Welcome back, Phoodies! We were feeling like a cookout the other day and thought, “What a perfect opportunity to showcase our favorite burger!” I love this recipe because you can really make it your own. Stuff it with cheese, take out the peppers, load it with bacon, add sautéed mushrooms and onions, make it a patty-melt, add habaneros instead of chiles – get your freak on! The base recipe is very versatile, and stays together on the grill if you do the work ahead of time.
So next time you have a cookout and you want to showcase your grilling talents, get creative with my base burger recipe! Don’t forget to pair it with your favorite ice-cold beer!
Prep-time: 15 minutes
Cook-time: 5-15 minutes depending on how you like it cooked.
Ingredients:
*So we love HEAT, and this is our version of a Firehouse burger. Don’t let it intimidate you…it’s amazing with just a slight kick. The siracha sauce is where the real spice comes in.
- 4.5 lbs ground sirloin (makes about 12-13 burgers)
- 2 fresh red chiles blended (optional)
- 2 fresh jalapeños blended (optional)
- 2 eggs (1 egg/2.25lbs of meat)
- 3-4 T. worcestershire sauce (use half if cooking any other way but grilling)
- 3-4 T. minced garlic
- 1 t. Kosher salt
- Pepper jack cheese (optional)
- Good quality, doughy rolls
- Toppings: sliced avocados, red onion, pickles, romaine, tomato…go crazy.
Cooking directions:
1. In large mixing bowl, add beef, garlic, eggs, worcestershire, salt, and blended peppers.
2. DON’T GET LAZY NOW. Mix with both hands (well cleaned) very well. Let that meat squish between your fingers…Think you’re done? Think again! You’re not done until the bowl has a layer of fat on the bottom, and your hand are so coated in fat you need to wash them 2-3 times to feel pure again. Do NOT skip this…this is what keeps the burgers from falling apart on the grill.
3. Shape burgers into patties. They will shrink substantially on the grill, so I would suggest using about 1 cup of beef per burger. Pat them well! The should have a squared edge, and should be fairly thick.
4. Start grill on high heat. Do NOT put the burgers on until the grate is hot. If you have it, use some non-stick grilling spray…it will make your job a little easier. If you don’t, fear not. All that work you did mixing and forming the patties should keep everything in check.
5. Place burgers on grill and close the lid. Don’t even think about flipping them too soon. I would leave them until you start to see some browning on the edge.
6. Flip burgers gently with a large spatula. You should have beautiful grill lines on one side now.
7. Let the burgers cook until desired temperature. Remember consuming raw or undercooked meat means you have great taste!! If using cheese, put on the burgers in last 30 seconds of cooking.
8. Now you can serve these with fries, onion rings, chips…bug we felt like going at least a little healthy, and decided to grill up some asparagus while we’re at it. Fresh raw asparagus coated in olive oil and a little kosher salt. Cook until only very slightly aldente. If you’re grilling the asparagus, bring tongs!!! We lost quite a few to the fire below because of this rookie mistake.
9. Put everything together. Personally, I love it with some very coarse ground mustard on the bottom bun and the siracha sauce on the top (0.5 cups sour cream and plenty of siracha). I also top in with plenty of avocado. Put a buffet of topping out and let your guests get as creative as they want.
10. Now I know it seems like a LOT of burgers, but every time I make these there are NO left-overs. So word of warning…save your calories for this meal, and be prepared for a hard workout the next day.
– The Phoody
Ingredients:
Phooding 