It has been ages since I’ve had time to write… it isn’t from lack of ideas. There are many things floating around in my mind that I’d love to document… our recent family hike, my upcoming race, the most asinine statistic I’ve ever heard, my new love affair with hot yoga… Perhaps I’ll get to those one day. But for now, since I’m hungry and thinking only about food, I’ll share this little tidbit.
I was chillin’ in front of the TV over the long weekend and stumbled across a cooking show on PBS. I’m not usually a fan of public television (why on earth should tax payers subsidize a television channel? I can think of no good reason!), but this caught my eye. It was called Primal Grill, and it was hosted by some crazy-haired guy and accompanied by some wicked bongo music.
The grill ninja started sharing his wisdom with the television audience, and Joel and I were transfixed. We were ready to hear the preacher preach! And when he started to make Butter Burgers, it was decided then and there that I would be having one soon. Best. Burger. EVER.
As Chad and Joel and I dug into these succulent garlic-basil-chive butter burgers, we were all giving our enthusiastic praise to the one and only Bob Ross of cooking, Primal Grill Master Steven Raichlen. Thank you cooking Bob Ross!
Butter Burgers
Directions:
Note: In this recipe, you fold a disk of garlic herb butter into the center of the burger. As the burger grills, the butter melts, keeping the meat moist and lusciouseven when cooked through.
For the hamburgers:
1-1/2 pounds ground sirloin, round, or chuck (15 to 20 per cent fat)
4 tablespoons Garlic-Herb Butter (recipe follows), cut into four 1/2-inch
thick slices
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
4 hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls
2 tablespoons melted butter
For the toppings (any or all of the following):
Bibb or red leaf lettuce leaves
Thin slices of raw or grilled sweet onions
Sliced ripe red tomato
Mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, relish, or whatever other condiments you like
Wet your hands with cold water and divide the ground beef into 4 portions. Using a light touch, pat each portion into a thick patty formed around a slice of herb butter. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate the burgers, covered, on a plate lined with plastic wrap while you preheat the grill.
Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate.
Place the burgers on the hot grate and season again with salt and pepper.
Place the burgers on the hot grill, and cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. (An instant-read meat thermometer inserted through the side of the burgerparallel to the grill grateshould read at least 160 degrees F.) Remove the burgers from the grill and cover to keep warm. Leave the grill on.
Brush the cut sides of the hamburger buns with the melted butter, if using. Place the buns on the hot grill, cut side down, and grill until toasted, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Watch carefully. You may need to work in batches.
Assemble the burgers: On the bottom half of each bun, place a lettuce leaf followed by a slice of onion and tomato. Top with the burger, the condiments of your choice, and the top half of the bun.
Note: In this recipe, you fold a disk of garlic herb butter into the center of the burger. As the burger grills, the butter melts, keeping the meat moist and lusciouseven when cooked through.
For the hamburgers:
1-1/2 pounds ground sirloin, round, or chuck (15 to 20 per cent fat)
4 tablespoons Garlic-Herb Butter (recipe follows), cut into four 1/2-inch
thick slices
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
4 hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls
2 tablespoons melted butter
For the toppings (any or all of the following):
Bibb or red leaf lettuce leaves
Thin slices of raw or grilled sweet onions
Sliced ripe red tomato
Mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, relish, or whatever other condiments you like
Wet your hands with cold water and divide the ground beef into 4 portions. Using a light touch, pat each portion into a thick patty formed around a slice of herb butter. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate the burgers, covered, on a plate lined with plastic wrap while you preheat the grill.
Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate.
Place the burgers on the hot grate and season again with salt and pepper.
Place the burgers on the hot grill, and cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. (An instant-read meat thermometer inserted through the side of the burgerparallel to the grill grateshould read at least 160 degrees F.) Remove the burgers from the grill and cover to keep warm. Leave the grill on.
Brush the cut sides of the hamburger buns with the melted butter, if using. Place the buns on the hot grill, cut side down, and grill until toasted, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Watch carefully. You may need to work in batches.
Assemble the burgers: On the bottom half of each bun, place a lettuce leaf followed by a slice of onion and tomato. Top with the burger, the condiments of your choice, and the top half of the bun.
Garlic Butter
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons finely chopped mixed fresh herbs, including parsley, chives, basil, oregano, and/or tarragon leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, at room temperature
Directions:
Place the herbs, garlic, pepper, and butter in a small mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. Alternatively, you can do the beating in a mixer or food processor.
Lay a 12-inch square piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper on your work surface and mound the flavored butter in the center. Roll it up into a cylinder, twisting the ends to compact the butter. Chill in the refrigerator or freezer until firm. The butter will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, or up to 3 months in the freezer. To use, unwrap the roll and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. (Leftovers are great on steakadd a pat just before servingbread, eggs, or potatoes.)
3 tablespoons finely chopped mixed fresh herbs, including parsley, chives, basil, oregano, and/or tarragon leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, at room temperature
Directions:
Place the herbs, garlic, pepper, and butter in a small mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. Alternatively, you can do the beating in a mixer or food processor.
Lay a 12-inch square piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper on your work surface and mound the flavored butter in the center. Roll it up into a cylinder, twisting the ends to compact the butter. Chill in the refrigerator or freezer until firm. The butter will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, or up to 3 months in the freezer. To use, unwrap the roll and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. (Leftovers are great on steakadd a pat just before servingbread, eggs, or potatoes.)
2 comments:
Hahaha! We watch Bob Ross frequently and everything he makes looks delicious!!!
Those burgers sound really good. We have a long weekend with fabulous weather ahead of us....maybe we'll try them out!
As for the public television thing, after living in European countries that charge everyone who wants to own/watch a television PERIOD a monthly rate for national public television, I totally get the concept.....we're the ones paying for it, not the advertisers, so national channels DON'T HAVE ANY COMMERCIALS. Can I get a 'Hallelujah!' from the choir?! It's another reason why the BBC is internationally known for high-quality, hard-hitting documentaries; because they have to answer to the people who are watching them, not the people who want us to buy more shave gel or a new car. That also makes them more objective, because they can't pick a particular angle of a story (ahem! Fox News) because they are accountable to EVERYONE in their viewing audience, not one certain niche.
Anyway, that's my rant on publicly-funded stations, at least on this side of the pond. It took me a while to get accustomed to the fact that shows might start at 8:20pm because they don't have to fit into an exact timeslot that suits advertisers, but I'll tell you one thing: every time I go back to The Motherland now, TV and its more-commercials-than-viewing-minutes irritates me more and more. Sorry, grand old U.S.ofA. but I hate your television now that I've been spoiled for something better.
Oh, but this blog was about burgers. Yummy! Can't wait to try them! ;-)
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