Better Than Usual Burgers

On Sunday nights, my family and I usually enjoy a "nicer than usual" dinner.  It's the night we have a meal that takes a while to prepare or one that is "fancier" than our worknight meals. Sunday night's typical meal might be, for example, an eye of the round, roasted chicken, lasagna, or some baked fish.  But not tonight... I craved a burger.  Not a turkey burger or a veggie burger.  A good old beef burger.  And it did not disappoint. 

We went to our favorite meat market this afternoon, and I bought some 85% ground beef.  For sides, I must say I did a good job using up what I had in the refrigerator.  I made some cole slaw, a spinach salad, a small tomato/mozarella salad, and some roasted broccoli.  I also sauteed a large shallot with some balsamic vinegar for my burger.  Can you say veggie overload?

Here's a photo of my plate.  I opted to go without the bun in an attempt to decrease my carbs.  My burger has a slice of tomato and the shallots on it which was a nice combination.  The burger was melt in your mouth good. 

I decided to add some flavor and moisture to the meat before I formed the patties.  Here's what I did:

TASTY GRILLED BURGERS
1 1/2 pounds 85% lean hamburger
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T milk
1 t Montreal-type Steak Seasoning (I used Weber brand)

Preheat gas grill to high.  Mix all ingredients together until just combined.  Form into six equal sized patties.  Don't forget -- flatten the middles of the burgers so they cook evenly.  Cook about 7 minutes altogether.  My instant read thermometer read 145 degrees, but the burgers were very juicy.

Fall River Chow Mein

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Are you familiar with Fall River Style Chow Mein? Fall River Style Chow Mein is unique to our part of the country. Usually, it is made with ground pork, ground beef, and some vegetables such as bean sprouts, onions, and green peppers.

People from Fall River and the surrounding towns love their Fall River style chow mein. It is sometimes even served in our schools. Add a glass of ice cold coffee milk, and you're all set.

The company (Oriental Chow Mein Company) that makes the mix of noodles and gravy, Hoo Mee Chow Mein, had a fire last summer, so the noodles weren't available for a while. It was terrible! But I'm happy to report that they have re-opened. For local chow mein lovers, that means the crunchy, dark noodles are back and better than ever.

In this photo, I poured the gravy over rice because my kids ate most of the crunchy noodles. It tasted delicious, but it was more like a chop suey than a chow mein.

My favorite way to eat Fall River Style Chow Mein is as a "Chow Mein Sandwich." Quite simply, you just serve the crunchy, dark noodles and gravy on top of a hamburger bun.

Top Your Own Hamburgers

We had our annual birthday bash for our son on the 4th of July. Putting our new grill to good use, we cooked quarter pound hamburgers. I bought a wide variety of hamburger buns. Then, our guests chose from a bunch of different toppings. Everyone seemed to enjoy customizing their burgers.

Topping Choices

I sauteed sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms in olive oil and garlic, and then I added some Montreal Seasoning and fresh thyme at the end.

Another topping choice was Balsamic Caramelized Vidalia Onions. I sauteed the large slices of onions in olive oil. After they had softened, I added chopped garlic, a teaspoon of sugar or so, some Montreal Seasoning, and a splash or two of balsamic vinegar. I turned up the heat and let everything get nice and caramelized.

Next, I baked some extra thick cut bacon. I cooked these extra thick slices in the oven at 400 degrees on baking sheets covered in aluminum foil. Regular bacon takes about 20 minutes to cook this way. This bacon took about 30 minutes. It was a big hit! Both young and old cannot resist a slice or two of bacon.

I also provided an assortment of cheeses, including: American, Swiss, Cheddar, Blue, and Pepperjack.

For dessert, I served Cheesecake Bites purchased at Sam's Club, GB's favorite. But I also offered thick brownies which were made into sundaes.

I highly recommend you hold your own Top Your Own Burger party this summer -- a new twist on an old favorite. Try having a contest for the Strangest Burger, Most Boring Burger, Most Original, etc. Let me know how it goes!

Country Style Hamburger

I know that today's recipe does not qualify as a recipe. It's not a photogenic dish, either. It is not close to gourmet or "company-quality."

However, when my kids and my husband see that we're having "Country Style Hamburger," they smile and sometimes even cheer. It's what I make when I need a "tried and true"-- when I don't want to hear any complaining or see any disappointed faces.

These homemade mashed potatoes are topped with browned ground beef mixed with a jar of beef gravy. That's it. (See what I mean?) I sometimes add sauteed onion, green pepper, and sliced mushrooms which makes it a teensy-weensy bit more sophisticated.

How do you make your mashed potatoes? I recently realized that the most important step to prevent gluey mashed potatoes is to warm up the milk before adding it to the hot boiled potatoes. I pour some milk into a Pyrex measuring cup, along with a pad or two of butter, and then microwave it until it's nice and warm. Did you already know to do this? In my ever present need to rush, for the last 15 years I have poured milk right from the jug. Who knew?

Better Way to Cook Hamburgers

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I made burgers last night, but I made two changes to my usual routine.

(By usual routine, I mean, "Form patties, place on grill.")

First, I seasoned them like a meatloaf. In one pound of ground beef, I put about 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs, one egg, 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce, and 1 tablespoon of A-1 Sauce. Then I formed my patties.

I'm not sure where I heard to do this, but my next step was to make a small depression with my fingers in the center of each patty before cooking it. The idea behind it is that this thinner center will allow the burger to cook faster than usual. As a result, the cooked burger will be nice and moist. It worked! I highly recommend! The flavor was enhanced by the Worcestershire and A-1.

Curried Rice with Steak

Last night I decided to broil the top sirloin steaks we had bought from Omaha Steaks. I sprinkled some salt, garlic powder and olive oil on them. The steaks came out perfect! Quite tasty and juicy. I also made some sauteed onions and mushrooms with garlic and a salad with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.

Finally, I made some curried rice. It's kind of a strange pairing with steak, but it worked for me. Here's the recipe I adapted from Allrecipes.

Curried Rice

adapted from Allrecipes.com

2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried cherries (or raisins)
1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted

1. In a large skillet, saute onions and garlic in olive oil until tender. Stir in rice and curry powder. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until rice is lightly browned.

2. In a saucepan, heat broth and salt. Pour over rice mixture; stir. Cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from the heat; stir in dried cherries or raisins and almonds.