Summertime

Calls for Burgers on the Grill



During the summer grilling season, you need only follow one simple edict. Do not play with your food.


This is vital, especially if you are planning on a burger bonanza for your weekend cookouts.

"Generally speaking, I think people actually fiddle with the food too much," said Jamie Purviance, author of five Weber grilling cookbooks, including his most recent, Weber's Way To Grill. "They try to turn it and rotate it and poke at it and set it on fire."

"I think it's very irresistible. There is something about fire, particularly to men. We have something in our DNA that says, 'I must play with this now, otherwise I'm not really grilling.' "

Burgers, especially, do not need to be mashed, squeezed or flopped back and forth like a reeled-in fish gasping for air. To develop burger flavor, and to prevent them from sticking and tearing on the grill, you have to leave them alone.

"You can only get that delicious seared, caramelized quality on meat if you leave it in place long enough," Purviance said. "Generally, you turn things once, and at the end of the day, the flavor and texture of the food is better. It just takes fighting that irresistible urge to play with fire."

Still, once you've introduced the meat to the grill, it does not give you license to wander off to see how the onion dip or the beer keg is holding up. A really juicy, succulent burger can go dry in less than a minute if you're not paying attention, Purviance said.

By starting with a fattier meat, at least 20 percent fat for ground beef, and adding in moisture-Purviance likes to use vegetables such as the poblano chiles in his California Burgers-you are ensuring a wider window for perfect doneness. This is especially important for leaner meats, such as turkey, chicken or fish burgers.

"The degree of difficulty goes right up with a turkey burger," Purviance said. "You have to be vigilant, add moisture, and be very careful about temperature so you aren't driving out moisture so quickly."

"Honestly, when I'm making turkey burgers, I usually plan on making an extra as a tester. You have to cut it open a little early to assure it's the right texture and know, 'OK, this one is a minute away.' Then that is your chef's treat, your little prize for cooking dinner that night."

Once you've attended to these burger basics, set your sights on imaginative and complementary add-ins, condiments and toppings. Then, all you will have to ask your guests is, "Would you like fries with that?"

INSIDE-OUT CHEESEBURGERS WITH CHIPOTLE MAYONNAISE
Yields 4 servings
. 1Ω lbs Ground beef sirloin or chuck (15% to 20% fat)
. 6 oz Sharp cheddar cheese or pepper Jack cheese, coarsely grated, about 1Ω cups
. Coarse salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper, to taste
. 4 Hamburger buns
. 2 Tbsps Melted butter (optional)
. Arugula leaves
. Ripe tomato slices
. Sweet onion slices
. Pickle slices
. Chipotle Mayonnaise (see recipe below)

Place ground beef in a mixing bowl. Add cheese and stir with a wooden spoon to mix. Wet your hands with cold water and divide meat mixture into 4 equal portions. Working quickly and with a light touch, pat each portion into a thick patty. Place on a plate lined with plastic wrap. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to grill.

Generously season each patty on both sides with salt and pepper. Preheat grill to high. Place burgers on hot grill, and cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove burgers from grill and cover to keep warm. Leave grill on.

Brush cut sides of hamburger buns with the melted butter, if using. Place buns on hot grill, cut side down, and grill until toasted, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Watch carefully. You may need to work in batches.
Place each burger on the bottom Ω of a bun and top with arugula, tomato, onion, pickle and a dollop of Chipotle mayonnaise. Top with other Ω of bun and serve at once.
-Adapted from BBQ USA by Steven Raichlen, Workman Publishing.

BRIE & SHALLOT PARISIAN BURGERS
. 1 cup Shallots, thinly sliced
. 2 Tbsps Extra-virgin olive oil
. 1Ω lbs Ground chuck (80% lean)
.3 Tbsps Fine dry bread crumbs
. 3 Tbsps Beef or chicken broth
. 1 tsp Kosher salt
. Ω tsp Freshly ground black pepper
. 2 oz Brie cheese (use double
cream, not triple cream variety)
. 4 Round crusty rolls, about
. 4" in diameter
. ? cup Whole-grain mustard
. 2 cups Baby arugula

In a medium skillet over low heat, combine shallots with oil and cook until browned but not scorched, about 20 minutes, stirring often. Let cool to room temperature.

Prepare grill for direct cooking over high heat. In a large bowl, gently mix ground chuck, bread crumbs, broth, salt and pepper and shape into 4 patties of equal size and thickness. Make a hole in center of each patty for cheese.

Trim away rind of the brie and bury the cheese, about º ounce for each patty, into hole in each patty. Close opening to seal the cheese inside. It's important that there is one-third of an inch of meat on top and bottom of the cheese so it doesn't seep out.

Brush cooking grates clean. Grill patties over direct high heat, with lid closed as much as possible, until cooked to medium, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once when patties release easily from grate without sticking. During last minute of cooking time, toast buns, cut sides down, over direct heat.

Assemble burgers with shallots, mustard and arugula. Serve warm.
-Weber's Way To Grill: The Step-By-Step Guide To Expert Grilling by Jamie Purviance, Sunset Books.

CHIPOTLE MAYONNAISE
Yields about 1/2 cup

. Ω cup Mayonnaise
. 1 to 2 canned Chipotle peppers, minced,
  with 1 Tbsp of their adobo sauce
. Ω tsp Sweet paprika

Place mayonnaise, chipotles and paprika in a small nonreactive bowl and whisk to mix. If not serving at once, cover and refrigerate. Mayonnaise will keep for several days, covered, in the refrigerator.
-Adapted from BBQ USA by Steven Raichlen, Workman Publishing.

CALIFORNIA BURGERS WITH GUACAMOLE MAYONNAISE
Yields 4 servings

Burgers:

. 1Ω lbs Ground chuck (80%lean)
. 1Ω tsps Kosher salt
. 1 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
. Salt, to taste
. Black pepper, to taste
. 4 Hamburger buns

Prepare grill for direct cooking over high heat. Brush cooking grates clean. Grill chiles over direct high heat with lid closed as much as possible, until skin is blackened on all sides, about 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove from grill and allow to cool completely. Peel off and discard blackened skin, and then remove and discard stem, seeds and ribs. Chop chiles into half-inch dice.

In a large bowl, gently mix ground chuck, chiles, salt and pepper, and shape into 4 patties of equal size and thickness, about 3?4-inch thick. With your thumb or back of a spoon, make a shallow indentation about 1 inch wide in the center of each patty so centers are about a half-inch thick. This will help patties cook evenly and prevent them from puffing on grill.
Grill patties over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until cooked to medium, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once when patties release easily from grate without sticking. During last minute of cooking time, toast buns, cut sides down, over direct heat. Top burgers with mayonnaise and serve warm.
-Weber's Way To Grill: The Step-By-Step Guide To Expert Grilling by Jamie Purviance, Sunset Books.

Guacamole Mayonnaise:
. 2 Tbsps White onion, grated
. 1 ripe Haas avocado, pitted and peeled
. 2 Tbsps Mayonnaise
. 2 Plum tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped
. 1 Tbsp Fresh cilantro, finely chopped
. 2 tsps Fresh limejuice
. 1 small Garlic clove, grated
. 2 Poblano chile peppers
. Kosher salt

Using a sieve, rinse grated onion under cold water and let excess water drain off. In a medium bowl, mash avocado and mayonnaise together with a fork. Stir in onion, tomatoes, cilantro, limejuice and garlic. Season generously with salt. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing wrap directly onto surface and set aside. (The mayonnaise can be prepared up to 8 hours ahead.)

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