Conference turris::cooks

    hmmmmmmmm -  I've known this secret for years (and thought EVERYone
    else knew too!) - since college, when we used to cook "monsterburgers"
    on the fire escape/porch of our third-floor apartment in Worcester.
    
    
    Monster-burgers
    ---------------
    
    For each burger:
    
    1/2 - 1 pound ground beef
    cheese of your choice
    sliced onion
    Mrs. Dash
    garlic powder
    onion powder
    bbq sauce
    ketchup
    mustard
    mayonnaise
    pickle chips
    LARGE buns
    The cheapest Hibachi you can find (If you pay more than $5.00, you've
    paid too much!)
    
    1. Light the fire.
    2.  When all the coals are completely gray/white (no black showing),
    	spread them flat under the grill.
    3.  Put the grill over the fire.  The grill should be completely
    	heated before you put the burgers on it.   
    4.	Mix ground beef with Mrs. Dash, a dash of garlic powder (to
    	taste), and a dash of onion powder (and anything else you can
    	think of to mix with ground beef!)
    5.  Form patties of 1/2 - 1 lb. each,  with INDENTED CENTERS.
    	The patties should be about 1/2 inch thick at the edge, and
    	about 1/4 inch thick in the middle.  
    6.  Put the burger(s) on the grill.  The "searing" when the burger
    	first contacts the hot metal is your cue to drink beer.
    7.	Cook the burger(s) on one side until you
    	(a)  See the little pool of juice forming
    	(b)  Begin to see a little brown around the edges
    	(c)  Finish about half of the beer
    8.	When those have happened, pour a little beer into the puddle
    	meat juices and all over the patty.
    9.	Turn the burger over.
    10.	Drink more beer.
    11. Don't cook on this side too long!!!!   Add cheese (at least
    	twice as much as you think is right.)  About a minute or two
    	should do it!   Just enough time to finish that beer.
    12. Scoop that baby off the grill, stick it on a bun, put ketchup,
    	mustard, mayo, onions, pickles, mushrooms, bbq sauce, and any
    	other condiment you can dream up on it.
    13. Close the bun,  get PLENTY of napkins, (I prefer to wear some
    	sort of protective covering - much like a hairdresser/barber
    	would use),  more beer,  and begin the VERY enjoyable task of
    	eating your monster-burger.
    
    Enjoy!
    
    Don Montgomery
    Never employed by McDonald's
	

    Rick,
    Mrs. Dash is a spicy "salt" substitute/alternative offered in
    most grocery stores.  It can be found in the spice section.
    I has MANY different ingredients.  Pretty potent stuff!
    Just to give you a clue to Don's Monster-burgers...my wife
    and I have had them, (made especially by non-other than Don
    himself)...I've never had a better burger...
    Jim
    

    My favorite burger.
    Make two patties half the thickness of a regular patty add a slice
    of swiss and a slice of american spread on a thin layer of grey
    poupon and put the other patty on top of the cheese...then press
    the edges together to seal in the cheese...cook over medium coals
    DO NOT PRESS and eat. Yummmmm.
    
    -j
    

    G'day and hello there from Downunder to all fellow epicurians and
    bon vivants.
    
    Having had the pleasure of visiting the US on a number of occasions,
    including the east coast,central and west coast regions,I have
    experienced and enjoyed many different types and styles of food cooked
    in many different and various ways.
                         
    One food that I have been searching for during my visits is to find the
    perfect hambuger but alas no such luck.
    
    The closest that I have ever come to reaching my goal was at a little
    hamburger diner somewhere near Smithtown on Long Island.
    
    Ah,I can almost taste the hamburger now as I write this and the
    aroma was........well I'm sure that some of you hamburger gourmets
    know what I mean.    
    
    For my reference,do any of you have a favourite hamburger haunt
    that you can recommend for when I next visit the US ?
    
    Or better still,do any of you have the perfect hamburger recipe
    that you wish to share ? Please !
    
    Thanks and Regards,
    
    Barry.
                                                  
    

    Hello downunder,
    
         I tried this once and havent changed it since.
    While broiling or bar-b-queing your burger, pour an ounce of Grand
    Marnier on both sides of the burger while cooking. It is the perfect
    burger.
    
                                         Enjoy,
                                         Doc.
    

    
    
     Rep .0
    
      My favorite way to prepare/eat burgers is the following,
    
    
      BBQ your burger and season both sides with garlic powder and
     pepper to the way you like them cooked. My preference is rare.
     Then make a grilled cheese sandwich using 1 or 2 slices of 
     cheese using your favorite bread. My preference is light rye
     with carway seeds. Then pull the sandwich apart and on one
     side spread a thin layer of mayo and add lettuce, tomato, and
     raw onion. The tomato and onion should be thinly sliced. Now
     add your favorite sauce <ketchup is mine> and eat. 
    
