Fun with Food – May 2015

Thursday, May 28th is National Hamburger Day. Burgers are made in all shapes and sizes and what you put on them is as individual as the person who eats them. In honor of the hamburger, we asked Chef Erik Morabito from Clinton Cheese and Provisions to give us some insight on the hamburger and offer advice for properly celebrating this day.

burger2It is said that the Hamburger is a quintessential comfort food here in the United States.  I agree, but not all Hamburgers are created equal.  Although relatively simple to make, I’ve seen them run the gamut of quality.   When I am preparing a truly delicious burger that I want to impress guests with I immediately turn to Wagyu Beef.  Wagyu Beef comes from a number of different breeds of cattle originating in Japan, and are fairly new to the United States.   “Wagyu” which literally means “Japanese Cow” has now been bred in the U.S. with Angus Breeds, making “American Style Kobe Beef” available on the U.S. Market. Many fine food retailers will sell Wagyu Beef Patties pre-formed and frozen.  One brand in particular that we really like is from D’Artagnan in New Jersey.  They can ship directly to you. Once thawed, season with salt & pepper and get the grill hot.  Some folks attest that a less expensive ground chuck will work too.  My choice though is for something better.  Here in New York’s Hudson Valley I have the luxury of purchasing high-quality grass-fed beef right from our local farms which is fabulous too.  The Wagyu has a fabulous fat with a low melting point that just bases the burger with sizzling goodness!

I always prefer to cook hamburgers on a natural wood or charcoal fire, but a gas grill will work fine.  My preference would be medium-rare, and not overcooked, which is the rule for most foods!  There’s nothing worse than a dried dinner! A hot, clean grill top, with grates sprayed with a non-stick cooking spray is always helpful.  I have seen too many aspiring “grill masters” fiddle with the beef to soon, causing it to crumble into the flames below.  Let it cook, leave it alone! Turn it once.  It’s important to have that char form so the meat does not stick to the grate.  You will be using a direct-heat cooking method as opposed to indirect heat, such as smoking meats, or doing slow time, low temperature cooking of authentic BBQ.

If you’re not using Wagyu, I would go for an 80% high quality beef, which means it is 80% beef and 20% fat. I would even recommend 70% beef and 30% fat too. The fat is crucial in keeping the meat moist while cooking and quite a bit of it will cook away.  It’s also keeping the ground beef together in the patty form.   There’ll be lots of sizzle and smoke, so again outdoors is my preference.

I like a Brioche Bun, toasted on the grill.  Or, a Potato Roll would be another choice.  There’s an infinite variety of toppings for your burger, but my preference would be a smoky bacon, a slice of melted cheddar and some raw onion.  A zesty barbecue sauce never hurt either! So this summer enjoy the outdoors, fire up the barbecue and have cold one with your friends!

We also asked Chef Edward Devine of Seascale, Cumberland, England to give us his take on the perfect burger:

2 tbsp oil
2 level tbsp coarse grain mustard
1 tbsp Worcester sauce
One rounded tbsp mango chutney
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
8 oz butcher’s sausage meat
4 roughly chopped spring onions
2 crushed cloves of garlic
12 oz chicken or turkey meat diced or minced
3 rashers smoked bacon
Salt and pepper
1/2 tsp crushed chili flakes or a green chili

Put everything into a food blender and blitz. Then shape into burgers and BBQ after leaving in a fridge to chill at least 2 hours. Serve in toasted English muffins with lettuce and red cabbage and a slice of crispy bacon.

For a side salad chop into sugar size cubes, Feta cheese and watermelon, add a finely chopped green chili and tear up some fresh mint leaves. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season. Believe me, the salad works and has been a big hit.

If you need more than just a burger for your celebration, check out this recipe for Benedicts of Whalley’s Cucumber Pickle courtesy of Hilary Cookson.

Benedicts Cucumber Pickle

  • 4 cucumbers sliced thinly
  • 1 onion sliced thinly
  • 8 fluid ounces of vinegar
  • 12 ounces of sugar
  • Pinch of salt

Cover and leave to infuse. Can be made in advance and stored in the fridge. Makes a large batch and is a perfect accompaniment for burgers, as well as a range of summer dishes.

Cucumber

 

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