LITTLE ROCK — We’re fully aware that with the warmer-than-average winter many of you never stopped grilling. But we’re also fully aware this coming holiday weekend - Memorial Day - is the unofficial start of summer. And that means burgers.
In preparation we’ve been flipping up a storm at the backyard grill, making burgers from a variety of meats (and in one case, a vegetable).
Our first suggestion: When using low-fat beef such as ground round or leaner, keep the burgers from being dry by adding some fat, working from the inside out. Putting a pat of herb butter inside the uncooked patty makes the interior moist while adding flavor.
Our second suggestion: Skip the beef and go with bison for a full, meaty, yet decidedly different flavor. Bison has about a third less fat than 90 percent lean beef, however, so it, too, can benefit greatly from some added ingredients. We recommend adding one egg for every pound of ground bison - and flavoring it with just a touch of shallot and Worcestershire. Other flavorings would work equally well, so experiment with your favorites.
Our third suggestion involves moving beyond red meat. Ground turkey and chicken make good burgers. But be careful: Not all ground poultry is created equal.
Like beef, ground poultry canrange from 70 percent to 98 percent lean. All-white meat should be clearly labeled. Otherwise, the meat will likely include dark meat and/or skin.
And finally, for our fourth and fifth suggestions, consider dropping the meat altogether. Make a burger out of fish or take advantage of the fact that a portobello mushroom cap cooked on the grill looks a lot like a burger patty.
Beef Burgers With Herb Butter 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh
herbs, such as any combination ofparsley, chives, basil, oregano
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1/4 cup salted butter, at room temperature
Lemon juice
11/2 pounds ground beef such as sirloin, round or chuck
Coarse salt
4 slices cheddar cheese, optional
4 hamburger buns, toasted
Desired toppings and condiments such as ketchup, mustard, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, onion and/or pickles
Stir together the herbs, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, softened butter and a squeeze of lemon juice in a small bowl and mix well. Place on a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper, roll into a cylinder and twist the ends to compact the mixture. Refrigerate or freeze until firm.
Cut the herbed butter into 4 equal slices.
Wet your hands with cold water and divide the ground beef into 4 portions. Pat each portion of beef into a thick patty. Press an indentation into the center of the patty, filling it with a slice of herbed butter. Mold the beef to enclose the butter completely. Sprinkle burgers with salt and pepper to taste.
Prepare grill for medium-high heat.
Grill the burgers 5 to 7 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. If desired, rotate the burgers 90 degrees halfway through cooking each side for an attractive crosshatch of grill marks.
Top with cheese, if using, and continue cooking just until cheese melts.
Serve on toasted buns with desired toppings.
Makes 4 burgers.
Recipe adapted from How to Grill by Steven Raichlen ’Bello Burger 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup soy sauce1/4 cup PLUS 1 teaspoon olive
oil, divided use 3 cloves garlic, minced 4 portobello mushroom caps
(about 5 inches in diameter) 1/2 medium roasted red bell
pepper, stemmed, skinned
and seeded 1/3 cup mayonnaise Pinch ground red pepper
(cayenne) 4 thin slices mozzarella
cheese, optional 4 large, crusty rolls, such as
kaiser rolls 4 lettuce leaves Sliced ripe tomato
At least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours before you plan to grill, prepare a marinade by combining the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, 1/4 cup olive oil and garlic in a medium bowl.Place the mushrooms in a plastic bag, pour the marinade into the bag, shake to coat and let sit at room temperature.
Turn the bag occasionally to saturate the surface of the mushrooms with the marinade.
Cut roasted red pepper into several chunks and place in a food processor or blender. Add mayonnaise, the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil and cayenne pepper. Process until pureed.
Refrigerate until serving time.
Prepare grill for direct heat at medium temperature.
Drain mushroom caps, discarding marinade. Place mushrooms, gill-side down, on the grill. Grill, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes, turning the mushrooms twice. Top each with a cheese slice, if using, after the second turn.
