Pod’s Prize Burger

If you like giant burgers, my Mom and Dad’s entry “Pod’s Prize Burger” is the burger for you. 2 lbs. of beef for 3 burgers – I was not kidding. When my Dad (Pod – a nickname my brother gave him) took his burgers out of the cooler there was silence in the room. Those suckers where the size of small Frisbees.

With my parents being retired, they have time to explore different places for lunch outings. They love going to Original Mel’s Diner for burgers or in some cases for my Mom – a good grilled cheese. The “Original” Original Mel’s Diner started back in 1947 when Mel Weiss and Harold Dobbs built their first carhop in San Francisco. The George Lucas classic movie “American Graffiti” was filmed at the original Mel’s in San Francisco, and the place continued to grow in popularity. In 1974 the company was sold to a large corporation. There are now more than 10 restaurants throughout Northern California and Nevada that share the same fun-filled 50’s atmosphere – including jukebox tunes.

My Mom and Dad decided that they wanted to use the wonderful buns they use at Mel’s – so my Mom ran in and purchased 3 fresh baked buns for the contest. Awesome! It must also be noted that their recipe entries were typed up with American flag stickers and stars. I smile every time I see them sitting on my desk. 🙂

The Ingredients – (Recipe for 3 VERY LARGE/delicious burgers)
2 lbs. Ground Chuck
1/8 Large Onion
1/2 Cube Softened Butter
1/4 Teaspoon Oregano – dried
1/4 Teaspoon Crushed Rosemary
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic – crushed
1/4 Teaspoon Basil – dried
Dash of Paprika
Dash of Celery Seeds
Ground Pepper
Sea Salt
Dash of Cumin
Shredded Lettuce
Fresh Tomatoes – thinly sliced
Kraft’s Sandwich Spread

Directions:

• Blend oregano, rosemary, garlic, basil, paprika, and celery into softened butter, set aside.
• Finely dice 1/8th of a large onion of choice
• Mix onion into ground meat in bowl
• Divide into three portions, shape to size
• Hide teaspoon of herb/garlic butter mixture in middle of meat patty
• Season patty with salt, ground pepper and cumin
• Grill to desired “doneness” – My Dad had to play around with the timing due to the size of the burgers

Building the Burger

• Apply plain butter to Mel’s Bun and lightly toast on grill
• Apply Kraft’s Sandwich Spread to Mel’s Bun (ha! ha! – yes, I’m 5)
• Place burger patty in center, garnish with shredded lettuce and sliced tomato

The story behind the mayo/spread
Kraft’s Sandwich Spread was a staple in our house growing up. For those that have never heard of it, it’s a mayo with added relish and my guess is ketchup or something to make it orange in color. It has a Thousand Island dressing/mayo vibe. My Dad puts it on his sandwiches, this included occasionally using it on his “GASP” peanut butter sandwiches. I remember as a kid thinking – OMG, that is so weird! It’s definitely a fun childhood memory – scrunching up my face as I saw it happen in the kitchen. As for me, I’m a Best Foods mayo girl – Dan is all Miracle Whip. I end up buying both and I’m o.k. with that. I was going to link to the “Sandwich Spread” on the Kraft website, but Kraft is a billion dollar brand with a very confusing website. So Amazon it is.

I loved Pod’s Prize Burger because it reminded me of “home” and all of the fun times we’ve had BBQ-ing as a family. Way to go Pod and Mommers, a fine entry indeed!