Better Burgers

It's not quite time for burger season again, but I feel as though this is a point in time when people are taking off to warmer climates for an escape and might be enticed to do some grilling out in the sunshine. While we mostly recognize burgers as greasy/heavy food items, a few simple steps can help to create a less greasy and lighter on the stomach beef (or lamb) burger. While it may seem much easier to buy frozen beef patties, the quality of meat is much lower and thus less flavorful, heavier on the stomach and if that wasn't enough, it often dries out easily. Grilling the meat also helps to melt the fat in it, this provides flavor, and the fat will run out of the meat as it cooks. NEVER press down on the meat with a spatula to get more run off out of the meat, this will compact the burger (makes it harder to cook the center) and also makes it dry out more as it is cooking.

Here are some options for your consideration. These recipes make 4 burgers that raw will weight in at 9oz (ie more then half a pound!) but post-cooking will weight about 6oz - still big! You could easily cut the recipe in half or make 6-8 burgers instead of 4 out of the recipe for more appropriate portion sizes.

Option #1:
Burgers:
1 pound beef chuck
10oz brisket
10oz hanger steak
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons Kosher salt

Sauce: whisk it all together
1/2 cup fat free mayo
4 teaspoons prepared white horseradish (you can purchase this)
juice from 1 lemon (or 1oz of bottled lemon juice)

1. Trim fat from meat, cut fat into 1" cubes and chill well. Process through a fine grinder (1/8" - Kitchen Aid has an attachment for their mixer that you could use or you can ask the butcher at grocery store to grind it for you)
2. Mix meat with oil, salt  - don't over work it - and form into patties (do not tightly pack them)
3. Refrigerate until ready to use but not for more then 1 hour
4. Grill to desired doneness
5. Top with some sauce if desired

Option #2:
1 pound grass fed beef chuck
1 pound grass fed brisket
2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1. Trim fat from meat, cut fat into 1" cubes and chill well. Process through a fine grinder (1/8" - Kitchen Aid has an attachment for their mixer that you could use or you can ask the butcher at grocery store to grind it for you)

2. Mix meat with salt - don't over work it - and form into patties (do not tightly pack them)
3. Refrigerate until ready to use but not for more then 1 hour
4. Grill to desired doneness

Option #3:
Burgers:
2 pounds ground lamb (preferably from leg and shoulder) with about 15% fat - the butcher can grind this mix for you
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
thin slices of semi-firm Feta cheese

Sauce: Cumin 'Mayo'
4oz plain, non fat greek yogurt
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup olive oil or grapeseed oil (which is neutral in flavor)
1 garlic clove

1. Mix meat with salt - don't over work it - and form into patties (do not tightly pack them)

2. Refrigerate until ready to use but not for more then 1 hour
3. Grill to medium rare and top with about 1 tablespoon of sauce if desired.

For the sauce:
1. In a food processor grind up the garlic clove. Then add yogurt, mustard, cumin, salt, lemon juice and combine those item.
2. Stream the oil in while processor is running so that oil will emulsify into the rest of the sauce and not separate.
3. Set aside until ready to use.
(Sauce is also great on grilled chicken or to marinate chicken in before grilling)

ENJOY!