Sunday Family
Dinner
Hamburgers
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Sunday Family |
Hamburgers - During a BBQ season there is nothing better that is liked by
children and adults alike than the presentation of deliciously prepared hamburgers.
For the best of hamburgers that will impress - you will need homemade
hamburger buns, special prepared patties and lots of condiments
for both the bottom and top of these favourite delicious summer
BBQ specialties. If you grind your own paddies, you might be considered
a hamburger connoisseur.
Hamburger Recipes
Plain Hamburger Paddies
1lb/500g lean or medium ground beef (See Grinding Your Own Paddies)
1 half onion grated or finely chopped
4 pinches ground coriander
4 pinches paprika powder
a little pepper, fresh ground is better
a little salt
1 hand fresh bread crumbs
1 egg lightly beaten
1 quarter beef bouillon/stock cube dissolved in 2 to 3 tablespoons water
Knead onion, garlic and pepper into meat to mix thoroughly.
Divide into portions, make patties (i.e. 1/4 pound or 1/2 pound each).
Grill on fairly hot grill.
Grinding Your Own Hamburger Paddies
Ideally you will want to use good quality tender meat and grind it using a coarse plate (about 1/4" or 6.5mm) in your meat grinder to bring out the flavour with great texture.
Cut all the meat into small cubes not bigger than 1"(25mm) and if you are adding extra fat cut it into much smaller cubes, maybe 1/4 the size of the meat. This allows you to distribute the lesser volume of fat more evenly. The same principle applies if you add a second meat type, like bacon, which is less in volume than your primary meat.
Spread the meat cubes in a single layer on your work surface and then distribute the fat (or second meat type) evenly over the meat. Spice the layer of meat, turn it over (spatula/egg lifter works well) and spice the other side as well.
If you intend binding the mixture for patties with a little fresh bread crumbs soaked in some cool stock and a bit of egg now is the time to distribute this evenly over the meat.
Mix everything through lightly with your hands and put the mixture into the freezer until it is very cold (just before it starts to freeze).
A very cold mixture makes grinding meat an effortless experience.
Tastier Hamburger Paddies
1lb/500g ground beef, preferably good quality coarse ground (how to grind your own meat)
1 half onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic crushed or a pinch of garlic powder
1 dash steak sauce (about 2 tablespoons)
1 small dash Worcestershire sauce (about 1 tablespoon or less)
a little pepper, fresh ground is better
1 hand fresh bread crumbs
1 egg lightly beaten
1 quarter beef bouillon/stock cube dissolved in 2 to 3 tablespoons water
Grilling
Light BBQ and heat to a medium heat.
Generously oil the grids for the barbeque.
Place grids over heat source.
Place the patties on the grill.
Indent the centre of each paddie
Grill approximately 6 minutes or until juices start to show on top of patties.
Turn patties over and grill another 6-8 minutes, when pierced with a fork, juices have to run clear.
Brush top of patties with sauce after turning, if so desired
Hamburger Buns - Bread Machine
1 1/4 cups milk, slightly warmed
1 beaten egg
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup white sugar or honey
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 3/4 cups bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
Place all ingredients in pan of bread machine according to manufacturer's directions.
Select dough setting.
When cycle is complete, turn out onto floured surface.
Cut dough in half and roll each half out to a 1" thick circle.
Cut each half into six 3 1/2" rounds with inverted glass as a cutter.
Place on greased baking sheet far apart and brush with melted butter.
Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour.
Bake at 350° for 9 minutes.
Note: Oven temperatures vary so check after 9 minutes to see if done.
Some reviewers baked these anywhere from 12 to 30 minutes.
Hamburger Buns - Hand and Home Made
Ingredients
2 cups warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
2 (.25 ounce) packages instant yeast
2 teaspoons salt
6 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
In a large bowl, stir together the milk, margarine, warm water, sugar and yeast.
Let stand for about 5 minutes.
Mix in the salt, and gradually stir in the flour until you have a soft dough.
Divide into 25 pieces, and form into balls.
Place on baking sheets so they are 2 to 3 inches apart. Let rise for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Bake the rolls for 15 minutes in the preheated oven.
Cool slightly, then split them in half horizontally to fill with your favorite burgers.