     -mike
    
     <any resemblance to a Friendly's big beef cheeseburger special
      is sheer consequence but I did flip my way through college at
      a Friendly's. ;-) >
    

    Heres my favorite hamburger recipe:
    
    put 1 cup bread crumbs in pan, add enough milk to soak crumbs up,
    about 1/3 cup or so....add an egg
    
    Add 1/2 hamburger, 1/2 ground pork, salt & pepper to taste, chopped
    parsley to taste, 1 diced onion, 1/3 diced pepper, 2-3 tbs worchester
    sauce...
    
    Make patties and grill on b-b-q.....
    
    Rick

    When I make hamburgers I like to mix the hamburg with a package
    of Lipton Onion Soup ( the kind that makes California Dip ) and
    grill them.  It adds the right amount of spices and onions ( if
    you like onions, lik I do :-) )
    
    Moe
    

    How about a blue cheese burger.
    
    Shape 2 very flat burgers, and in the middle of one put a blob of 
    blue cheese mixed with mayo.  Top it with the other burger and pinch
    the edges together to seal in the cheese mixture.  Grille and serve
    on a toasted bulkey roll with a big slice of red onion.
    
    MMMMmmmmmmmmmmm
    
    Lorraine
     

    RE: .3
    
    This is quite near my favorite recipe.
    
    I use to add some ground nutmeg. It makes an umbeatable flavour.
    
    Enjoy.

    re .1
    
    How far away do you stand when pouring Grand Marnier over the burgers?
    Can you get the same flavor without the danger of fire by mixing
    it into the meat before forming the patties?
    
    My favorite recipe is to take 1 pound of beef, mix in 2 T. each
    ketchup and sweet relish, and some finely chopped onion.  Grill,
    then top with a thick slice of Jersey beefsteak tomatoe as it goes
    into the bun.  

    This is a great burger -- we don't usually put it in a bun but
    if you make it smaller than we do I suppose you could:
              
    Mix hamburg with Lipton's golden onion soup mix, make two patties
    and on one top with finely chopped cheese, mushrooms, green peppers,
    onions and pepperoncini's then take the other and place it on top
    and seal together and grill -- they are the best, all the stuff
    cooks inside and the cheese melts -- if you were to put them on
    a bun I would suggest a kaiser roll because they are bigger.

    RE.8      Is pepperoncini's small pieces of pepperoni?

    No, pepperoncini's are small italian peppers that come in a jar.
     They are used on antipasto's -- you can buy them in where the pickles
    are.  But now that you mention pepperoni we also put that chopped
    up in there, thanks for jarring my memory!

    .11 ha ha... 
    
    .3 rick, i loved your recipe for burgers and used it last night
    for our b.b.q.  (didn't have ground pork i suppose that is even
    better!)
    
    but anyhow, this is a great subject.  my mom's burgers are always
    cooked too much (don't tell her if you know her) and i've never
    tried anything but worceshire sauce on them.  i knew there was other
    recipes out there but never found one.  
    
    blue cheese burger next maybe?  i can't decide, there all so good!
    
    cj (who used .3 recipe w/out pork and on the top................
    
    swiss cheese, bacon, sweet pepper relish, steak sauce, mustard and
    onion on a toasted burger bun) yum!
    
    p.s. check out note 590 for more b.b.q. ideas... 
         the grilled scallions are superb!
    
    

    If you like pepper (as in peppercorns, not bell peppers) I have
    the perfect burger!
    
    1) Crack whole peppercorns. If you have a peppermill that is adjustable
    	that might work. I find I like it best cracking them with a
    	morter and pestle.
    2) Form hamburgers
    3) sprinkle cracked peppercorns on hard surface
    4) press hamburgers into peppercorns 

    repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have the desired quantity of peppercorns
    
  
    Enjoy
    Linda
    
    

The perfect burger!

First you buy premium, aged sirloin and have the butcher grind it up
for you, being careful to allow only enough beef fat to keep it together....

grate some longhorn cheddar cheese (commonly used in the Southwest - mild,
rich cheddar cheese) or some aged vermont cheddar cheese depending on
your preference...

Thin slice some sweet red onion and saute with a sprinkling of fresh garlic,
salt, pepper, etc. in olive oil or butter....

Split some onion rolls and set out the condiments of choice (I make my own
mayo, some grey poupon mustard, some spicey brown mustard, a nice catsup,
fresh sliced tomatos, etc.)

stoke your charcoal fire until all coals are white and the heat is very
steady (I have to let them burn down approx. 45 minutes in my kettle)...

Form the meat into patties that are bigger around than you want and
flatter than you want - I make mine approx. 1/2 inch thick, 3 to a pound.
They will "plump up" while cooking.

