Whats in your Favorite Burger?

[Cherylptw]

With grilling seasoning kicking off this weekend, naturally thoughts turn to things to cook on the grill, specifically burgers. I experiment with food alot and love interesting ingredients. I'm curious to know what's in your favorite burger? Do you have a burger that you're known for? Are you a purist or do you go for the exotic?

What kind of meat do you use, is it beef, chicken, pork, seafood or a vegetarian creation? Perhaps bison, ostrich or other specialty meat; if so, tell me about it.

What about the bread, is there a certain type of bun or bread that you must have to pillow your masterpiece? Some people feel that their burger is not complete without being topped with their favorite cheese, or those crisp, crunchy, savory, sweet, tangy or other burger fixin's, what's yours?

And not to be left out, are their any accompaniments that you like with your burger; side dishes that put the burger over the top for you? Believe it or not, I like fried okra with my burger. What about it hounds?

[cathodetube]

Has anyone ever used a raw egg to bind their meat? it seems to be common over here. I don't see the point. Yes if you are making a meatloaf or meatballs and using breadcrumbs but otherwise why? For me it's all about the additions, cheese, onion, mustard.....

[CocoaNut]

Besides the usual of S&P, Worchestershire, and garlic powder.....

Mustard powder (Coleman's) - 1 - 2 teas / lb of burger meat.

Sometimes, hot chili flakes and less than sometimes, a minimal squirt of BBQ sauce - not enough for a distinct BBQ flavor, but just enough as an enhancer to elicit the eyebrow raiser.

Pretty plain composition. 85% lean beef, 1/3 lb patties. Plain bun, shredded (good) cheddar cheese, yellow mustard, very thin sliced onion, and if I have it on hand, crisp iceburg lettuce. And fried yellow squash rounds are on the burger menu for tomorrow.

[Phurstluv]

I personally love beef burgers. 80/20 ground chuck for this girl. And I don't stuff my beef burgers, but my own is loaded with cheddar cheese, bacon, (if I have it cooked already), tomato, lettuce, or arugula if I have that, then sliced avocado (kind of a dealbreaker for me!! feel deprived with out it, unless I'm at a restaurant, but I assume you're talking homemade burgers) then some mayo, ketchup and yellow mustard. Messy but good. And always have to have dill pickles on the side.

I just recently got into turkey burgers, which surprised the heck out of me, since I don't like ground turkey as much unless it's highly seasoned, like tacos. But I figured out that if you mix it up with a vinaigrette, it comes out flavorful and juicy. For the boys I add shredded cheddar, grated shallot, splashes of worcestershire, and some honey and yellow mustard. For ours, I did a mix of grated shallot, sun dried tomatoes, worcestershire sauce, and about a 1/4 cup of dijon vinaigrette, for two burgers. And I stuffed ours with blue cheese, for good measure. They were so delicious grilled at medium heat, that I had cravings two weeks later and did it again!

Great topic, Cheryl, one of my favorite foods in the world is cheeseburgers!! Happy Grilling this Summer!!

[Cherylptw]

Cheeseburgers are one of my favs also but I'm not too much of a beef eater. Now, I know some might not consider this Chowish but my favorite burger is a White Castle...go ahead people, laugh but no chastising, please (lol), or I should say White Castles how they were about 20 years ago. They've changed somewhat but they still take care of the craving as long as they're not supermarket frozen.

But this year, I've been attempting to create some burgers with other meats as well as meatless. Can't say I won't make a beef burger but it won't be my first choice.

[Phurstluv]

Hey, no apologies necessary, I grew up on Mickey D's and Burger King!! My oldest son loves the frozen ones, he has no perspective, but my DH remembers them from the south where he went to law school and he thinks WC and Krystal burgers are great hangover food!!! Aaaahh, the things you learn at college!!

I felt the same about the turkey burgers, I would NEVER order one, but now that I feel I've perfected a combo that I like, I can totally get into them. And I do really like using large portabellas for burgers, just marinate them a little in s&p, and oil & vinegar, then broil or grill and top with favorite condiments. I'm not that into the pressed bean and sprout version, however. And until the Dr. tells me otherwise, I'm sticking with the beef!!

[Cherylptw]

I remember the days of McD's & Jack in The Box...back then, I never had anything but a beef burger. And, I've never ordered anything but a beef burger while out; just can't get into the Boca or Gardenburger. I'm working on a bean & sprout burger of my own though (well, veggie burger).

