Burgers Done Right!

One of the newest ideas in backyard cooking are Sliders - and we are not talking about the television program that ran for five seasons from 1995 to 2000.  What we are talking about are those little, itty, bitty, hamburgers that can be consumed in just a couple of bites.  You make a lot of them and your guests can fix 'em any 'whicha' way they want!

The Super Bowl might just be the reason to try to Jazz Up those burgers.  Scratch those tired, old all beef burgers and experiment with something new.  It is very easy to modify and adjust ingredients with a little imagination to achieve new, more flavorful burgers.  Consider trying some of these favorites:

Beef/Sausage Burgers: One of our favorites is to combine the ground beef with an equal amount of italian sausage (regular/mild or hot/spicy).  The "mild sausage" will give you a ton of flavor and the hot/spicy will add some kick to the flavor.  This is becoming a favorite around our home.  Don't be bashful, make two patties with a thick layer of your favorite cheese stuck in between.

Buffalo Burgers:  Also where available, you should consider buffalo burgers.  If you have not tried buffalo, you owe it to yourself to experiment with added flavor.  Bison meat has very little intermolecular fat and therefore scores favorably lower on cholesterol, fat and saturated fat when compared to other meats such as beef, pork, skinless breast of chicken and even most fish.  Try it.  Buffalo:The misunderstood meat!  Don't forget grilled onions!

Fowl Burgers:  For those more calorie conscious, you might want to consider using either ground turkey and where available, ground chicken or ground ostrich.  Keep in mind that these meats will be "drier" than beef or sausage, so don't go looking for "juicy" burgers here.

Veggie/Garden Burgers:  Now for all of our nonconformist readers...Many of your friends might be more interested in a veggie burger, garden burger, or ... heaven forbid ... a tofu burger. Some ingredients to consider in this category might be beans, grains or an assortment of vegetables, ground up and mashed into patties.

Now that we have discussed the "Major Burger Categories", what flavors might we add to enhance our enjoyment of the perfect burger.

Ingredients IN your burgers: 

You can mix or add flavor to the meat with the addition of eggs or italian bread crumbs, and a variety of seasonings, such as parsley, onions, soy sauce, Thousand Island dressing, onion soup mix, or Worcestershire sauce, garlic, peppers, hot sauce.

Ingredients ON your burgers: 

Condiments:  There are so many different items to "dress your burger" that we will suggest just a few:  Mustards, Ketchups, Mayonnaises, Relishes, Sauces, Canadian bacon, lettuce, red-onion marmalade, sweet Vidalia onions, grilled onions, mushrooms, guacamole, peppers, chilies, tomatoes, lettuce, barbecue sauce, bacon, soy sauce and maybe the kitchen sink.

Cheeses: Cheddar, swiss, blue, cottage, cream, feta, pimento, goat, and many more.  You get the idea!  Load it up.

Cooking:  Be sure to run the internal temperature up to about 160° internal temp to kill any lurking bad germs.  Don't press the patties as this makes them dry and less juicy.  Finally, dig in!

As a side note:  Sliders are a perfect way to try different types of flavors and seasonings since you do not have to prepare a ton of food that might not be up to your specifications. You can prepare small burgers, each with different spices and meats, grill 'em up and see what you think.

Prepare and keep notes so you can fine tune your ingredients in the quest for the best burger ever.

Enjoy, Charlie

See Our Privacy
Policy Here