2 1/4 lbs. Slightly Trimmed Tri-Tip (You need a bit of the fat cap), ground into a hamburger consistency – the butcher can do this for you
1 Tablespoon and 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Lemon Pepper
14 Turns Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Sweet Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
3/4 Cup Stoli n’ Kona Steak House Sauce (Recipe Below)

Burger Instructions:

• Mix together ground tri-tip and all dry ingredients into a large bowl, working everything together with your hands
• Pour 1/4 cup of sauce directly into the meat mixture, carefully working it in; repeat two more times until sauce is incorporated – you should have some leftover to serve on top of the cooked burger before serving
• Let meat rest in refrigerator for 1-2 hours
• Form into 3 patties
• Cook over high heat (BBQ at least 400-425 degrees) about 3 min. per side for medium rare
• Let meat rest for a few minutes before serving

Stoli n’ Kona Steak House Sauce
1/2 Cup A-1 Steak Sauce
1/2 Cup BBQ Sauce – Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey BBQ
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Teriyaki Sauce
3-5 Shakes Tapatio or Tabasco Hot Sauce
Dash of Liquid Smoke

Sauce Instructions:
Mix all ingredients together using a whisk over low heat for approximately 15 minutes.

Caramelized Onion Instructions:
While all of the other stuff is going on… 😉 Caramelize (3) Vidalia or Maui onions, sliced thinly, in a saucepan with 1 teaspoon garlic oil, 3 tablespoons salted butter, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. Cook over medium-low heat until all onions are caramelized and sauce has reached a syrup like consistency.

Building the Burger
Take your favorite roll or bun (My bro used Kaiser rolls, but also thought a sourdough would work nicely) and lightly toast with butter, garlic salt, and pepper. Spread a sweet mustard (Sierra Nevada Pale Ale) on both sides, and then place the steak burger onto the roll. Top with caramelized onions, and spread on a  generous layer of the triple cream Cambozola cheese and add a nice portion of your extra Stoli n’ Kona Steak House Sauce on top of that – or on the side if you prefer.

Even though the recipe seems a little involved, my bro showed up with the sauce and burgers already prepared. He was able to cook the burgers and caramelize the onions in 30 minutes. It’s definitely something you could make ahead of time before guests started arriving.

This is a very rich – gourmet style burger. I loved it and was super excited to drop my voting stick into the “Old Moon” burger’s cup. The contest actually came down to a tie. It was between my brother and I – I’m pretty sure that it was rigged… since I walked away with the medal and first place in the “beef burger” category. I know for a fact that my Dad and I both voted for my bro. 🙂

Another fine burger – Good job Are-Dub/Bro!