Meanwhile, toast the rolls at the edge of the grill.
Place the mushrooms on the bottoms of the toasted rolls and top with lettuce, tomato and dollops of the mayonnaise.
Close the sandwiches with the top of the buns. Serve hot.
Makes 4 servings.
Recipe adapted from Born to Grill by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison Tuna Burgers With Wasabi Slaw For the slaw: 2 tablespoons wasabi powder 11/2 tablespoons water 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 1 clove garlic, minced 2 cups finely shredded
cabbage or coleslaw mix Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepperFor the burgers: 1 pound fresh tuna, cut into 1-
inch pieces 2 tablespoons Dijon-style
mustard 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon finely diced
shallots 1 tablespoon finely grated
fresh ginger 1 teaspoon finely grated
lemon zest 4 hamburger buns
In a small bowl, mix together wasabi powder and water, forming a paste. Add mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon ginger and garlic; stir until wellcombined.
Place cabbage in a medium bowl. Add wasabi mayonnaise and toss until evenly coated.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Place tuna in a food processor and chop until coarsely ground. Do not overprocess: The tuna should be minced but not pureed, similar to the texture of ground beef. Transfer the tuna to a large bowl.
Add mustard, garlic, shallots, ginger and lemon zest and gently stir to combine.
Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions. Gently shape each portion into a patty about 3/4-inch thick. Cover and refrigeratefor at least an hour or as long as overnight.
Heat grill to medium-high for 8 to 10 minutes with the lid closed. Open the grill and lightly brush the grates with vegetable oil.
Place the burgers on the grill. Close the lid and cook, turning once, until the desired temperature is reached, 5 minutes per side or to desired doneness. About 1 minute before the burgers are done, place the buns, cut-side down, on the grill and cook until lightly toasted.
To serve, place each burger on the bottom half of a bun and top with wasabi slaw. Add bun tops and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
Recipe adapted from Simply Grilling by Jennifer ChandlerBison Burgers 1 egg 2 tablespoons Worcestershire
sauce 1 tablespoon minced shallot Salt and ground black pepper 1 pound ground bison 4 hamburger buns Desired toppings such as
ketchup, mustard, lettuce,
sliced tomatoes, onion and/
or pickles
Prepare grill for direct heat.
In a mixing bowl beat egg and Worcestershire sauce until well combined. Stir in shallot and salt and pepper to taste.
Add bison and mix, using your hands, gently but thoroughly.
Form into four patties. Season again with salt and pepper.
Brush oil on the grill grate. Cook burgers over direct heat 6 minutes per side or until burgers reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees.
If desired, rotate the burgers 90 degrees halfway through cooking each side for an attractive crosshatch of grill marks.
Place each patty on a bun, garnish as desired and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
Open-Faced Turkey Caprese Burgers 1 slice bread, crusts removed 2 tablespoons milk 1 pound ground turkey 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
sauce Ground black pepper 2 ripe medium tomatoes,
seeded and finely chopped 2 tablespoons minced fresh
basil 2 tablespoons minced flat leaf
parsley Drizzle balsamic vinegar Salt 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella 2 English muffins, split and
toasted
Tear bread into small pieces and place in a mixing bowl. Pour milk over bread, stir to coat well and allow to stand 10 minutes, stirring and mashing bread frequently until the mixture is almost smooth.
Add ground turkey, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 4 patties.
Mix together tomatoes, basil and parsley. Season with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Allow to stand at room temperature 5 to 10 minutes for flavors to blend.
Meanwhile, heat grill to medium-high or allow coals to burn down. Lightly oil grill grate.
Grill patties 5 to 6 minutes per side or until lightly browned and internal temperatures reaches 165 degrees. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon shredded mozzarella cheese and allow to melt.
Place one patty, cheese side up, on each English muffin half. Spoon tomato mixture generously over the top of each patty.
Makes 4 servings.
Recipe adapted from The Kansas City Star
Food, Pages 37 on 05/23/2012