[Phurstluv]

Back then, girlfriend, there was no McVeggie Burger!!! But yah, I know what you mean. You only get beef when you go out, but only make {fill in the blank} at home?? How funny!! Oh well, sometimes old habit die hard!!

[Davwud]

I make my own now. I make 'em Krystal's style though.

DT

[Cherylptw]

Krystal is very similar to White Castle...how do you make yours. if you don't mind sharing?

[Davwud]

I guess I was a bit misleading. I'm tired.

I don't cook them on minced onion and there is no holes in them.
It's actually a cross between Krystal's and White Manna.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhLeH4...
I use the cooking method in the above video and all are topped with pickle and mustard which is how Krystal's does them. I'm not sure how WC's come.

So cooked like WM and dressed like K.

I barely season the meat and do it on a flat cast iron griddle. Very nice beefy flavour.

DT

[Cherylptw]

Yesterday, I did turkey mole burgers: ground turkey, mole sauce, menudo seasoning blend, cinnamon, garlic and toasted & ground flour tortillas in the mix. I made a butternut squash onion jam in which I simmered chopped onions in a teaspoon of olive oil for about 10 minutes then added grated butternut squash, continuing to simmer the mix for another 20 minutes over low heat until thick and delicious.

Seasoned simply with kosher salt & pepper and cumin. Perfect on the burgers along with queso fresco on whole wheat buns. I'm working on a three day burger binge so tonight I'm doing something new.

[The Professor]

My ideal burger is ground chuck with a bit of pork added. I grind the meat myself, on the coarse side, and when shaping am careful not to work it into a mush and especially not to pack it all too tightly. Sometimes I'll add just a bit of caramelized onion into the mix along with just a trace amount of garlic powder, other than that it's fairly simple. During cooing it gets flipped once, and the patty is _never_ pressed on with the spatula.

I like it on a grill toasted Portuguese roll, with a thin slice of onion, just a dab of ketchup, and of course some slices of kosher dill pickle.
Gotta have the pickle.

[Davwud]

Well, when it comes to a hamburger per se, I'm pretty much a straight up guy. I will add in some garlic and worch but only small amounts. Mostly it's just salt and pepper.

I don't mind add ins but I find that people go over board. As has been said upstream here, you're just making meatloaf. Everything that you add in should be to "Beef" up the beef flavour. Not alter it.

I'm also a big fan of doing fun things with them. I've added Italian or chorizo sausage. I make Juicy Lucy's (burgers stuffed with cheese). I've added salsa to the meat. I'm up for anything. It's just at that point it needs an adjective before the word burger.

DT

[mcf]

After reading about ideal burger meat blends from chefs, I home ground brisket, chuck mixed with short rib meat, and finally, on my own, tried grinding flank steak. I hate burgers from lean meats like sirloin, ostrich or bison, but for a steak that's fairly lean, flank is my hands down winner for burger flavor. I add little or nothing to the burger itself, just blot the freshly ground meat in paper towels for a while, then make large patties and grill. Rarely, I'll add worcestershire to the meat.

I like it with pickle, ketchup and mayo, onion, lettuce and tomato.

I use grass fed meat, wash it, grind it myself so I can finally, safely eat a burger that's not well done.

[Harters]

I'll put pretty much any meat between bread - beef, pork, venison or lamb - all have their benefits. I have a recipe for bunny burgers which I'm hopping to try out next time I'm given a couple of the cuties.

As a veggie version, I like mushroom. Just take a big fat field mushroom and treat it exactly as you would meat - same cooking, same bread, same accompaniements ( A Nigella Lawson idea that I saw in a Nigel Slater book).

[Cherylptw]

Harters, please do report back if you get the chance to make those burgers (my son would kill me if he heard me say that..he had two rabbits as a child)....

[Harters]

I had a pet rabbit as well as a kid* - my dad poisoned it (accidentally).

Recipe is a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall one (from River Cottage Cookbook). For 1kg of bunny, he adds a softened onion, 250g sausagemeat or minced belly pork and finely chopped marjoram, thyme, sage & rosemary.

He suggests having it on a bun and with garlic mayo. Garlic mayo goes great with Mr Wabbit as I discovered during the previously reported Great Mallorcan Rabbit Shock Horror.

* I mean I had one when I was a kid - not that I had a baby goat as well as a rabbit. LOL

[Cherylptw]

I have to say, that bunny recipe sounds really good (but you didn't hear that from me, no you did not (lol)

[Harters]

Ah, I hear a voice.

Could it be Cheryl "What's Up Doc" Ptw?

[Cherylptw]

Yeeeah!

