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Potatoes, Rice, Etc. | Salads and Dressings | Bacon | Bar Food | Vegetables | Sauces and Gravies | BBQ Mops and Rubs
Hamburger Toppings
For all of you guys that have had my "Boat Burgers" here on the boat, you thought that I was finally givin' out the recipe.
But you'll find that this hamburger, made with ground beef, will taste pretty close to mine. There's only a few little items that I left out. Like may be 4 or 5. Those flavors make the recipe really mine, and add to what I call "Depth of Flavor" A lot of the foods you eat have seasonings and flavors within that aren't noticeable individually while your eating, but add to the overall flavor of the food. Eliminating them won't make too big a difference in the final product.
Now, before ya'll get bent out of shape about putting onions in a hamburger on a regular basis, it works well. I grew up with my Mom always adding onions to the burgers, and for all the picnics my folks hosted, I never heard anyone complain about onions in the burgers. And, in the many years that I've been cookin' hamburgers, I've only had one person complain,. and that one was 6 years old. So go ahead and add them, don't tell your guests, and you'll get rave reviews about the burgers. Just make sure you tell them about the Butt Kickin' Blacken that you used as a dry rub on the outside.
About the blacken on the outside of the hamburger; I serve these all the time to people that I know have told me that they don't like spicy foods. You're just dusting the burgers prior to grilling them, it adds a lot of flavor to the ground beef, and the onions, inside, will do the same thing. Most of the heat will be the first thing to burn off, leaving the rest of the flavors from the blacken. Remember, you only want to really pour it on the outside of the burger when you're making one of the real hot varieties, like the Serrano, or Cajun burgers.
One more thing, if, heaven forbid, you'll be cooking them inside in a fry pan, be sure to put less blacken and salt on the outside of the pattie than you would if you were cooking them on your gas or charcoal grill. And, cook over a medium heat, or you'll end up smokin' up the house, burnt burgers with a raw inside, and having grease splattered all over the stove. Remember,, The thicker the meat, the lower the heat.
Here's one I've been asked about a lot, lately.
Why do my burgers puff up in the middle, and end up looking like a balloon?
More than likely the heat is too high. The outside of the burger browns and forms a crust. When you flip it over, this crust is now on the top. Ground Meat has a lot of moisture in it, and the crust will keep it from escaping. Wiothout anywhere to go, it turns to steam and your burger puffs up.
To eliminate this from happening, you can either cook your burgers over a lower flame, or flip them a little more often.
- 2 Pounds Ground Chuck, 80 / 20
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion, minced fine, cooked over low heat until it's soft
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Butt Kickin' Blacken
- Vegetable Oil
- Kosher Salt
- Butt Kickin' Blacken
Replace the Butt Kickin' Blacken with the American Steakhouse Blend, and cook as illustrated below. The American Stekhouse Blend enhances the flavor of the meat without covering it up.
Don't think that you're doing your guests a favor by purchasing lean meat (90% or 93% lean). In order to have a juicy burger, you've got to have 80 / 20, or add some fat to the leaner variety. Somebody once told me how they purchase lean meat, then place a pat of butter inside the burger. Makes a lot of sense, right?
1. Place the meat in a bowl, then add the finely minced onion, blacken, and Kosher salt. Mix well, then form into patties.
Ron's Note:
There are a lot of people out there who say they don't like onions. I listen to them, then do my own thing. These people don't realize how much onions they really eat, because onions are used in so many recipes to add flavor. When it's cooked, as I do in this recipe, they'll never notice that it's in the hamburger.
2. I don't like using a mold for patties, but I DO like to portion them out, in order to get the same size every time. I use a 4 oz. portioner when I'm making a lot of burgers for company, makes about 8 burgers out of 2 pounds of meat. And I'll use a 5 oz. one when I'm doing for myself. I like them big, and I'll only get 6 out of 2 pounds of meat. A portioner is similar to an ice cream scoop, but can be purchased in many different labeled sizes, with each handle being coded a different color.
