Jul 19 2011

“The Simple Man” Burger

Josh’s “The Simple Man” entry was a solid entry in the Burger-Palooza contest. It was in my top 3 and was Dan’s top pick. Josh used The Blue Label Burger Blend recipe posted by J. Kenji Lopez-alt on Serious Eat’s. Josh wins for most involved meat prep. 😉

Ingredients – (serves 1 pound of burger meat)
6 ounces beef sirloin, trimmed of gristle, and cut into 1-inch cubes
5 ounces beef brisket, trimmed of gristle, and cut into 1 inch cubes
12 ounces oxtail, fat and meat carefully removed from bone and trimmed of silverskin, bones discarded or reserved for another use (about 5 ounces of combined meat and fat)

Directions if using a meat grinder:

  • Place feed shaft, blade, and 1/4-inch die of meat grinder in freezer until well chilled. Meanwhile, place meat chunks on rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between each piece and place in freezer for 10 minutes until meat is firm, but not frozen.
  • Combine meat in large bowl and toss to combine. Grind meat and refrigerate immediately until ready for use. Handle as gently as possible.

Directions if using a food processor:

  • Place bowl and blade of food processor in freezer until well-chilled. Meanwhile, place meat chunks on rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between each piece, and place in freezer for 10 minutes until meat is firm, but not frozen.
  • Combine meat in large bowl and toss to combine. Working in two batches, place meat cubes in food processor and pulse until medium-fine grind is achieved, about 8 to 10 one-second pulses, scraping down processor bowl as necessary. Refrigerate until ready to use

Josh’s instructions for cooking and building the burger:

  1. Form patties from blue label blend – season well with salt and pepper
  2. Cook patties in cast iron skillet with a small amount of oil
  3. When nearing doneness, add 1 slice “Kraft Singles” to each patty
  4. Place on toasted bun, dressed with mayo and ketchup
  5. Serve immediately

Josh was in the first group – I hadn’t quite decided how pictures where going to go, so I only ended up getting one shot of his fabulous burger. I loved how the cheese just oozed right into the beef, it truly was a simple burger with sophisticated flavor. I loved that the grind was loose and that the meat just crumbled with every bite. Not sure I’m down for boning my own oxtail (Josh even said it was hard), but who knows… I’ve tried a lot of things through this blog that I would have never thought possible. If you have any questions for Josh, ask away in comments.

Awesome burger Josh!

Permanent link to this article: http://foodiddy.com/?p=5377

Jul 16 2011

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!

Permanent link to this article: http://foodiddy.com/?p=5364

Jul 14 2011

“Old Moon” Steak Burger

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!

Permanent link to this article: http://foodiddy.com/?p=5334