Just look at it. Isn’t it lovely? Okay, so it could use a real slice of tomato, but who cares? It’s grilling season! Alright, so it’s been grilling season for a while, but it’s only recently D and I picked up our very own $10 hibachi.
It’s a great little thing that has done us well. Friend’s gas grill line needs cleaning? No problem, we’ll carry over the hibachi. That’s right, it’s got legs that swing up to latch the top in place to make it a portable little bugger. We can grill in the front of the house or the side of the house. (We quickly realized our neighbors don’t think we’re burning the place down if grilling is done in the front.)
Nothing looks appealing in the fridge? Whatever, just throw it on the grill– everything tastes better grilled!
So D and I whipped up these little guys.
Right, everyone is doing burgers now and most know how to whip one together. So I’ll give no recipe, but ask you to try something new…
These are beef burgers with my own added secret seasonings (they’re secret because they change according to my mood). Many people will say that meat is best left untouched (D is one of them). Salt, pepper, heat, done. But seasonings can give meat a personality. It is no longer a burger, but something unique that requires its own flavor combinations.
Trust me. I once made my “secret seasoning” burgers stuffed with goat cheese at a party and people ate 3, 4, 5 burgers. They told me to sell them and I could be bigger than McDonalds. Okay, they didn’t go that far, but they did say if I opened a restaurant with them they would be there to support and tell everyone about it… Was it just the drink in them? I like to think not.
I think Doug over at Hot Doug’s in Chicago exemplifies this perfectly with the hot dog– not that there is anything wrong with the traditional Chicago-style dog, but why not jazz it up with say… chorizo and manchego?
I do the same with my burgers, often stuffing them with cheese, fresh herbs and mixed spices. Not only did this one get an interesting array of spices, it was topped with a slightly more grown up condiment selection: olive paste; Dijon mustard; cucumbers; scallion spears and tomatoes.
The ingredients should be mixed according to mood, so there is no recipe to go by here. Some good additions, beyond salt and pepper, include:
garlic powder (also fresh)
onion powder (also fresh)
olive paste
fresh herbs (I like basil or rosemary best) (dried work too)
hot pepper flakes
celery salt
cumin
nutmeg (just a pinch)
paprika
cinnamon
Worcester Sauce
Tabasco Sauce
Soy Sauce
Fish Sauce
anchovies
1 egg, for binding
red wine
goat cheese (really any cheese works but I prefer the softer goat or mozzarella because of how they melt inside)
Of course, all of these at once would overwhelm. But next time you whip up some burgers, pick 3-4 from this list you think might go together. Experiment, experiment…