Grill approx. 3 minutes/side to a nice medium rare, while toasting the
sliced rolls on the grill.  Serve with the grilled, seasoned onions and
cheese.  Add the condiments of choice.  I recommend a nice dry beer with 
this...that's living!

    re 14.....a nice DRY beer....?
    
    Help me with this....I wasnt aware you could buy dry beer....Ive
    heard of dry wine but not beer......
    
    Rick

By my definition, a fine lager is a "dry" beer - I especially like the
Canadian brands I've tasted and I'm fond of Bohemia (Mexican beer that
is very fine).... what I mean to imply is FORGET THE LITE STUFF....a
full-bodied beer is a requirement with a good grilled burger (in my
rule book anyway 8^})

    See 1750.17 for an easy, delicious Turkish style hamburger.

    Deluxe Hamburgers
    
    5 oz. bleu cheese
    4 cloves of garlic
    2 T fresh chopped parsley
    1/4 cup plain club soda or seltzer
    1/4 t freshly ground pepper
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    2 lbs. ground chuck
    
    Prepare a charcoal fire.  
    
    Blend the bleu cheese, garlic, parsley, club soda, pepper and salt in a
    large mixing bowl.  Add the ground beef and mix everything together
    lightly burt throughly.  Form 8 patties.  
    
    Grill the burgers for 2-3 min. on each side for med rare.  Serve on
    toasted onion rolls.  Mmmmmmm.

    does anyone have any ideas for sauces on burgers?  i purchase 100% beef
    patties from blood farm (the real butcher type shop) and they are
    frozen.  they are great for those nights that you need something quick
    but now, with summer over, i don't think we will grilling as much.  if
    i have to broil i would want a sauce for basting.
    
    sometimes we use catsup, grape jelly and chili powder.  any other
    ideas?  thanks in advance,
    
    cj

    8 slices of prime Fillet (4-6 oz each)
    8 slices of bread,  see note [1]
    8 slices of Lancashire cheese
    16 slices bacon (cut of choice, smoked or unsmoked)
    4 oz butter
    5 fl oz sherry
    5 fl oz double cream
    5 fl oz brown stock
    1 pt brown sauce, see note [2]
    salt and pepper to taste
    Garnish of parsley and watercress
    
    Melt butter in frying pan. Fry fillet until browned on both sides,
    adding seasoning as required. Remove fillet from pan. Cut slices of
    bread to fit fillet, then fry in butter until golden brown, remove from
    pan. Fry bacon in pan.
    
    On each piece of fried bread, place a fillet, two slices of bacon and
    top with slice of cheese. Grill beefburgers until cheese is bubbling.
    Serve on plate, garnishing with parsley and watercress, and accompany
    with sauce.
    
    For the sauce: Add the sherry and stock to the brown sauce, bring to
    boil then simmer and reduce slightly. When the beefburgers are ready,
    mix cream into sauce, and serve in gravy boat.
    
    NOTES:
    
    [1] I suspect that, being of English origin, this 'beefburger' was
    eaten with a knife and fork. To make it a more conventional beefburger,
    double up on the bread. When the cheese has melted, place the second
    slice of bread on top of cheese. Actually, I'd pour a healthy amount of
    sauce over the melted cheese, before plonking the bread on top.
    
    [2] Brown sauce.
    
    This is a sauce made with a brown roux. Start off by making a
    conventional brown stock. Take some beef bones, place them in an oven
    and roast for 30-40 minutes on medium heat. In meantime, brown some
    diced carrots, celery, leeks, onions, etc in oil. Add a few ounces of
    flour to the vegetables and fry (without burning) until the flour is
    nicely browned. Add a couple of pint of water, bring to boil and
    simmer. When the beef bones are nicely browned, add the bones and any
    leavings to the vegetable/roux mixture. Simmer for an hour or two,
    stirring frequently. Remove from heat and strain.
         
    Angus

    Hello,
    
    I'm from Texas - here is my version of how to make a hamburger
    
    
    a good size patty of beef about 4-5" in diameter about 1" thick
    barbeque rub or chili powder and worchestershire sauce
    salt and pepper
    
    barbeque hamburger.  
    you can also grill onions
    grilled poblano peppers
    
    Veggies
    
    hand full of cilantro
    1 whole poblano pepper - grilled
    grilled onions
    sliced tomatoes
    sliced avocados
    Jalapenos, Nopales, Tomatillios (optional)
    Salsa 
    
    you can make a sauce with Mole' and stock or drippings
    serve on a toasted bun.
    
    You can also top the meat with melted Jack Cheese.
    
    I know this isn't low fat, so if you want lower fat
    
    eliminate all the meat and cheese and make a sandwich with 
    all the veggies and condiment of your choice.  A good salsa makes
    this work as a veggie sandwich.  (Actually I usually eat this - this
    way) - and you can add other veggies of your choice. 
    
    Rick Nickles