Knife-Fork-Spoon

Burgers, Burgers, and More Burgers

Almost everyone who eats meat loves a good hamburger. When I was a kid, I could count on having hamburgers at least once a week. They weren’t fancy, and our condiments were usually limited to catsup, mustard, onion, and dill pickles. During the summer, however, there were always fresh, homegrown tomatoes to add to the mix.

And you could forget about asking for your burger to be cooked any way other than well done. And believe me, Mom’s well done was well done. Picture a hockey puck. There was little moisture left in the burgers. But it didn’t matter. We were happy with hamburgers.

I went off to college, and my taste buds got an education. You didn’t have to be satisfied with a bone-dry hamburger. You could order them rare, medium rare, medium . . . or well. Sadly, many places today refuse to cook any beef product less than well done. But, their well done is much different from what I had in my mother’s kitchen. And there are so many other things you can use to top your burger. And get this: burgers don’t even have to be made from beef! There are even alternatives for vegetarians.  With my newfound knowledge, I was in burger heaven.

The Meat

Most burgers are made from beef. In my local market, shoppers can choose from three varieties: ground beef, ground round, and ground sirloin. Ground beef is usually the least expensive, but it has the highest fat content. According to some people, that makes it the best tasting. That, of course, is a personal preference.

Rather than go by names, I pay most attention to the lean/fat content. In my local market, you can find ground beef with lean to fat ratios of 75 percent lean/25 percent fat, 80 percent lean/20 percent fat, 85 percent lean/15 percent fat, 90 percent lean/10 percent fat, and 95 percent lean/5 percent fat. For hamburger patties, I generally buy the 85/15. It’s still relatively inexpensive, not as fat as some, and I like the taste. But again, it’s personal preference.

Consider buying a cut of beef and grinding it yourself into hamburger. You’ll know what’s in it, plus you’ll know when it was ground.

If you don’t eat beef or are simply looking for a change, most stores carry ground chicken, ground turkey, and ground lamb. Keep in mind that these may produce a dryer burger, so you need to keep that in mind when cooking. Like beef, you can buy chicken, turkey, and lamb and grind it at home. You might even save some money.

Making the Patty

There’s nothing wrong with a basic patty. But, there are ways that it can be tweaked into a more flavorful meal.

• Do you have a favorite meatball or meatloaf recipe? Turn it into burgers.
• Are you into onions? Sweat some chopped onions, let cool, and then add to the burger mixture. If not precooked, onions may not be cooked completely by the time the burger is at your preferred level of doneness. If you don’t mind the flavor of partially cooked onions, you can skip the sweating.
  
• Love the extra flavor that roasted red pepper adds to a dish? Chop some and add to the meat. If you’re using freshly roasted ones, be sure to let them cool first. Store-bought ones in a jar can add moisture to the burger as well.
• Cheese, are you a cheese lover? Add shredded cheese or cut cheese into very small pieces and add to the burger mixture. Grated Parmesan and Romano work as well.
  
• Take a look at your herbs and spices. Pepper, basil, cumin, oregano, and even cinnamon can add a special touch to your burger. And don’t forget onion powder (or dehydrated flakes) and garlic powder.
• Sauteed mushrooms, cooled and chopped, can give a flavor boost.

Liquids can flavor the burger mixture as well, but they should be added with caution. Try a bit of Italian or Caesar dressing, mustard, wine, stock, or beer.

When forming your burger patties, keep handling of the meat to a minimum. Excessive handling can make the meat tougher.

Most people salt their burgers as they cook. One of the nice things about “doctoring” the burger meat is that you might find salt unnecessary. And many of us could do with less salt. But, if you want to add salt, do not do so until you flip the burger. Salt draws out the liquid in the meat, thereby making for a dry burger.

Dressing the Burger

You may choose the most basic condiments for your burger–catsup, mustard, onion, pickle–or you may decide to dress it up a bit. There are almost limitless options available to the burger lover.

• Love your catsup and mustard? There’s no reason not to use them. But, perhaps once in a while, jazz them up a bit. Finely chop some onion and put it in the catsup (onion powder will work, too). Add some hot sauce or horseradish for some zing. And have you seen the variety of mustard available now! Choose a new one; don’t get mired in the everyday yellow mustard (though I must admit I love it).
• Ummm, pickles. A burger without pickles might as well be naked as far as I’m concerned; I don’t care what else is on it. Instead of the standard dill or sweet pickle, try bread and butter pickles, or pickled peppers, or even watermelon pickles. Take a look at your store’s pickle and relish aisle. There are a lot to choose from. Be adventurous and try something new.
• Onions. They’re pretty standard for burgers. Substitute a big slice of red onion for the usual Spanish or Walla Walla onion. The flavor’s a bit more subtle, but it’s very good. If you’re grilling your burgers, grill some onion slices along with them.
• Cheese please. To me, cheese is one of the best food inventions ever. And I like all kinds of cheese. Yet, when it comes to burgers, I usually stick to American or cheddar. But, I occasionally venture into the wild side. Monterrey Jack is a good option as is muenster. So are Gouda, brie, and mozzarella. And don’t forget the smoked version of those cheeses.
• Let us add some lettuce for the burger to sit on. Iceberg is good, but try romaine. Or, skip the lettuce altogether and use fresh spinach or basil leaves.
• If you want something really different–and tasty–top your burger with slices of avocado or a dollop of guacamole.
  

Those are just a few of the options available to burger lovers. Now, such a well-seasoned, well-dressed burger should be served on the best bun/roll there is. But whether you choose to put your burger on a hearty, homemade, store-bought bun, the star will be what’s inside.