[Emme]

i had people over for a burger night last night. i did beef, turkey and lentil burgers. for the beef, i used sirloin and chuck.. for the turkey, i added pureed white onion to the meat.

i served them on english muffins, and offered the following toppings:
caramelized onions
sliced avocado
imported swiss
tillamook
colby jack
balsamic mushrooms
sundried tomato tapenade
roasted garlic aioli
honey dijon
caesar dressing and frico chips (personal request)

[Cherylptw]

Those sound great Niquejim...especially the one with the smoked gouda; my personal favorite cheese. But if you don't put anything in the burger, can I assume you are putting the rub & seasonings on the outside of the burger and not mixed in?

[bushwickgirl]

Yes, I'll have one of each, please.

[c oliver]

I think that's why they're called "rubs." :)

[Cherylptw]

What's why? Normally, a rub is used to "rub" on the outside of whatever you're using it on. Now, I don't know about anyone else, but I've never heard or seen anyone "rubbing down" a hamburger. I've heard of coating the burger in the rub and I've heard of mixing the rub in the meat. Since there was no specification, I had to ask.

[niquejim]

Yes, I'm sprinkling the rubs on the outside of the burger(I try not to form the burgers too much). I never use salt inside the burger, especially after reading this
http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2...

[Cherylptw]

Thanks for clearing that up.

[c oliver]

Since jim said he puts nothing IN the burger, I made an assumption. And I don't actually rub on rubs. I pat them on but pats are butter so that won't work. I guess I could call them sprinkles. Nope, that's taken also. So I guess we'll have to stick with rubs even if I don't rub them. Wow, this cooking is hard work :)

[niquejim]

Nothing in the burger but meat, anything else is meatloaf ;-)

Here's my Memorial day burger menu for friends and family
I'm doing burgers for 21 people. I'll grind equal parts brisket, sirloin and chuck short rib along with 21 slices of bacon which I will grill rare/med rare.
I'm doing 5 different burgers
1: Southwest---with fajita rub,queso blanco, grilled red and poblano peppers and avocado relish
2: Philly cheese steak---garlic salt and pepper, provolone, sauteed onions, mushrooms and peppers
3:BBQ burger---BBQ rub, smoked Gouda, bacon, grilled onions, BBQ sauce and a fried egg
4: Pub burger---salt, pepper, cheddar, bacon, fried egg, lettuce, tomato and onions
5: Black and Blue---Blackened rub, crumbled Gorgonzola and fried egg

[Peachie]

I've been making hamburgers the old-fashioned way for years, and at every party people ask for the recipe. Just adding an egg, some bread crumbs, 1 TBLS Montreal seasoning, a little worcestershire and then 1/2 a packet (for 1 pound) of Lipton onion soup mix. Super moist and yummy.

However, I recently switched to bison. Using the same formula above, they come out really, really moist, even the 90/10 mix.

But they are bitter----suggestions????

[Cherylptw]

The only thing I can think of is the onion soup mix...it's full of salt and who knows what else, maybe some of the preservatives is the cause. The worcerstershire could be making it bitter, keeping in mind that a regular ground beef has more fat that would kind of distribute your seasonings more than bison which is more lean.

[Peachie]

Thanks, Cheryl. It's odd, though, because using the onion soup mix in regular beef doesn't cause the bitterness.

[eight_inch_pestle]

Oh, how to count the ways....

Absolute favorite is probably what I call a Mekong Burger, a fat patty overflowing with mint, cilantro, lemongrass, star anise, coriander, fresh ginger, and shallot. I top this with bacon, havarti, and orange bell pepper sauteed in the bacon and a little minced cilantro, mint, and watercress tossed with oil and rice vinegar and a little sugar.

[bushwickgirl]

Now that's a different burger, how do you incorprate the star anise, ground? Maybe that's a silly question.

[eight_inch_pestle]

Yeah, I crush one in the mortar and pestle for 2/3 lbs of beef (two patties).

[Cherylptw]

That burger sounds intriguing; I may try it.

[eight_inch_pestle]

Threw this together. I've never measured it before, so it's definitely a ballpark. Just keep in mind that you're looking for a real explosion of fresh herbal brightness. Try a bit of the mixture raw or cook a little piece in the pan beforehand. If it doesn't make you smile stupidly add more herbs and spices.