1. Place the meat in a bowl, then add the finely minced onion, blacken, and Kosher salt. Mix well, then form into patties.
Ron's Note:
There are a lot of people out there who say they don't like onions. I listen to them, then do my own thing. These people don't realize how much onions they really eat, because onions are used in so many recipes to add flavor. When it's cooked, as I do in this recipe, they'll never notice that it's in the hamburger.
2. I don't like using a mold for patties, but I DO like to portion them out, in order to get the same size every time. I use a 4 oz. portioner when I'm making a lot of burgers for company, makes about 8 burgers out of 2 pounds of meat. And I'll use a 5 oz. one when I'm doing for myself. I like them big, and I'll only get 6 out of 2 pounds of meat. A portioner is similar to an ice cream scoop, but can be purchased in many different labeled sizes, with each handle being coded a different color.
3. After making the patties, coat one side with a little vegetable oil, then dust on some blacken, and a little Kosher salt. Be careful that you don't use too much salt, because the burgers really won't be on the grill long enough to burn the salt off.
4. Oil them, and mix the spices in. The hamburgers should "look" oily. Flip them over, and add the blacken, salt, and oil again. The oil, helps the seasoning to stick, plus it'll keep the patties from sticking to the grill.
5. Cook over high heat, being careful not to press them with the spatula (all you're doing is pushing out the fat) because you'll end up with a dry burger. Flip when you just begin to see the juice coming up through the meat.
6. Place the finished hamburgers on a platter, and cover with aluminum foil while you're cooking another batch.
Hawaiian Burger
- 1 Large Pineapple
- Dark Brown Sugar
Place on a hot grill for about 5 minutes, or, until you've made some nice grill marks. Flip them over, sprinkle with dark brown sugar, and put the lid on the grill. The pineapple slices are done when the sugar has melted.
Using nice moist rolls, place 1 slice of pineapple on the bottom, followed by the hamburger, then the top. This one doesn't need anything else, as the pineapple adds so much sweetness and juice.
Carolina Burger
Place BBQ Sauce then Slaw (Coleslaw) on top of the burger, and enjoy the taste of the South.
Enchilada Burger
- 20 Medium Serrano Peppers
- Vegetable Oil
- Butt Kickin' Blacken, South West Blend
- Enchilada Sauce, as needed
- Monterey Jack Cheese, Optional
Get the grill going hot, and place the peppers on. I usually use a grill pan to keep the peppers from going through the grill.
Let them blacken real well, then take off and place back in the bowl.
Allow them to cool then chop them up into rings. Don't bother removing the skin (that's the flavor), or the seeds (removing the seeds is for woosses). Set them aside while you cook the burgers.
When the burgers are done, Put some Enchilada Sauce on the bottom of the bun, the hamburgers next, then a good dose of the Serrano peppers, a good pile of grated cheese and some more BBQ sauce.
Depending upon how hot the Enchilada Sauce is, you'll probably want a god bunch of Sam Adams to go along with this burger.
Serrano Burger
- 20 Medium Serrano Peppers
- Vegetable Oil
- Butt Kickin' Blacken, South West Blend
- Orange / Chipotle Bbq Sauce
- Monterey Jack Cheese, Optional
Get the grill going hot, and place the peppers on. I usually use a grill pan to keep the peppers from going through the grill.
Let them blacken real well, then take off and place back in the bowl.
Allow them to cool then chop them up into rings. Don't bother removing the skin (that's the flavor), or the seeds (removing the seeds is for woosses). Set them aside while you cook the burgers.
When the burgers are done, Put some Orange / Chipotle BBQ sauce on the bottom of the bun, the hamburgers next, then a good dose of the Serrano peppers, and some more BBQ sauce.
Eat well and have plenty of liquid refreshment available.