Hamburger Buns - Hand Made with Honey
1 3/4 cups warm water
1/4 cup honey
shopping list
1/2 cup oil (use your favorite, (Canola)
3 pkgs yeast
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
5 cups of flour
2 eggs, beaten
Combine water, honey, oil and yeast; let stand until bubbly (10 - 15 min)
Stir in salt, flour and eggs until well blended
Shape into hamburger patty size
Place on greased cookie sheet and let rise for 10 min (you can dust the sheet with corn meal if you want to)
Bake at 425 for 10 minutes or until nice golden brown
Let cool and split
Toppings
On top of the patty is where I put this big slippery stuff because you have eight fingers to manage the top.
The Build A Better Burger Contest is all about the condiments. Me? Some of these concoctions sound wonderful, but they are just too fussy and hide the meat. I'm fine with lettuce, tomato, and onion. Period. OK, maybe two strips of thick bacon. I'm not even a big fan of cheeseburgers.
Lettuce. I want crisp, cold lettuce that crunches and squirts cold water on top of the hot meat juices. This is the perfect use for iceberg or Romaine lettuce. Especially the thick bottom parts.
Tomatoes. As for the tomatoes, try to find big beefsteak style tomatoes in season the same diameter as the patty. When you use small slices, they move around too much and usually fall out. Always use ripe tomatoes, no underripe pink rocks. They're too acidic. Nowadays you can often find real ripe tomatoes all year 'round that are grown in greenhouses. Campari tomatoes are grown in a greenhouse, usually grown hydroponically (in nutrient solutions and inert media like gravel, no dirt), about the size of golf balls and almost always delicious, perfectly ripe, and juicy. Interestingly, many come from Toronto. Plum tomatoes are less juicy if you want more substance. If I can't find ripe tomatoes, I live without them.
Onions. As with the tomatoes, I like a single thin slice of raw onion the same diameter as the patty. In season, I go for a slice of sweet onion like Vidalia (May through July) or Walla Walla (June through August). For August and September in Eastern Ontario, try locally grown thinly sliced Spanish Onions. If they are not in season, it's red onion for me. Sometimes I put the onion on top of the burger while it's on the grill to take the edge off and make it less slippery. If you're making a cheeseburger, you can anchor the onion in place by putting the cheese on top. Just don't slice the onions long in advance. Onion slices or chopped onion can get really stinky when it sits around for an hour or more. They taste best when freshly sliced.
Many people prefer grilled, griddled, or caramelized onions. I have a soft spot for these, but they're slippery, and they're a bit sweet for me for regular burgers, although I love them on cheeseburgers. A lot of pubs like to top burgers with breaded fried onion rings. I've even enjoyed burgers with those crunchy fried onions from the can, and I've seen menues with pickled onions.
Cheese. Put cheese on it and you've made a cheeseburger. In Eastern Ontario it is cheddar. In parts of the Southeast, pimento cheese spread supplants both the melted cheese of the cheeseburger and the need for ketchup or other sauces. For those who prefer light cheeses on their burger.. try Swiss or mozzarella cheese slices.
Bacon. What doesn't go well with bacon? Add bacon and you get smokiness, sweetness, and saltiness. A remarkable variation on the theme is, are you sitting, pastrami as served at Hymie's in Merion Station, PA.
Bottoms
Most folks put their sauces on top of the patty. I put the liquid stuff on the bottom so it can soak into the bun, coat the meat, mix with the juices that drip down, and anchor the patty in place, especially since you only have your thumbs to hold the bottom bun. Some folks like to put lettuce on the bottom to act as a barrier between the burger juices and the bun in an attempt to keep the bottom bun dry. With lettuce on the bottom, the patty slides around too much and two thumbs are not enough to control it.
Here are some bottoms you might want to try either solo or in a blend: Ketchup, sweet mustard, mayo, steak sauce, barbecue sauce, thousand island dressing, salsa, remoulade sauce, balsamic vinegar reduction, aioli, chimichurri sauce, tonkatsu sauce, mayo with a few drops of sesame oil mixed in, hot sauce in sour cream, smashed avocado or guacamole, horseradish -- straight or with sour cream, pickle relish, roasted garlic, minced jalapeño, or giardiniera.
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