Email
PrintBuilding a better burger
These recipes show that while beef burgers are grand, other meats also can result in a drool-worthy grilled delight.
During the summer months, burgers are everywhere — at every cookout, party, sports event or festival, there is no escaping America’s favorite food.
The best burger I have ever eaten was at the Corner Bistro in the West Village of NYC. Simply grilled and served on a paper plate — the meat was seasoned perfectly, cooked to a juicy medium rare, with juice dripping down my arm with every bite.
When done right, there is nothing better. Unfortunately, many of us try to recreate the perfect burger on our home grills with not much success. But I’ve been practicing!
This month I’m rethinking the burger, offering you a bevy of options (only one of them made out of beef) to spice up your next barbecue, as well as some great cooking tips. Let’s keep that grilled taste of summer going until the leaves start to fall.
Classic grilled beef burgers
Makes 6
These burgers are inspired by the freshly ground and mesquite-grilled burger at Judy Rodgers’ Zuni Café in San Francisco, where they are served on grilled rosemary focaccia with garden lettuces, garlicky aioli and housemade zucchini pickles (see recipe at right). In the summer, I like to top this juicy burger as she does — with slices of heirloom tomatoes and a thick slice of Maytag Blue Cheese.
3 pounds ground chuck
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
12 thick slices crusty bread, toasted, or
6 hamburger buns
6 ounces Maytag or other blue cheese, thinly sliced
Sliced heirloom tomatoes, sliced onions, lettuce and mayonnaise, for serving
Heat a grill or grill pan until medium hot. Combine meat, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt and pepper. Shape into six 3/4-inch patties. Grill, turning once, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Serve burgers on bread with blue cheese, tomatoes, onion, lettuce and mayo.
For a quick version of Zuni Café’s zucchini pickles:
Wash and trim 2 pounds of zucchini, then slice as thin as possible (1/16 of an inch). Thinly slice 1/4 pound of sweet onions as well. Place in a large bowl, toss with 2 tablespoons salt and add a few ice cubes and cold water to cover, stirring to dissolve salt. After an hour, drain and dry completely. Combine 2 cups cider vinegar, 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard, 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed yellow mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon ground turmeric in a saucepan and simmer for 3 minutes. Set aside until just warm. Add zucchini back to cleaned bowl and add cooled brine, stirring to distribute the spices. Transfer to jars, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 to 2 days before serving to allow the flavors to mellow. Pickles will keep indefinitely, refrigerated.
Grilled ahi burger
Makes 4
Joel Gott, owner of the hip and delicious Taylor’s Automatic Refresher in both San Francisco and Napa Valley, makes one of the most delicious, most memorable sandwiches I have ever eaten, a grilled ahi steak. While they serve a slab of rare-grilled tuna, I like to pulse my tuna with a few ingredients to give it more of a burger feel with an Asian kick. Serve simply, with spicy wasabi mayo and quick Asian slaw.
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup pickled ginger, grated
2 tablespoons powdered wasabi
2 tablespoons chopped red
onion
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 cups thinly sliced Napa
cabbage
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 pound sushi-grade ahi tuna
2 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil, plus more for
brushing burgers
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
4 egg buns, toasted
1. For wasabi mayo: Place the mayonnaise, ginger, powdered wasabi, onion and pepper in a food processor and blend to mix. Set aside, refrigerated.
2. For Asian slaw: Place the cabbage in a large bowl. Blend the vinegar, oil and onions in a food processor, then pour over the cabbage and toss to coat. Set aside, refrigerated, while prepping burgers.
3. Chop the tuna into chunks, add to bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to break up the pieces. Combine oil, soy sauce, lime juice, cilantro and grated ginger; season with salt and pepper; and pour over tuna. Pulse until well blended but chunks of tuna remain. Form into 4 patties and brush each lightly with olive oil.
4. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-hot. Add burgers and cook 2 minutes per side for rare, or to desired doneness. Serve on toasted buns with wasabi mayo and slaw.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Pickled ginger and powdered wasabi are available at Asian markets and in the Asian food sections of well-stocked groceries.
