Memorial Day marks the beginning of the backyard barbecue and picnic season. Here is a Gourmet Hamburger you may want to try.
Some believe the Hamburger was an American invention, but it was in Hamburg, Germany where a ground beef patty was first placed between two slices of bread. The controversy continues. Nevertheless, soon after the invention appeared onion, lettuce, and sliced pickle were added with tomatoes coming along soon after. Do not forget the “Special Sauce”.
The hamburger has become a culinary icon in the United States and the world as well by the concept of selling processed food, first launched in the 1920s by the White Castle chain and its founder Edgar “Billy” Ingram and then refined by McDonald’s in the 1940s.
Gourmet Hamburgers are now the rage. Enjoy!
EQUIPMENT: Mixing Bowl, 2 large sauté skillets or double griddle
PREPARATION: 3 hours prep 30 minutes cooking – makes 6 quarter pound burgers
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 tablespoons Mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Italian Breadcrumbs
- ½ package Onion Soup Mix
- ½ pound Ground Chuck
- ½ pound Ground Round
- ½ pound Ground Short Ribs of Beef or Beef Brisket
- 6 Cheddar cheese slices
- ½ pound bacon, cut in half and cooked crisp
- Red onion sliced.
- Tomatoes sliced.
- Romaine Lettuce
- Ketchup to taste
- 6 hamburger buns
- Butter
DIRECTIONS:
To achieve full-flavored burgers, I use ground chuck as a starter for its fat content. 70/30 blend is going to be 70% lean meat and 30% fat.
Ground round is a leaner cut of beef, so you will need to increase the fat for a more intense beef flavor by adding another cut like ground beef short ribs or ground brisket of beef.
You may have to ask your butcher for ground short ribs as it is not typically available in the meat case pre-ground. If ground short ribs are not available ground brisket is a good substitute.
Combine the mayonnaise, breadcrumbs, and soup mix in a mixing bowl, set aside for 2 to 3 hours, to allow the dried soup mix and hydrate in the mayonnaise, or overnight in the refrigerator.
Combine the beef with the mayonnaise mixture. Mix your hamburger by hand and form it into 12 to 6 meatballs of equal size, then flatten them into patties.
Pan broil or Grill hamburgers over medium heat at 375ᵒF. I prefer the top of the stove pan-broiling for maximum flavor. Top with cheese about 5 minutes prior to the desired doneness and cook until cheese begins to melt slightly.
Cook hamburgers until the desired doneness.
Hamburger Buns. While hamburgers are cooked, buttered, and toasted in the oven for best results or on the grill over medium heat.
To assemble and serve; place romaine lettuce on toasted, crisp bacon next, hamburger with cheese, then sliced tomato and onion. Enjoy!
Doneness Test
Practice makes perfect, and the best chef learns to cook meat to the desired doneness with good equipment, proper technique, and by feel. Because of the different textures, cuts, and thickness of the meat, learning the feel of the desired doneness by pushing down on the center of a hamburger or steak with a fork is by far the best method over attempting to time for desired doneness. These basic rules apply to cooking all meats when attempting to accomplish various stages of doneness. To demonstrate, turn the palm of your left hand up and spread your fingers apart.
- Rare: Rest your left thumb against your left forefinger and press down on the soft fleshy part at the base of your left thumb with your right forefinger. That is what raw or rare feels like.
- Medium-Rare: Place your left thumb directly over the center of your left forefinger and press down on the soft fleshy part at the base of your left thumb with your right forefinger. That is what medium-rare feels like.
- Medium: Place your left thumb in between your left forefinger and your left middle finger and press down on the soft fleshy part at the base of your left thumb with your right forefinger. That is what the medium feels like.
- Medium-Well: Place your left thumb directly over the center of your left middle finger and press down on the soft fleshy part at the base of your left thumb with your right forefinger. That is what medium-well feels like.