Beef and Bacon Sliders with Melted Cheddar and Caramelized Shallots

15 05 2011

For those of you who read my blog, you know that I’m a bit of a goofball.

I giggled when the Scolari’s (grocery store) checker advised me to wear goggles whenever I fried anything.

[Whatever.  I got this.  I can do anything.]

How painfully right she was.

And she didn’t even know me.

Ugh.  Hate it when that happens.

It happened again last night when I was making these sliders.

POP!

Right in the eyeball.

Dangit!!!!

And ouch.

Guess what I bought from Wal-Mart today.

You got it.  Goggles.

[Ugh.]

Between the goggles and the grill vs. griddle incident, I must admit that I’ve developed quite a complex, as of late…

[Am I losing my touch???!!?]

No.  This is just me.  Just how I am.  My friends and family call them “Lora Stories.”

[Awesome.  I'm such a goofball that I have my own category of stories.]

And trust me, there are lots of them.  From me in auto shop (in high school) trying to “ground” a wire (don’t even ask) to hiding in a closet in college when a date came to pick me up (I know, bad karma)…  There are too many to tell here.

I think the goggles have me caught up on my karma though.  Seriously.  Goggles in the kitchen.

Who does that??!!

Ummm.  Me?

Wipe that grin off your face!

[Okay, don't.  I like it when you Smile.]  :)

And laugh.  It’s all good, trust me.

Okay, okay, let’s get to this slider business, shall we?

This recipe, borrowed from Cuisine at Home, June, 2011 edition, page 21, pairs nicely with the Brioche slider buns I posted (same Cuisine at Home magazine).

If, however, you have 4 hours to cook.

I debated if I should throw that in, but I gotta be honest with ya’all.  I cook, I read, (I page-lick my cooking magazine subscriptions – oh!  Sorry – that wasn’t supposed to go there!), I experiment, I interpret, I pass on whatever wisdom I can to you to help you in your kitchen endeavors.

The bread and sliders took me 4 hours yesterday.

I love my kitchen time, but I was more than a little punchy after 4 hours.

Breaking it down:  Sliders – much less time.  Bread – more time.  But between the two – 4 hours in the kitchen (with a few breaks).

Here are my suggestions:

The Brioche slider buns really do add a lot.  They are amazing.  Coupla’ plans of action: a) make them a day or so before (breaking up the work times, essentially), b) have a weekend where you want time in your kitchen and putz and play with these recipes (this is what I did), or c) buy sweet slider “buns” to make the recipe quicker (I’d suggest the Royal Hawaiian dinner rolls – think freezer section – they’re comparable to the Brioche buns), and promise me you’ll make the Brioche buns (or bread) another time because it truly is delicious.

Makes 48 patties.

[I know.  I almost gasped.  48 patties.  Essentially, this recipe:  1) feeds an army, 2) is great for a Super Bowl party, 3) nourishes Ethiopia (how did that get in there!?), 4) creates enough leftovers that all your boyfriend's friends will get word and come pick up their lunchbox from your house, 5) makes your dog(s) wish she was getting something from that giant leftover bowl, 6) gives you a great excuse to have a party!!!]

* 8 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped and frozen until hard to the touch (about 30 minutes)

* 3 lbs ground chuck (that’s the 70/30 split; you can go 80/20, but going any less fat on this may create dryer/crustier patties – eww – so stick to a bit of fat count, if you can)

* Caramelized shallots (recipe follows)

* Cheddar cheese, sliced into 1.5-inch squares (approximately), and enough for 48 patties

* Brioche buns (click here for the recipe), OR 48 Royal Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls, halved

* Dill pickle slices (please just only use Classen brand – they’re more expensive, but they’re simply the best)

Caramelized shallots

* 5 cups sliced shallots (10 to 12 large shallots)

* 1/4 cup olive oil

* 2 tsp kosher salt

Heat a medium-large skillet over medium heat.  Add oil and heat until shimmering.  Add shallots and salt.  Reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook until caramelized, about 1 hour, stirring often.

Sliders

Pulse the bacon in a food processor until finely ground.  Combine it with the chuck, thoroughly mixing.

