breezybyhand: June 2012

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. Our flag flying in the breeze, the smell of hard working grills permeating the neighborhood, sun tea brewing on the porch. The crackles and booms of fireworks beginning at dusk.

I have to watch Independence Day on the 4th. Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, explosions, Aliens, fighter jets and patriotism. Can you go wrong?! The rest of the week, yes week, is spent with Spike's Force of July marathon. More explosions and James Earl Jones. A week well spent when the temps are dancing above 100, right?

Let's get to the grill!

The hubs and I have spent a good portion of the summer experimenting on how to make juicy, flavorful burgers. My burger-loving hubby certainly didn't object. When the hubs took one bite of these patties and said "these are the best ever", I knew I had something I would love sharing with you.

First off, let's start with spice blend. This burger spice can be used on anything you want to toss on your grill, but is particularly excellent in these burgers.

Burger Spice:
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix all spices together. Store in an airtight container or spice shaker.

Now let's talk about beef. Ground beef. As much as we would all like to grab that 93% fat free pack, it just doesn't lend itself to a juicy burger. Aim for 80-85% fat free beef. Remember, some of that fat is going to stay with the grill. If you play some ultimate frisbee while your burgers cook, you can enjoy them guilt-free. Play hard, eat well!

If your local grocery store's beef just isn't cuttin' it for you, check out your local butchers and farmers' markets.

Juicy Burgers:
Makes 4 each 1/4 pound patties, double or triple as needed

1 pound 80-85% ground beef
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons burger spice

Line a baking dish with wax paper. Place beef in a bowl and sprinkle with soy sauce and burger spice.

Using your hands, lightly massage spices into the beef and divide into 4 equal portions.

Gently form each portion into a patty, about 1/2 inch thick. Try to handle the beef as little as possible. Using three fingers, make a large dimple in the center of the patty. This will keep the patties from swelling up into little balls on the grill.

Layer the patties in the baking dish, using more wax paper for more patties. Allow the patties to rest for a few minutes while you fire up that grill to medium-hot. Grab a lid for your baking dish and head out to the grill.

When the grill is hot, scrape the grates clean and lightly brush with vegetable or grapeseed oil. Lay the patties on the grill. I like to use an extra square of wax paper to transfer the burgers from dish to grill, then toss it all. It keeps me from running into the house to wash the dish.

Do not touch them for at least 4 minutes. Let them make friends with the grill, allow them to develop grill lines and seal in all that juice.

Then flip!

Allow them to finish up for about 2-4 more minutes, depending on how you prefer your burgers to be cooked. Around 2 minutes for medium, 4 minutes for well-done. These times will fluctuate depending on the temp of you grill.

Whatever you do, do not press on your burgers. More juice is more flavor.

Pull the burgers off the grill and place back into the baking dish and cover. Allow the burgers to rest for at least 10 minutes. While the burgers rest, prepare your fixins.

My favorite burger this summer has been BBQ-pepper jack. Just a little swirl of BBQ sauce on a slice of pepper jack is all I need.