2/3 lb. ground chuck, or chuck roast ground at home (or beef of choice, of course)
1 star anise, crushed
2 teaspoons whole coriander, ground
2 teaspoons minced ginger
3 tablespoon minced lemongrass
¼ cup minced cilantro
¼ cup minced mint
Salt and pepper to taste

Large handful watercress, roughly chopped
Small handful cilantro, chopped
Small handful mint, torn
½ red onion, minced or sliced very thinly
Splash rice wine vinegar
Splash olive oil
Sugar to taste
Salt to taste

4 slices bacon
Havarti, sliced
1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced

1. Mix the anise, coriander, ginger, lemongrass, cilantro, and mint. Gently fold them into the meat with plenty of salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Saute (or bake) bacon until done. Set aside on paper towels.
3. Saute the bell pepper in bacon fact and, if necessary, a bit more fat, until browned in spots and soft all over.
4. Meanwhile, make the salad---it should be sweet and tangy from the sugar and vinegar, with a nice bite from the onion and watercress.
5. Butter the buns and brown them in a pan.
6. Form the meat into two patties and preheat the pan over medium-high heat for two or three minutes. Cook for 2.5 minutes on the first side. Turn, top with cheese, and cook for another 2 minutes, or until done to your taste (alto these are definitely less interesting to me cooked past medium-rare).
7. Set the patties on the bun, topping (in order) with the bacon, salad, and bell pepper.

Report back if you make them!

[c oliver]

This sounds outstanding. And I'm a nothing but meat in a burger kinda gal. My mouth tingles just thinking about this. I'll be making this as soon as my grocery as 7-bone chuck on sale again. The freezer is empty of burgers.

[Cherylptw]

Tomorrow starts my three day burgerathon; I'm going to try your burger..I'm still trying to find the lemongrass. Unfortunately, there are no Asian markets where I live although I may be able to find dry lemongrass at the grocer's. Any suggestions for an alternate? What about grated lemon or lime zest?

[ipsedixit]

Aside from a blend of sirloin and chuck, I like to throw in a bit of Andouiile Sausage ... just to liven things up a bit.

[bushwickgirl]

I use ground sirloin when I'm feeling flush, otherwise it's 80/20 ground chuck, which is juicy and flavorful. I like to stuff burgers with blue cheese, feta or cheddar and grill them, medium rare only. For toppings, I absolutely need caramelized onions, although grilled jalapeños or mild green chilies are my second fav.

For basic burger night, I grill and top with American cheese, raw onion, lettuce & tomato and ketchup. Fries on the side.

[c oliver]

I grind my own 7-bone chuck for burgers. I think any leaner isn't what a burger is. IMO. And I put nothing IN the burger. Unless I think it's too lean. Then I'll ask the butcher for some fat trimmings.

[RealMenJulienne]

A thin patty, medium well burger with crispy bits all over the outside. Make a meatball with ground beef, shredded onion, and salt, then press flat in a scorching hot heavy pan. Flip once to crisp the other side, then lift it from the pan and slide a slice of yellow onion underneath it to cook in the burger fat, and lay the burger on top of the onion slice for about 3-4 minutes. Serve patty and fried onion on a simple kaiser roll with ketchup, yellow mustard, and dill pickle. I like many types, but that to me is the archetypal burger.

I love the classic burger-and-fries combo as much as a fat man can, but objectively, perhaps fries are not the best accompaniment to a burger. Fat and starch, on top of more fat and starch? As part of a balanced meal something like a jerusalem salad goes great with a greasy burger, or maybe a tomato-based vegetable soup.

[shaogo]

That's it!

I do the shredded onion thing if I'm too lazy to incorporate minced onion into the meat. A kaiser roll, gently toasted, is great. I'd just add mayo and delete the mustard.

I stuff burgers with a mixture of cream cheese and blue cheese (and sometimes horseradish) and cook 'em medium-rare. Those get a slice of raw onion and a big fat slice of tomato. They're a mess to eat (I admit to having one on toast and eating it with knife and fork).

[mandycat]

My favorite burger varies from time to time, depending on mood and fridge contents. But I almost always plate them up "naked" -- no bun at all. The typical hamburger bun is nothing but a delivery mechanism for the hamburger and its stuffing/topping buddies. I've mystified restaurant servers by asking for them to bring me their fancy burgers but hold the bun. I'll have to remember the Kaiser roll idea; that might actually add to the hamburger experience instead of merely taking up valuable plate and stomach space.

[visciole]

Venison burgers, grilled rare!

[cathodetube]

Have you ever tried a lamb burger? I like to make them with cumin, feta and mint. I also add harissa sauce to the meat mixture and to the top. Serve them in hollowed out wholemeal pitas. You could also add hummus as a garnish if liked.

[Cherylptw]

I've used lamb in burgers...like it very much!