Mediterranean lamb burgers
Makes 4
Most people don’t think about lamb when it comes to burger time, but ground lamb is packed full of flavor, especially when mixed with classic Mediterranean ingredients such as lemon, garlic and oregano.
2 1/2 pounds ground lamb
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced
Feta cheese
Sliced tomatoes
4 large pita breads, warmed
1. Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high. Mix together lamb, parsley, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper, and form into 4 patties (or 8 small patties).
2. Grill burgers, from 5 minutes per side for medium-rare to 7 minutes per side for well-done. While burgers are cooking, prepare the cucumber salad. Toss together mint, red onion, vinegar, olive oil and cucumber. Season well with salt and pepper. Serve burgers, topped with cucumber salad, feta cheese and tomato, stuffed into warm pita bread.
Turkey, brie and sweet onion sliders
Makes 12 sliders, serves 6
Sliders — tiny little burgers — are the hottest item on restaurant menus around the country. The smaller size is ideal for trying more than one kind of burger with your meal. Make an assortment of different sliders — beef, turkey, veggie or lamb — at your next cookout and let guests play around with the toppings.
2 pounds ground turkey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 large egg whites
1 cup sweet onion jam
8 ounces Brie cheese, sliced
12 mini burger buns or small soft rolls, warmed in oven
Other desired toppings such as lettuce, tomato, mustard and mayonnaise
Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high. In a large bowl, combine turkey, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne and egg whites. Divide turkey mixture into 12 portions and shape into patties. Place burgers on the grill and cook until cooked through (temperature should reach 165 degrees), about 3 minutes per side. Remove burgers from grill and top with onion jam and brie. Sandwich between buns and serve, dressed as desired.
Veggie burger
Makes 4 burgers
Veggie burgers have come a long way since their hippie café days. These delicate burgers fare best when cooked in a pan, not on the grill.
1 package (about 10 ounces) Portobello mushrooms, wiped clean
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon Worcestershire or soy sauce
1 large egg
1 small red onion, shredded and squeezed dry (about 1/2 cup)
1 small carrot, shredded
1/4 cup chopped green chilies
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh goat cheese, sliced into discs
Kaiser rolls, split and toasted, for serving
Dijon mustard, lettuce, sprouts and sliced avocado for serving, if desired
1. Chop mushrooms in a food processor until fairly fine. Add beans, breadcrumbs, parsley, Worcestershire sauce and egg. Process until fully combined. Transfer mixture to a bowl and knead in onion, carrot and chilies. Season well with salt and pepper. Form mixture into 4 patties.
2. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties and cook until golden and slightly crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Top patties with goat cheese and serve.
Tips for great burgers:
- The final product will only be as good as its ingredients. Start with the best meat — many consider ground chuck to be the best for a beef burger (go no leaner than 80 percent). For even fresher meat, select your beef and have the butcher grind it for you.
- Whether using beef, lamb, turkey or chicken, freshness is key, and the meat should be handled as little as possible — overhandling results in tough burgers.
- Ground meat cooks more quickly than a solid steak, so if you like your burger medium-rare, chill the patties before cooking.
- Overhandling applies to cooking as well. Flip the burgers only once, after a good char has developed, and never press down on the patties; that simply squeezes out any desired moisture.
- To prevent rounded tops on your burger after grilling, make a small well in the center of the patty, so when it puffs up during cooking, you end up with an even surface — we wouldn’t want that melted cheese to slide off, now would we?
- Use bread or rolls that are soft enough to bite through. There is nothing more annoying than having all of your toppings squeeze out with the first bite!
- To melt cheese, place slices on the burgers during the last minute of cooking.
- To avoid any contamination, always use a clean platter and a fresh spatula to transport cooked burgers to the table.
- If you like your burger with a little more than straight-up salt and pepper, consider adding some flavoring to the meat before grilling. A finely minced onion, mushrooms and chilies add texture and moisture; chopped dill, parsley or basil add an herbal note; and soy, barbecue or Worcestershire sauce gives meat a zesty kick.
- Start with a clean, oiled, hot grill. Sear burgers over the highest heat to develop a nice crust, then move the patties to a cooler part of the grill to cook through.
