For some reason, I have really just wanted a good burger lately. My wife and I went to a local tavern, and the burger was fine, but just not what I was needing.
To take care of my hankering for a good burger, I took matters into my own hands, and started up the grill. I got some good 80% lean organic ground beef to make into patties. I saw some pre-made patties, but I just don’t like the texture of pressed patties. For me, hand-formed patties are the bee’s knees!
The burgers got a some salt and pepper as well as a bit of espresso-infused balsamic vinegar, then went on a medium hot grill. I also grilled a halved and seeded poblano chile, and used a Wilton Armetale pewter grill dish to sauté shallots in the same espresso balsamic vinegar and a bit of bacon fat (from some bacon I’d fried to a nice, crispy state of baconness). When the burgers were about done, I stacked some Humboldt Fog cheese (a strongly flavored cheese with a bleu vein in the middle… great stuff!) on one patty, then topped that with the other patty, leaving it on the grill over a cooler part of the grill, letting the cheese get all gooey and melty.
I buttered and grilled a bakery-style bun when everything else was off the grill, then added a really nice, meaty heirloom tomato slice to the bottom. The patties and cheese went on this, then bacon slices, poblano chiles, and the espresso-infused balsamic vinegar sautéed shallots, then the top bun.
This was the burger I was looking for! Tender, juice, lots of great flavors, from the sweet, earthy shallots to the raisin-y poblanos to the fresh, ripe heirloom tomato. This will be a burger I make for company someday.
I once again wrote this using the stylus on my Xyboard 10.1, thanks to Verizon Wireless. I’m finding the group of other writers involved in trying out the service and tablet is a really great group of people, and some of us will be trying out variations of my chocolate chip cookie recipe in the coming weeks. It should be fun seeing how real bakers like the cookies!
Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Gourmets program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.
That, Curt, is a thing of beauty! What a well constructed burger. I am pretty sure you’ll NEVER get that at any pub.
I have an account with 39 various Verizon air cards in Knoxville but none of their tablets. I love my Verizon MiFi. Our staff currently uses the air cards with laptops but as the cards come up for renewal and the laptops age out, the tablets are an interesting option since most of the staff work in the field. I’ll have to talk to my local rep.
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