[chef chicklet]

For me I love a beef and I do love the sirloin burgers that costco sell medium rare-closer to rare. I am not crazy about an oversized bun, I prefer it to fit the meat peftectly, the meat grilled and sesame seeds are okay, but no onion buns.The bun has to be grilled , or toasted. I love the crunch. Normally I don't go for cheese, but love the usual lettuce, onion and tomato. My all time absolute favorite burger is a Green Chile burger, with a fatty, medium rare burger, topped withh monterey jack, spicy green chile verde, raw onion circles, a lightly grilled bun that's then been steamed. That is the aboslute best burger in the world, and I'm making them this Sunday! If I'm especially energetic, I love baked beans. I make them in the oven with bacon and a bunch of other stuff. They go great with burgers. That and a perfectly made, crispy toss greened salad with blue cheese. I know, simple.

[cathodetube]

What kind of chile do you use - the jalapeno kind? Someone I know makes a green chile burger here in the UK but fries the chile in butter beforehand. Supposed to 'up' the flavour..... I find it too hot and takes away from the taste of the meat. I love cheeseburgers with onion, lettuce and tomato like you but with the addition of French's mustard. I do like the chiles you get at the middle eastern restaurants where they serve kebabs though. Different type though.

[chef chicklet]

You should Hatch, but when you can't get them, which is mostly the case. Try using anaheim, then roast and peel them and chop. Add a serrano or 2 or jalapeno to the mix for spiciness since the anaheim isn't spicy. I've always used monterey jack cheese, a nice melty cheese with a mild sharp note. If you can't find that use fontina.

[cathodetube]

Don't think we can get Hatch or Anaheim here. Which is hotter, serrano or jalapeno? The roasting sounds like a good idea. Had you heard about the cooking in butter making chiles hotter story? I want to taste the meat, not worrying about burning my mouth. Can't get monterey jack cheese here either, unless it is imported. But the UK has fabulous cheeses so am not worried about that. Quite like a strong cheddar myself. Vidalia onions are good on a burger. Re buns, a sourdough one is good. One that doesn't melt or go gluey is important.

[chef chicklet]

The serrano is hotter. I quit using jalapeno because I can get the same amount of heat (there abouts) with on serrano, compared to chopping and messing with two jalapenos. NO! I don't anything about the butter thing with chiles, tell me!

With a green chile burger I have to say, it's more about the green chile than the beef. The flavor is really unique and just different when slathered on beef burger. The cheese sort of works its magic too, a nice medium to bring the two together. I bet you can get fontina, that would be beautiful with this.

I know this is far from a green chile burger of New Mexico, but try buying canned green chiles, then add your roasted jalapeno or serranos to it. Puree the hot little peppers, and stir them into the other. The green chiles in a can can be purchased whole or chopped here in the states. Try to get the whole chiles. I'd remove the seeds, and cut them into strips, add sauteed white onion and garlic, then the pureed hot peppers. Salt and pepper of course. Then use that to top your burger. If all you can find is chopped than work with those doing the same, the sauce will be just a little more oozy.
I quite a agree with you, Vidalias are wonderful.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/slice/174315961/ here they are cooking
http://www.flickr.com/photos/meatyurologist/3495256214/ sort of what I used to get in New Mexico but not this tall

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rknrll/4... and this one wih cheddar and bacon

You can make these anyway you want, they're all good.

[zzDan]

This is my work around for green chili cheeseburger
I slow cook some jalapenos and one regular green pepper, no water, in a heavy pot. Takes 15 minutes, turn off flame and let it sit

Get your hamburger meat, buns and cheese ready to swing into action
Go take jalapenos out of the pot and remove seeds. Take the green pepper and cut into four pieces, one for each burger

Make your cheese burgers. Place hot cheese burger on bun and place one jalapeno and green pepper on top of cheese. Put on top bun...... and eat

The cheese plus these two peppers works out great. One provides the heat and the other the bulk pepper taste

[chef chicklet]

Great improv!

[zzDan]

Better than going without. I'm not going to find any Hatch chillies where I am

[Harters]

cathodetube - try the middle eastern chillis in a lamb burger. Works well. You'll find loads of different jars in the nearby asian shop - look out for a Cypriot one which are pretty much guaranteed to be spicy (but not too spicy) - some of the others have zero kick.

[cathodetube]

I just bought a jar of Cypriot chiles in a Turkish shop. I quite like eating them plain as well! That and harissa should be ace.

[Cherylptw]

I love green chile burgers! I think they may be my favorite.