(originally from may 10th 2011.)
sirloin burgers with black pepper parmesan sauce, roasted tomatoes and basil.
oh, burgers. shall i compare thee to a summer’s day? you’re always there when i need you.
when it’s 3am and i’ve just stumbled out of the bar, starving - burgers are there. when i want to escape the constant pizza overload that is my life - burgers are there. such reliability.
in the above instances, the burgers in question are usually from the local fast food joint. and while these are very nice, i have found myself branching out to other burger venues. i’m sorry, mcdonald’s, it’s not you, it’s me.
in my meandering, i have discovered the newfangled establishment known as the burger bar. if you’ve never been to one get in your car, dust off your unicycle, load up your dogsled, whatever. just go. if you’re in the ottawa or kingston area, try the works. it’s fantastic.
no longer are you denied flavour and self-expression by the tyranny of the long-time staple condiments ketchup, relish and mustard. you now have the freedom to experiment with such wild toppings as peanut butter, avocado, walnuts and macaroni and friggin’ cheese! it’s really an empowering and beautiful thing.
alright, enough gushing. let’s get a move on.
in honor of my love of the burger bar, this week’s entry features a gourmet variation on some classic burger ingredients and the addition of some new ones. this is based on one of rachael ray’s recipes that i’ve made a few changes and additions to. she is a genius and the bun beneath my patty.
speaking of patties, let’s start there. the original recipe calls for 2 pounds of ground sirloin and some salt and pepper. that’s it. as my nonna would say: i no tinka so. i added a handful of chopped italian parsley, an egg, a palmfull (yes, that’s how i measure) of my homemade blend of italian spices (basil, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder and chili peppers) and 1/2 a cup of italian breadcrumbs.
mix this with your hands. you must do it this way. if this grosses you out - BE A MAN! think of it as play-dough. or worms :)
next, roll it into one big ball, plastic-wrap it, then stick it in the fridge for a few minutes to let the flavours get acquainted. formal introductions are encouraged. “egg, meet sirloin.” etc.
while you’re waiting for your burger ball, start working on the side-dish and toppings. my choice side-dish for this meal was some homemade sweet potato fries which i tossed in olive oil and seasoned with some garlic powder and sesame seeds. stick these in the oven for about an hour at 350.
next, one of the toppings. caramelized tomatoes. slice up 2 tomatoes and place the slices on a cooling rack in a baking pan. like so:
brush them with some olive oil, throw S&P on them and stick ‘em in the oven at 350 for about an hour.
next, we’ve got to shape some patties. take your burger ball out of the fridge and cut it in half. roll those halves into balls. then divide those into quarters. you should have 8 pieces. roll these into balls and flatten them a bit. the next step is a secret rachael ray burger making tip: making sure you keep the edge smooth, press your thumb into the middle of the burger to make a circular indent so that the edges are thicker than the middle.
they’re kind of donut-esque. although i do not recommend filling them with jelly and eating them thusly. according to my girrrrrl rachael, this helps the burgers form into the traditional shape since the meat usually seizes up when cooked. this is absolutely necessary, as anyone who’s ever made homemade burgers will testify that they usually come out looking like perfectly spherical lumps of coal. no one wants that - not for christmas, not for dinner.
up next is some serious multi-tasking. if you are incapable of such a feat (like i am) please seek the assistance of the nearest human or any servants in your employ. at this point, you have to cook the burgers and prepare the other toppings. if this was a normal burger, this might entail going to the fridge and breaking out some pickles, lettuce and the aforementioned tyrannical staple condiments. not in my kitchen.
get the burgers set up first. i put mine on the barbecue. well, my dad did.
you can make them on the stove too. if you choose option b, throw them in a frying pan at medium heat with a little bit of olive oil. the burgers should take about 10-12 minutes to cook. remember to flip them in between, neville.
while they’re frying up, melt some butter in a frying pan at medium and add a clove of chopped garlic to it. next, add 2 tablespoons of flour and mix until it forms a kind of paste, known to those in the cooking world as a roux. pretty fancy, eh? season this with some salt and a healthy amount of ground black pepper. then add 1 cup of milk to this mixture. whisk it all together. let this simmer until it gets thick. then add a cup of grated parmesan cheese.
please note: it is irresponsible to leave freshly grated cheese lying around while you cook. you will undoubtedly find yourself feverishly re-grating at the last minute as a result of victimization by cheese thieves. i was such a thief and re-grater.
another topping to prepare: a balsamic drizzle. this is very easy. put half a cup of balsamic vinegar in a pan and add 3 tablespoons of brown sugar. boil at medium-high for about 5 minutes, or until it becomes syruppy.
AND THAT’S IT. your tomatoes and fries should be ready at this point, pull them out and assemble! grab your favourite burger bun and start stacking. mine and rachael’s went like this:
burger, cheese sauce, tomato, balsamic drizzle, freshly chopped basil, bun.
for your dipping pleasure, accompany your sweet potato fries with mayonnaise. the one pictured is mayonnaise mixed with some curry powder - a combination i first tried at a burger bar. how fitting. chipotle seasoning and mayonnaise is great too. whichever. just do as the spice girls command: spice up your life.
the reviews:
mama bear - “they tasted like summer and were a great way to kick off barbecue season! i loved the parmesan sauce and the basil gave the whole thing a very fresh taste. and finally, after 30 years of cooking, i learned how to properly shape a burger. who knew?! all in all, a delicious twist on a classic meal”
these were great burgers! the addition of parsley and spices livened up what i can only guess would have been a pretty bland patty. no offence, ray-ray, baby. the combination of the parmesan sauce and caramelized tomato were very similar to the traditional processed cheese and ketchup combination but at the same time vastly different. also, make sure you add the basil. it completely changes the flavour and brightens up the taste. also, in retrospect, i would have toasted the bun, but that’s just me being picky.
the final say: branch out in burger world! change is good. and delicious. whether you decide to replicate this recipe or make the trip to a burger bar, i implore you to revolt against ketchup, mustard and relish and try something new! unless, of course, you find yourself stumbling out of the bar at 3am and craving a burger, then by all means hit up mcdonalds since i do no wish to be blamed for you setting your home ablaze in an effort to branch out. some people say ‘safety first’, i say: ‘lawsuit prevention first.’
well, that’s what was cooking at home last night!
thanks for reading :)
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