Press meat mixture into a large 11  1/2 X 16  1/2-inch baking sheet, lined with plastic wrap (don’t have that – like me? – use a large casserole dish – or 2).  Don’t forget to line your dish with the plastic wrap – it’s important to the ease of this recipe.

Score the meat with 48 (or thereabouts) equal portions with a bench knife (or other sharp knife).  Turn scored meat onto a cutting board, discarding the plastic wrap.  Using scissors or a knife, cut the scored meat into squared-off patties.  Keep in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Season the patties lightly with salt and pepper (the bacon mix will add quite a bit of salt to the chuck mixture, so s & p carefully).  Preheat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat.

[Put your goggles on.]

Add as many patties as you can in a single layer in the skillet (usually about 6 or 7).  Cook over medium high heat until done, flipping halfway through, about 4 minutes on the first side and 3 minutes on the second side.  Top each slider patty with cheese and about 1 tsp caramelized shallots.  Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.

Whether you’re using the homemade Brioche slider buns or slider buns that are store-bought:  Toast 1 batch of buns, cut-side down, in the same skillet over medium-low heat until lightly toasted, about 1 minute.  Repeat frying the patties and alternate with bun toasting (!?  don’t know I’m laughing at that but I am!).

Serve sliders on toasted buns (!!!) with sliced Claussen dill pickles.

Now, those, my Friends, are some great sliders!

And, don’t forget your goggles!  :)


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Categories : Appetizers, Burgers

Cheddar-n-Onion Smashed Burgers with Emily’s Brown Sugar Bacon

14 05 2011

Sometimes, I get so excited about cooking and food that I skip the fine print.

Okay, okay.  It was the bolded, italicized 26-size font subtitle.

[Whatever.]

I clearly missed it.

“Two Great Griddle Burgers”

Right there, in plain sight.

Completely missed it.

Honestly, it could’a had Vegas-style blinking lights and I’d probably still have missed it.

[I have my moments.]

My war-torn, dog-eared, happily licked, water-spotted, oil-spattered, most recent Food & Wine magazine (June, 2011 edition) contained [what I thought was] such an awesome-sounding burger.

Cheddar-and-Onion Smashed Burgers.

[YUM.]

No, I’ll say it outloud; no parentheses.

YUM.

YUM, YUM, YUM.

Of course, I had to make them.

Smashed burgers.  Smashed.

On the grill.

Through the grill grates.

On the grill.  Not griddle.

Oops.

Well, if you add two “d’s,” subtract and “l,” and add an “e,” you kinda have the same thing.

Kinda.

Right?

Ummm.  No.

And because of this fabulous oversight of mine, I will now spontaneously combust our grill when I try to use it next.

[Think of all the onion slices and goo I lost between the grates of the grill because it wasn't a griddle.]

Ummm.  Oops.

Stay tuned for my next blog post to see how this all ends…

Eeke!

So, let me recommend to my favorite cooks in the world (looking at ya’all who are reading this)…

Don’t do what I did and omit the fact that you need a griddle.  Even a skillet will do.

Despite my griddle gaff, these burgers still turned out fantastically delicious.  Wow.

Jake was talking about them for days…

So, imagine what YOU can do when you use a griddle and don’t lose half the meat and half the onions…

:)

You got this!  Put your chef’s hat on and grab your griddle!

Without further a-do, let’s get to this delicious burger that drew my attention over-and-above the bolded, italicized, sub-heading… Yeah.  They’re that good.  Courtesy of Food & Wine, June, 2011 issue, pg 76.  I added Emily’s brown sugar bacon, and used kosher dill pickles but that’s about all I changed.

Makes 4 burgers.

Burgers

* 16 thin kosher dill (Claussen brand) pickle slices, patted dry, (original recipe calls for same amount, but bread-and-butter pickle slices)

* 4 of your fave larger-sized buns, potato buns or old-style burger buns, buttered and toasted

* 1  1/4 lbs ground beef chuck, 30% fat (you can use lower-fat content, but the fat content is something that binds the smashed burgers together, so I wouldn’t recommend less than 20% fat

* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

* 2 small onions (I used sweet yellow onions), sliced paper thin (think a sharp knife here, friends)

* 4 oz (or so) sharp cheddar cheese, sliced

* Original recipe calls for Umami dust, which is purported to amp the flavor of the burgers, but I couldn’t readily find it (yet – they say it’s coming to stores soon), nor could I readily find the ingredients at my nearest grocery store.  Keep it in mind however – it’ll be available soon at:  www.umamiburger.com.

