"Better
Burgers"
May 20,
2010 - Volume 1, Issue 08
| |
|
Re-opening in
early
June!
 |
|
|
Fire Up
the Grill!
|
A great
burger on the grill is hard to beat! The proxies found
at fast food restaurants do disservice to what a great
hamburger can be. With warmer weather upon us, it's time
to move the kitchen outdoors and reap some great burger
flavors from the grill.  Mastering
burgers on the grill is a worthwhile, budget-minded
endeavor. We've uncovered a whole new world of burgers
featuring great flavor and endless variety that leaves
us anything but deprived. The lessons learned about
grilling burgers translate well to other aspects of our
grilling life, too.
IN THIS ISSUE,
we provide an update on making better burgers by
refreshing our knowledge of the basics. With this
foundation, we introduce some recipes with
embellishments and improvisational notions. And, what
would a classic burger be without ketchup and mustard?
We'll share what we know about these ubiquitous
condiments, increase your grilling prowess with some
great tips, and conclude with three great-tasting burger
recipes you can enjoy
tonight!
|
Ken's
Notes:
|
 In the movie, Cool Hand Luke, Paul
Newman kept his guards aware of his presence while
"taking a break" from the road gang by continually
shaking a shrub and shouting out "still shaking it boss,
still shaking it!" That's sort of how I feel about this
e-newsletter - It's become my way of letting you know
that we're "still shaking it!" We're still plugging away
at repairs, rebuilds and restoration. Still planning on
opening in early June. Still very
optimistic.
 While we have a lot to finish,
we've made good progress. The roof has been repaired and
re-coated, and exterior brick and mortar damaged by the
fire has been replaced and tuck pointed. Windows are on
order, walls have been re-insulated and sheet rock is
ready for paint. With regards to the store, everything
wet and moldy is gone and/or dry. Insulation and sheet
rock are up, we'll be finished putting up the plywood
tomorrow and we'll start on the tin ceiling in two
days! Shelving is being cleaned and orders for new
inventory will be ready to go out in two
weeks!
 Frankly, we're excited and can't
wait to get the doors open again as soon as possible.
Speaking of opening doors, I stopped and spoke to Al
Phillips from the Marietta Wine Cellars the other day.
They're reopening in a few weeks in the old Brighter Day
location on 2nd street, just north of the Galley. As Al
says "I'm just too old and stubborn to give up!" This
man has a big heart, a ton of energy and loves what he
does. I urge you to stop in when he and his family
reopen and welcome their business back to
town.
| | |
|
Burger
Fundamentals
|
There's nothing
to making a good
burger, but there are a few tricks to incorporate into your
methodology that will make for a better
burger, and, perhaps, inspire you to create your own signature
burger.
 Choosing the Meat - Because
burgers have the simplest of ingredients, choosing the meat is
a crucial decision. Traditional beef burgers can be made from
chuck, sirloin, or round cuts of beef. Chuck is a combination
of meats from the "waist and above" on a cow, sirloin is from
the midsection, and round is from the hip and upper back legs.
When it comes to meat, fat equals flavor. Not exactly what our
nutritionists want to hear, but true. Chuck tends to be about
80% lean and 20% fat. Sirloin weighs in at around 90% lean,
and round at around 85% lean. Buy meat that has a fresh,
bright color from a reputable source.
Grinding and Chopping -
Ground meats are readily available at any grocer; choose the
cut and fat percentage you prefer for the situation.
Increasingly, individuals are choosing their own cuts of meat
and grinding them at home. This allows control over quality
and composition. You may use a grinder attachment on your
mixer to accomplish this, or use razor-sharp knives to chop
the meat finely.
Shaping the Patties - Form
patties from the ground meat that hold together easily, while
handling the meat as lightly as possible. Use a kitchen scale
to weigh equal portions of ground meat; this will minimize
handling. Avoid handling the meat too much and smashing it
together.  A light texture will provide small
spaces for the juices to collect during grilling and eating.
Use a mold or burger press to quickly achieve
uniformity.
Seasoning
the Meat - Most meats need nothing more than salt and
pepper for great flavor. Because salt withdraws juices from
food, we tend to salt just prior to grilling. However, if your
burger is destined to have other seasonings, they may be
incorporated into the meat prior to forming patties. Allow the
burgers to chill so that the flavors blend and the meat
regains its coldness prior to grilling.
Grilling and Cooking - Cook
burgers on a medium-hot grill. Once heated, rub the grate with
a paper towel dipped in olive oil to help prevent sticking.