Kitchen Sink Burger
- Minced Bacon
- Minced Onion, cooked 'till soft in the bacon fat
- Minced Dill Pickle
- Smoked Cheddar Cheese, finely grated
- 2 Pounds Ground Chuck, 8 / 20
- 2 Tablespoons Butt Kickin' Blacken
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
Chop a pickle up real fine, and finely grate some smoked cheddar cheese.
One of the easiest errors to make in this one, is to put too much filling in the meat. If you find that the meat isn't holding together, you might have to add 1 large egg to the mix.
When your ready to make the burgers, place all in a bowl with the meat and spices and mix well. Make the patties then oil and blacken as I explain under "Basic Burgers".
Ron's Note:
Don't put raw bacon in the hamburgers because it won't cook. Even though you've cooked it until it's crispy, it won't be by the time the hamburgers are done.
Jalapeno, Blue Burger
Slice, then fry 1 Jalapeno Pepper per burger, place on the bottom, and put some Blue Cheese on top. If the burger's hot, the blue cheese will melt just a little. The burger pictured on the right was done by adding a little sour cream to the blue cheese before placing it on the burger. The sour cream cuts the sharpnes of the blue cheese, and tempers the heat of the jalapeno.Cajun Burger
- Extra Butt Kickin' Blacken for the Burger
- Remoulade Sauce
Don't be afraid to make up extra Remoulade Sauce. It'll last for 2 or 3 weeks in the refrigerator, and is it'll provide a super "flavor kick" to anytyhing you'd normally use Mayo. for. You can even thin it down a bit, add a little red wine vinegar, and turn it into a salad dressing, or use it in your Slaw, or potato salad instead of plain mayonaise.
BBQ Burger
- Your Favorite Bbq Sauce
- Extra Butt Kickin' Blacken, for the Burger
One thing you don't want to do is mix the BBQ sauce into the hamburger meat. The sugar in the sauce will caramalize before the hamburger is done, and you'll end up with a burger that's burnt on the outside, yet still raw in the middle.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this recipe, or any other of my recipes you've either looked at or tried.
- Whether or not you like this recipe and why.
- How you'd like to see it different.
- Suggestions for new recipes I could post.
- Recipes you've made using Butt Kickin' Blacken.
Bacon / Cheddar Burger
- 2 strips Thick Sliced Bacon for each burger.
- Cheddar Cheese, or your favorite cheese.
Steakhouse Burger
with Onions, and a Fried Egg
with Onions, and a Fried Egg
- Steakhouse Burger, or your Favorite Mix
- Sauteed Onions with Rum
- 1 large egg, Fried, Over Easy.
Hint Summary
- If you're making a Bacon Burger, and want to include bacon inside the burger, make sure you cook it first. A burger won't cook long enough to cook the bacon if it goes in raw.
- For Juicy Hanburgers, use Ground Beef 80-20.
- Using Sirloin, or other Lean Beef will result in a Dry, Tough Burger.
- Putting a pat of Butter inside a Lean Burger, defeats the purpose of using Lean Meat.
- For Tender Hamburgers, Don't Overhandle the beef.
- Don't add Eggs, Milk, or Bread crumbs to your Burger. Your NOT making Meatloaf.
- Don't add BBQ Sauce, or Tomato Sauce to your Burger. The Burger will Taste Dry.
- For extra Flavor, add Butt Kickin' Blacken, and a little Kosher Salt to the outside of your Burger.
- Don't squeeze the meat with your spatula while cooking. You'll squeeze out all of the juice (fat).
- Don't cook over too high a heat without flipping the burgers often, or you'll end up with burgers that have puffed up so much that you'll think that they're ready to explode.
- Go CRAZY with your Toppings.
1. I place any leftover hamburgers in plastic bags, and store them in the refrigerator for lunch the next day.
2. To Re-heat:
Put a little oil or butter in a fry pan, and cook 3 - 5 minutes each side, depending upon they're thickness, over low to medum heat, covered. They'll taste almost as good as the first day.