Emily’s brown sugar bacon

Emily is one of my beautiful, talented and funny nieces…  And she loves brown sugar bacon.  Man, let me tell you… That little Lady has great taste!  The baked version came from my Sis, Roxanne.  Emily is her little girl.  [HI, Emily and Roxanne!!!  :)]

* 10 slices thick-cut bacon

* 2 Tbsp brown sugar

* 1 Tbsp garlic powder

You can cook the bacon one of two ways:

* Stove-top:  Place the bacon in a skillet and fry on one side until just-opaque.  Sprinkle 1  Tbsp brown sugar and 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder over the bacon.  Cook for another minute or two.  Flip the bacon, sprinkle remaining 1 Tbsp brown sugar and 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder.  Cook until desired done-ness (whether you like to crispy or less-crispy).  Drain on paper towels and cut into 1-inch slices.
* Baked:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Lay the bacon in a single layer on the baking sheet.  Sprinkle top side of the bacon with 1 Tbsp brown sugar and 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder.  Bake until just-bubbly, about 12 to 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, flip bacon, sprinkle with remaining brown sugar and garlic powder and bake until desired doneness, about another 10 to 15 minutes, depending on your preference.  Drain bacon on paper towels and cut into 1-inch slices.

Burgers

Meanwhile, heat a cast-iron griddle until very hot.

Place the pickle slices on the bun bottoms.

Without overworking the meat (over-formed and over-worked chuck for burgers tends to cave to a “meatloaf-ey” feel), loosely form it into balls and place them on the griddle.  Cook the meat-balls over moderately high heat for 30 seconds.  Flatten each ball into a 4- to 5-inch round patty:  place a large spatula on top and squish down, then mend any loose ends along the sides of the burger with the spatula.  Season the patties with salt and pepper.  Cook for 2 minutes, until well-seared.

Press a handful of sliced onions onto each patty.  Using your spatula, carefully flip each burger so the onions are on the bottom.  Top with the cheese (love cheese!) and cook for another 2 minutes.  Cover with a roasting pan (or a deep lid) and cook until cheese is just-melted and a bit gooey, about another minute.  Transfer the burgers to the pickle-covered buns.  Top with bacon slices (as many as your heart desires), and sprinkle with umami dust (if using).  Top with the upper buns and serve.

Enjoy, Friends!  And watch out for those bolded, italicized, 26-font, subheadings!

:)


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Categories : Burgers

Old Fashioned Burgers – The Classic “Drive-In” Burger Topped with Melted Cheese and a Tangy Sauce

20 09 2010

Not sure about you, but I LOVE a good burger… Especially the “Old Fashioned” kind! I’ve always been fascinated with what the “special sauce” did to bring out the flavor of the burger… A burger that might not even need my normal dose of ketchup! (A small miracle in itself!) Give these outside-the-box burgers a try… I’m SURE you’re gonna love ‘em!

A couple of things to note with this recipe: 1) The thin-nature of these traditional burger patties require fresh meat, 2) The freshly-ground beef that you’ll make doesn’t hold together as well as other burgers, so handle them sparingly and gently (the recipe will walk you through this).

Makes 4 burgers

For the Burgers:
* 10 oz sirloin steak tips, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch chunks
* 6 oz boneless beef short ribs, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch chunks
* Table salt and pepper
* 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
* 4 soft hamburger buns
* 1/2 tsp veggie oil
* 4 slices American cheese
* Thinly sliced onion

For the Special Sauce:
(Makes about 1/4 cup)
* 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
* 1 Tbsp ketchup
* 1/2 tsp sweet pickle relish
* 1/2 tsp sugar
* 1/2 tsp white vinegar
* 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate if you’re not going to use immediately.

For the Burgers:
Place the beef chunks on a baking sheet in a shingle layer, leaving 1/2 inch of space around each chunk. Freeze the meat until very firm and starting to harden around the edges, but still pliable, 15-25 minutes.