Place the cold burgers on the grill, cover, and allow to cook
for about 2 minutes, then turn and allow to finish grilling
according to the size of the patty. The key to a great burger
is not pressing down on the burgers while cooking. This forces
the juices out of the meat instead of retaining moistness and
flavor.
 Testing Doneness - Being
flat, burgers are easy to estimate doneness. However, we
always recommend using an instant read thermometer when
cooking any meat. Undercooking meat is undesirable, but more
often, there is a tendency to overcook meat robbing the burger
of flavor and yielding a dry result. A thermometer provides
confidence in the grilling experience and promotes the best
result possible. Cook hamburgers until the center reaches
160ºF.
Serving
Fresh - As hungry as you might be given the swirling
aromas, allow the finished burgers to set for a few minutes so
that juices can be reabsorbed into the meat. Use this waiting
time to grill the buns to a perfect golden
toast.
|
Ketchup &
Mustard
|
Open nearly any
refrigerator in America and you'll find in the door shelves a
container of ketchup and at least one type of mustard. But
what do we know about these ubiquitous condiments?
 Ketchup tops the list of condiments, no
question. Originally, the word, ketchup, described any number
of sauces. The term's meaning settled on the tomato-based
sauce by the early 1800s. Henry J. Heinz developed today's
ketchup sauce and set the standard for flavor and texture by
the turn of the 20th century.  His secret was to use ripe tomatoes,
pickle them with vinegar, and then concentrate the sauce.
Ketchup is considered good if it is thick, does not separate,
and, of course, tastes great. The secret to ketchup's huge fan
base lies in its ingredients. Ketchup contains tomato,
vinegar, sugar, salt, spices, and herbs. This mélange of
flavors hits all of our taste buds - sweet, salty, sour,
bitter, and the fifth taste, umami.
With all cylinders firing at once, no wonder ketchup registers
pleasure in our mouths.
 Mustard holds second place on the
post-grill table. While ketchup seems to be, well, ketchup,
mustard sports a host of personalities that project distinctly
different flavors and effects. All mustards start with the
humble mustard seed, the fruit of the mustard plant. Mustard
seed or dry mustard powder does not have any potency on its
own, but when combined with water or liquid, heat emerges. The
cooler the liquid used in mustard preparation, the hotter the
mustard. Hot water breaks down the heat component during
mustard making and later during roasting or grilling. Vinegar,
water, and spice mixed with the ground mustard seed complete
the condiment. There are four common types of mustard each
with many variations:
|
Cooking with
Fire
|
Why do people
grill? Anthropologists might point to some primeval connection
to fire, the chemist might point to the Maillard
reaction occurring during browning, but a modern
interpretation might land on the simplest of answers - it
tastes good! To enjoy your grilling life to the max, keep
these ideas in mind:
 Keep the Grill Clean! - We
can't emphasize this enough. A clean grill will allow your
foods to keep their true grilled flavors without any
compromise from burnt pieces, ash, or other leftovers from the
last grilling session. Use a wire brush to scrape away any
stuck on food. Be religious in keeping your grill clean and
you'll be rewarded with great tasting food and a long-lasting
grill.
Oil the
Grate - Once clean, oil the preheated grate with a
paper towel soaked with an oil of your choice and held by a
pair of tongs. The thin coat of oil will keep foods from
sticking and simultaneously allow for easier clean up
later.
Expand your
Grilling Life - Explore burgers on the grill, but don't
forget all of the other foods that would benefit from the
magic of the grill. Master the tradition of meat on the grill
with beef cuts, but don't forget pork, chicken, turkey, and
seafood. You may like to experiment with less common meats
such as buffalo, ostrich, emu, or game. Vegetables on the
grill are hard to match, as are grilled fruits.
Baskets, Skewers, Mats - A
few key tools can make your grilling explorations instantly
more successful. Grill baskets allow for small pieces of
seafood or vegetables to be grilled easily without any loss
through the grate. Explore the many skewers we have for kabob
grilling; each has its distinct use and advantage. Grilling
mats, like grilling baskets keep food from falling through the
grate while allowing the fire and smoke to infuse into the
food. Mats are particularly useful for grilling fish and
vegetables.
|
| Smart Grilling
Tips |
Tip #1: Expand your
repertoire of burger buns - ditch the soft, fluffy breads and
choose breads with some heft, flavor, and interest. Here are a
few alternatives - ciabatta buns, baguettes, croissants,
English muffins, or any number of flat breads.
 Tip #2:
Get
comfortable with using tongs when grilling. Tongs allow for
all kinds of handling motions with the advantage of
long-handled distance. Tongs have an advantage over
long-handled forks; forks pierce the food allowing juices to
escape.
