Bodacious burgers

Is anything more perfect than a well-made, great-tasting burger? Always good and always the perfect choice when nothing else will satisfy, these burger recipes can be made with your choice of meat. So many burger options, so little time.

DOUBLE CHEESEBURGER WITH ‘KICKED-UP’ KETCHUP

MAKES 4 BURGERS

Burger

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 pounds ground chuck

Steak or burger seasoning, to taste

2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

8 slices sharp cheddar cheese

4 burger buns (your favorite)

4 pieces leaf lettuce

Pickled jalapeno slices

Kicked-up ketchup (see recipe below)

In a medium skillet, over medium heat, heat olive oil and add onions. Cook until onions start to soften. Turn heat to medium-low and allow to cook until deep golden brown, 20–30 minutes. Stir onions occasionally to ensure they cook evenly. Set aside and keep warm.

In a medium bowl, mix ground chuck, seasoning and Worcestershire sauce thoroughly. Divide meat mixture into eight even portions and shape into patties (slightly larger than the size of the bun). On an outdoor grill or inside on a grill pan—sprayed with cooking spray—cook burgers to desired doneness. Cover each patty with a cheese slice the last 30–60 seconds, long enough to allow cheese to melt.

Cover the bottom half of buns with a lettuce leaf and cover with 2 cheese patties. Top with a portion of caramelized onions and jalapeno slices. Serve with ketchup or desired condiment.

Kicked-Up Ketchup

1 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce (or your favorite pepper sauce)

1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

In a small bowl, combine ingredients. Also great on your favorite fries. Can be made several days ahead. Store any leftover amount in sealed container in dry, cool place.

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Loaded Greek Lamb Burger

MAKES 4 BURGERS

Burger

1½ pounds ground lamb (or beef)

¼ cup chopped red onion

1 large garlic clove, minced

¼ cup kalamata olives, chopped

½ tablespoon oregano, fresh chopped

Greek seasoning, to taste

4 pocket pitas, cut 1/3 off top

4 bibb or romaine lettuce leaves, rib removed

¼ English cucumber, thinly sliced

1 tomato, very thinly sliced

¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled 

tzatziki sauce (recipe below)

4 pepperoncini peppers, garnish, optional

Into a bowl with the ground meat, add onions, garlic, olives, oregano and Greek seasoning , and mix thoroughly. Divide mixture into four patties and grill, either outdoors or on an indoor grill.

Put a lettuce leaf in each pita pocket and add a burger. Top with cucumber slices, tomato slice and feta. Drizzle with tzatziki sauce and garnish with a pepperoncini.

Tzatziki Sauce

1 cup Greek plain yogurt

1 cup grated cucumber, drained

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh squeezed

1 tablespoon olive oil

Kosher salt

Mix all ingredients, and refrigerate until ready to use. Recipe makes 2 cups; leftovers keep 3–4 days in refrigerator.

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Renegade Cheese-Stuffed Burger

MAKES 4 BURGERS

1½ pounds ground chuck

Steak or burger seasoning, to taste

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup grated gouda or crumbled blue cheese

4 hoagie rolls 

4 pieces leaf lettuce

8 slices bacon, cooked to desired crispiness

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

Dill pickles, sliced horizontally

1 tomato, thinly sliced

Barbecue sauce, your favorite

In a medium bowl, mix ground chuck, seasoning and Worcestershire sauce thoroughly. Divide meat mixture into eight even portions and shape into oval patties (roughly the size of the hoagie bun). Divide cheese into even portions and place on top of 4 patties. Top with remaining patties and pinch around the sides to prevent cheese from spilling out during grilling. On an outdoor grill or inside on a grill pan—sprayed with cooking spray—cook burgers to desired doneness.

Put a lettuce piece on each roll and add two slices of bacon. Add burger and top with onion, pickle slices and a tomato slice. Serve with barbecue sauce or desired condiment.

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Black Bean Veggie Burger

MAKES 3 LARGE BURGERS

Burger

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained 

¼ cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small poblano pepper, seeded and chopped

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 large egg

½ cup rolled oats (or breadcrumbs)

Kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

3 pepper jack cheese slices

3 onion burger buns

1 cup baby spinach, washed and dried

Roasted red bell pepper relish (see recipe below)

In a medium bowl, coarsely smash half of the beans and combine with onion, garlic, pepper, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, egg, oats, salt and pepper. (Alternately you can do this in a food processor using the “pulse” setting.) Mix in the remaining whole beans (this provides texture for the burger). Form mixture into patties. Add additional oats if needed so patties are sticky and hold together. These patties are delicate so handle carefully. Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.

In a skillet—sprayed with cooking spray—over medium-high heat, carefully place and cook patties 4–5 minutes on each side. Cover each patty with a cheese slice the last 30–60 seconds, just long enough to allow cheese to melt. Cover the bottom part of each bun with spinach and top with a burger. Serve with pepper relish.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Relish

¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice 

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup chopped roasted bell peppers (store-bought or homemade)

½ cup chopped white onion

Kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes, or refrigerate until ready to use. Can make up to 2 days ahead. Strain before serving.

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Broiled Chicken Swiss Burger

MAKES 4 BURGERS

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets, cut in half horizontally

All-purpose seasoning, to taste

Olive oil

4 slices Swiss cheese

4 brioche buns

2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage

Sliced bread-and-butter pickles

1 avocado, peeled, halved and sliced into 6 slices per half

Ranch dressing

Preheat oven on broil setting and adjust oven rack to 4 inches from broiler. Generously apply seasoning to chicken and sprinkle with olive oil. Place fillets on a foil-lined broil pan and cook to 165 degrees, approximately 5 minutes depending on thickness. Cover each fillet with a cheese slice and cook just long enough to allow cheese to melt, 20–25 seconds.

On bottom half of bun, cover with cabbage, then pickles. Add chicken fillet and top with 3 avocado slices. Serve with ranch dressing.

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Chef’s tips

Perfect burger beef-to-fat ratio. A ratio of 80% beef to 20% fat is the industry standard. While 75% to 25% makes a juicier burger, the burger will be smaller due to the shrinkage from the loss of the extra fat. And 85% to 15% will result in a drier burger. When you purchase ground beef, these designations are clearly defined on the label.

Grind your own. The secret to the best burger patties starts with grinding your meat from scratch. Chuck roasts provide the perfect beef-to-fat ratio. If you have a stand mixer with a meat-grinding attachment, this is an easy task.

Ideal burger size. When cooking burgers for adults, patties should be 6 to 8 ounces. For children, 4 ounces should be sufficient.

How to make the burger size consistent. Use a large #12 spring-loaded ice cream scoop. It makes the perfect 4-inch burger when flattened with the palm of your hand.

Choosing buns. Buns can make or break your “burger event.” Look for quality buns in the bakery section of your supermarket—not on the bread aisle. No one wants to eat a burger where the bun falls apart.

Always melt the cheese on the burgers. Whenever possible, melt cheese on the burger prior to serving.