Place half of the meat in a food processor and pulse until the meat is coarsely ground, 10 to 15 pulses, stopping and redistributing the meat around the bowl as necessary to ensure the beef is evenly ground. Transfer the meat to a baking sheet by overturning the bowl, without touching the meat. Repeat the grinding with the remaining meat. Spread the meat over the sheet and inspect carefully (this is very important!), discarding any long strands of gristle or large chunks of hard meat or fat.

Gently separate the ground meat into four equal mounds. Without picking the meat up, with your fingers, gently shape each mound into a loose patty 1/2 inch thick and 4 inches in diameter, leaving the edges and surface ragged. Season the top of each patty with salt and pepper. Using a spatula, flip the patties and season the other side. Refrigerate while toasting the buns.

Melt 1/2 Tbsp of the butter in a heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the bun tops, cut side down, and toast until light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining 1/2 Tbsp butter and the bun bottoms. Set the buns aside and wipe out the skillet with paper towels.

Return the skillet to high heat; add the oil and heat until just smoking. Using a spatula, transfer the burgers to the skillet and cook with out moving them for 3 minutes. Using the spatula, flip the burgers over and cook for 1 minute. Top each patty with a slice of the cheese and continue to cook until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute longer.

Transfer the patties to the bun bottoms and top with the onion. Spread 2 tsp of the burger sauce on each bun top. Cover the burgers with the bun tops and serve immediately.

Enjoy!


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Categories : Burgers

Seasoned Burgers with Double-Sharp (ouch, but YUM) Cheddar, Topped with a Fried Egg and Sweet Baked Onions

27 08 2010

Truly, these are some of the best burgers I’ve ever had… I got consensus from the “peeps” on that at dinner last night! It may sound a little “strange” to throw a fried egg on a burger, but, trust me, it is phenomenal!! Give it a shot! It’s a party in your mouth!

Serves 6-7.

* 3 lbs lean ground beef
* 1 lb pork sausage
* 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
* 1-2 tsp Hickory Smoke sauce (found with the BBQ sauces, usually)
* 1 Tbsp garlic powder
* 2 tsp salt
* 1 Tbsp freshly-ground pepper
* 6-7 large slices white and yellow cheddar cheese (or 12-14 small slices)
* 1 egg for each hamburger patty
* Salt, pepper and garlic powder (for the egg)
* Fried egg mold (I found mine at Williams Sonoma, in the shape of daisies – these hold the egg in place in the pan while you’re frying it)
* 6 sweet onions
* 1 stick butter
* 2 Tbsp brown sugar, divided (1 Tbsp per onion)
* Sprinkle of salt and pepper for onions
* 6 strips bacon, cut in half, divided (optional)
* Potato hamburger buns (they’re a little sweeter than the average bun, or your fave hamburger bunny)
* Condiments for the burgers – ketchup, mustard, mayo, Thousand Island dressing, pickles, tomato, lettuce, avocado… you name it. :)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sweet Baked Onions:
1-2 hours before the hamburgers – Peel onions and cut 1/4 inch from the top and bottom; place on foil. Cut onion almost through in quarters and place a pat of butter in each cut. Hold together with hands and sprinkle brown sugar, salt and pepper on top. Crisscross with bacon strips (optional); wrap individually in foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 1.5-2 hours.

Burgers:
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef and pork sausage. Add Worcestershire and Hickory Smoke sauce. Sprinkle garlic powder, salt and pepper on top. Mix thoroughly. The mix will be juicy and somewhat runny. Continue to mix with your hands until all of the juices are absorbed into the meat (about 2-3 minutes). Meat consistency should be that of a “normal” burger, maybe slightly juicier. If it’s too runny, add 1-2 tsp of cornstarch and mix well with your hands.

Form large patties. You should have about 6-7 patties out of the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Allow to marinate for about 1-2 hours.

Remove burgers from fridge. Allow them to come to almost room temperature (about 20 minutes out of the fridge). Heat grill to medium heat. Grill 1 side, about 7-10 minutes. Flip. Grill another 4-5 minutes. Top with 1 large slice (or 2 small slices) of both white and cheddar cheeses.

Meanwhile, spray a large saute pan with non-stick spray. Preheat to medium-high heat. Place your fried egg molds in the pan. Crack an egg into each mold. Sprinkle each egg with a dash of salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cover and allow to fry (about 3-5 minutes).