Tip #3: Add olive oil
to lean cuts of ground meat for juiciness and flavor. This
doesn't necessarily reduce the overall fat content, but it
does substitute a better, healthier type of fat and optimizes
the richness and moistness in the end result.
Tip #4: When grilling kabobs
use skewers that are flat. The flat shape will help keep the
food from spinning when turning.
Tip #5: When shaping patties,
moisten your hands with water. This will help to keep the meat
from sticking to your hands and makes washing up
easier.
|
Q & A's
|
 Q: How
can I a make a great burger indoors?
A: If you live in an
apartment, or if it's raining and your patio is uncovered, a
great burger is still accessible. Here are two common methods
for making indoor burgers: (1) Pan-Searing, and (2) Grill Pan.
When pan-searing a burger, heat a tablespoon of oil in a
medium-high skillet, add the burgers, cover for 2 minutes,
turn, and complete the cooking. A grill pan is used similarly
with one exception, excess fat is allowed to drain away from
the frying meat due to the pan's ridges.
 Q: How do
I know when my grill is hot enough for grilling
burgers?
A:
Burgers usually require a medium-hot grill. Hold your hand,
palm down 4-5 inches above the grill. If you can hold it there
for about 4 seconds the heat is just about right for burgers.
If you need to pull away sooner, it's too hot; if you can hold
your hand there longer, it's too cool.
Q: What's the best way to get
perfect tomato slices for my burgers?
A: Choose a tomato that
matches the size of your burgers and one that is more meaty
than juicy. Use a high quality serrated knife to slice the
tomatoes as thinly as you'd like. A classic tomato knife has a
razor-sharp serrated edge and a pointed tip for spearing and
moving the completed slices.
Q: What is
piccalilli?
A: Varying by region,
piccalilli is a relish of various chopped, pickled vegetables.
The veggies are often held together in a mustard-based sauce
and are a classic addition to mustard and ketchup on the
condiment tray.
|
| Cookbook
Review |
Burger
Bar by Hubert Keller with Penelope Wisner. Photography
by Bill Milne. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken,
NJ. Copyright 2009.
 Who knew burgers could be so
interesting? This cookbook serves up a whole new attitude for
burgers that can be summed up in one word, flavor! Mr. Keller
and Ms. Wisner manage to take the humble burger and transform
it into the centerpiece with some serious flavor dynamics.
They school us in the essential basics, then propel us into
the big world of delicious variations. While the initial focus
is with traditional beef versions, the book broadens its
appeal with pork, fowl, and seafood substrates. The much
maligned veggie burger is reinvented and duly elevated in its
appeal. The book concludes with great suggestions for sides,
sauces, and finales. The full color photographic illustrations
start the mouth watering upon first glance; the real thing
that followed did not disappoint. Try the three recipes below,
then you'll be ready for Keller's French-inspired Burger au
Poivre, or the Brazilian Feijoada Burger. Burgers have never
been better!
|
| Better Burger
Recipes |
Recipes
excerpted from Burger
Bar by Hubert Keller with Penelope Wisner. Published by
John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ. Copyright 2009. Reprinted
with permission of the publisher. All rights
reserved.
Black
Jack Burgers
 View and
Print
Full bodied in
stature and in flavor, this burger delivers. Choose some good
chuck, season, and grill. The "black" in Black Jack comes from
the delicious olive tapenade, and the "jack" comes from a
thick slice of Monterey Jack cheese. The combination makes for
a hat trick certain to win over the entire house. The extra
tapenade was delicious the next morning on a lightly toasted
baguette.
Blue
Cheese-Stuffed Bacon Sliders
 View and
Print
Perfectly
packaged, blue cheese unites two of its favorites, beef and
pears, together in these tasty stacks. Slider-sized, these
burgers pack tons of flavor into just a few bites. The
caramelized pears seem an unlikely addition, but turn out to
be an essential flavor. The blue cheese melts nicely
permeating the burger with a juicy dimension. The sliders made
for a dynamite presentation on a tray served tapas style.
Seared
Tuna Burgers
 View and
Print
Not every
burger needs to be a beef burger. This fresh tuna burger with
its Asian flavor influences will have you converted at first
bite. Sesame oil and ginger provide plenty of personality for
the tuna. The Sesame Vinaigrette is a keeper combination of
ingredients that is not only the perfect condiment for the
tuna burgers, but is great on greens, easy to make, and a
pizzazz-y dressing for all kinds of grilled
foods.
| |
| Fire up the
grill and make a better
burger! |
|
| |