I Love Beets

I do. I really do. I can’t think of a time when I didn’t love beets. As a child, my mom was happy to keep me supplied in canned beets. After all, it was something she knew we’d all eat. My father and I preferred them hot, with lots of butter (ummm, butter) and black pepper. My mother and brother loved pickled beets.

It was always canned beets in our house. I don’t think I ever experienced a fresh beet-on-the-hoof, so to speak until I moved out on my own. With that discovery, my love for beets grew stronger. I can honestly say that I’ve never met a beet I didn’t like–well, except for those ready-to-eat ones that come in a vacuum-sealed bag and generally sold near the bags of prepared salad fixins. I’ve tried them, but they were awful.

I think beets are a seriously underused food. They can seem expensive, especially since there are usually only 3 or 4 beets in a bunch, at least at the stores here. But, remember, you can also use the leaves. Another “strike” against them is the time they take to prepare. Simmering or baking in foil can take about 45 minutes to an hour. Cooking in the microwave usually takes about 10 minutes. And the pressure cooker is a great way to prepare fresh beets.

And then there’s that staining thing. I think it’s a pretty color, but many people don’t. If you bake them, there’s not much of a problem with staining. Wearing latex-type gloves (available in most pharmacies) or holding the beets with a paper towel can reduce the amount of staining.

Believe me, the taste of fresh beets is worth the time and effort.

OK, I Got Them, Now What?

First, let’s make sure you got the right ones. If possible, buy the ones that still have the leaves. As I mentioned earlier, they can be cooked and used like most other greens. They are a pretty good indicator of whether the beets are fresh. The leaves should be full of color, not yellow. They should also not appear to be wilted.

Home from a successful beet hunt, the first thing to do is cut off the greens. Be sure to leave 2 to 3 inches of stem. This will help reduce the color running from the beet (think dye running from clothing the first few times they’re washed). The beets can be stored, refrigerated in a bag, for several weeks. The greens, however, should be used the same day they are purchased. They can be substituted for Swiss chard or spinach in many recipes.

When you decide to cook your beets, scrub them well. Don’t worry about removing the skin; that will come off after cooking. Two of the most often used methods to cook beets are simmering and baking in foil. To simmer, fill a large saucepan with the beets and enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, add a pinch of salt, cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer until knife or fork tender. Remove from heat and drain immediately. Run under cold water and peel.

To bake in foil, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the beets well and dry. Wrap each beet in aluminum foil and put in a roasting pan. Bake for 45 minutes or an hour, or until fork or knife tender.

Regardless of which of these methods you use, consider cooking more than you think you’ll need for that meal. Once cooled, simmered beets can be wrapped in foil and kept in the refrigerator. If you baked them, just leave those not needed in foil  and refrigerate once cool. You can peel and eat when desired.

Many recipes that include beets require 2 cooking stages. The first stage, easily accomplished by either of the methods mentioned here, softens the beet. This reduces the cooking time necessary for the second and final cooking stage.

The beets used in Beets and Bluefish were precooked before roasting.

But Do I Have to Use Fresh Beets?

Of course you don’t have to use fresh beets when beets are called for in a recipe. You can buy a can of whole, sliced, or diced beets at the supermarket. If you’re a canner and have canned beets (they stand up to canning very well), they can be used as well. But–and you knew there had to be a but–once you’ve tried fresh beets, you may find that every other form of beet pales in comparison. I know I have. And though I still buy the occasional can of beets, my preference is always the fresh variety.

Availability and Cost

Like most produce today, beets are available year-round in most locales. The prime beet season is spring and fall. During growing season, be sure to check on them at local farmers’ markets. That’s a great place to buy fresh produce, and you’ll be supporting farms, especially small farms, as well.

As for price, it can vary widely. One of my local supermarkets recently had them on sale for $1.99/bunch. I have seen them for as much as $2.29/bunch locally. When they’re on sale, buy extra. They can be stored in the refrigerator for weeks. Cooked beets can be frozen as well. If you want to freeze them, I recommend precooking them to the almost fork/knife tender stage.

I hope you’ll give beets a chance. They’re a tasty vegetable that is too often missing from our dining experience.

Hello world!

Yes, it’s me. As if a couple of knitting blogs weren’t enough, I’ve started a food blog.

Technically, this isn’t my first foray into food blogging. I have (had) a blog on Blogger. At first, I thought I’d just move it over here. But then I noticed that I hadn’t posted to that blog for two years. Yikes. So, I have decided to start all over, but you’ll still be able to read the old posts. I may mover some of the ones I like best to this site–eventually.

So, what am I going to do with this blog? Why, talk about food of course. And cooking and gadgets. As those who have followed me from a knitting blog, you most likely know I love to cook. I have for as long as I remember. When I’d ask my mom if I could make dinner, there was never any hesitating before my mom said yes. Oh, and I was probably about 7 or 8 when I started asking.

My first adventures in culinary land were desserts. I remember a landlord who absolutely loved my desserts. And though this isn’t a dessert, my applesauce was the only kind her baby would eat. Over the past few years, I’ve moved away from desserts. I don’t eat many sweets, but when I do, it’s usually ice cream. I’ve moved on to entrees and appetizers. And bread. Bread is probably one of my favorite things in the entire world. I love making bread, and you’ll be able to read about some of my bread-making adventures here.

And now, a word about gadgets. I love kitchen gadgets. Check that. I adore kitchen gadgets. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mesh well in a kitchen with insanely limited storage space. And I do mean limited. So, I’ve had to limit my gadget acquisitions to those that, for the most part, are multipurpose. Thank you Alton Brown. In the long run, that’s probably a very good thing.

So, I hope you’ll join me here. Comment often, and if you have ideas for the blog, please send them along.