Butter the top of each bun. Toast the buns (hee hee! I love this part!) on the grill – best place is on a top rack to prevent burning/charring, about 3 minutes.

Remove onions from oven. Unwrap each onion and add to an interim dish.

Remove buns from grill. Place cheese-y burgers on top of bottom bun. Add fried egg and then top with some sweet grilled onions. Place buttery grilled top-bun on top. Serve right away, with condiments.

Enjoy – these little guys are amazing!!!! :)


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Categories : Beef Dishes, Burgers

Salmon Burgers with Caper and Horseradish Mayonnaise

4 08 2010

These are a fantastic summer meal! Rich in texture and flavor! Make sure you buy the salmon (and use it) very fresh – that is crucial, with all fish recipes!

For the Mayo:
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
* 2 Tbsp capers, drained and chopped
* 1 tsp sweet pickle relish
* 1 tsp fresh (or out-of-the-jar) horseradish
* Salt and pepper to taste

For the Burgers:
* 1 cup panko crumbs
* 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
* 1/4 onion, finely chopped (sweet onions are my preference in summer)
* 1/4 fresh chives, chopped
* 1 egg white
* 1 Tbsp Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce
* 1 Tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
* 1 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
* 1 lb fresh skinless salmon, diced (you can also purchase the salmon without the skin – slide a knife right under the skin and peel the gray skin backwards and off the fish)

Assemble the burgers with:
* 4 hamburger buns, split and toasted with butter (or butter substitute)
* To your liking: sliced tomato, shredded lettuce, sweet onion (or grilled sweet onion – my fave!)

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Cover a plate with parchment or waxed paper. Spray wax paper with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine all ingredients for the mayo in a bowl. Mix and chill.

Pulse panko crumbs, celery, onion, chives, egg white, hot sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor until minced. Add the salmon and pulse briefly. Small chunks should still be visible. Form salmon mixture into 4 patties, gently shaping them to fit the size of the buns. Transfer the patties to the plate covered with waxed paper and non-stick cooking spray.

Spray grill briefly with non-stick cooking spray. Place burgers on grill, cooking for about 4-6 minutes per side (or until cooked through, depending on your grill).

Assemble the burgers on the buns, add the spicy mayo and condiments.

Enjoy the new twist on summer classics!


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Categories : Burgers, Seafood Dishes

Double Cheddar Burgers with Grilled Vidalia and Horseradish Mustard

9 07 2010

These were some of the BEST burgers I’ve had in a long time! Don’t skimp on the size of the burgers – my patties were pretty large and it made for a great fit on oversized buns.

* 1.5-2 lbs freshly ground beef (or chuck)
* Sea salt, pepper and garlic powder
* 1/4 balsamic vinegar
* 4-8 slices white Cheddar (can be difficult to find, but it’s worth it when you find it!!)
* 4-8 slices yellow Cheddar (I love Tillamook)
* 4-8 hamburger buns (depending on your crowd)
* Horseradish mustard (easy recipe follows)
* 4-8 leaves Romaine lettuce
* Grilled Vidalia Onions (easy recipe follows)
* Dill pickles, sliced
* Ketchup

Pre-heat grill to medium-high.

Season beef with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add balsamic vinegar. Divide beef into desired number of patties (I had BIG burgers – I bought almost 1.3 lbs of ground beef and split it 3 ways). Grill for 3-5 minutes on each side for medium-rare. During last 2 minutes of cooking, add a slice of white and yellow Cheddar to each patty. Cover grill and allow to melt. Place burger on bun and top with Horseradish Mustard, lettuce, Grilled Vidalia Onions, pickles and ketchup.

Horseradish Mustard:
* 1/2 cup Dijon mustard (I used sweet Dijon mustard)
* 2 Tbsp prepared Horseradish, drained
Whick mustard and horseradish together in a small bowl.

Grilled Vidalia Onions:
* 2 Vidalia Onions, sliced crosswise, 1/4-inch thick slices
* 2 Tbsp olive oil
* Sea salt and pepper
Brush olive oil on both sides of the onions and season with salt and pepper. Grill the onion slices for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Hamburger buns:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter (I used yogurt butter) each bun. Place in oven for 8-10 minutes.

Now Build your Burger!

Enjoy!


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Categories : Beef Dishes, Burgers


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