My son-in-law makes it more an action sport - he keeps fipping the burgers and pressing down with his spatula to force out all that nasty juice - no runny mess on the plate.
He presents a lovely gray crumbly burger that sits neatly atop a cool, untoasted bun. There is usually lots of ketchup and mayo (I bring my own onion!)
der Burcer
Tonight, we'll be having
Cuban Style Burgers with Grilled Ham & Cheese, an invention of Chris Schlesinger, of Cambridge, MA, and John Willoughby, of NYNY (pronounced Nye-Nye, in honor of Louis Nye, of course...
). Recipe featured in
Build a Better Burger, by James McNair.
Start by mixing a spread of
1/4 c pickle relish,
1/4 c yellow American mustard, and
1/4 c spicy brown mustard. Blend in a bowl and set aside to mellow.
For the patties, combine
1 lb ground sirloin,
1 t minced garlic,
1 t chile powder,
1 t ground cumin,
2 T chopped cilantro,
5 dashes Tabasco pepper sauce, a little
kosher salt and a little
freshly ground pepper. Mix well, being careful to handle the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it. Divide into four equal patties, fitting to the bun size.
Prepare a grill to a medium-hot fire. When ready, brush the grill rack with
vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook until done to preference, turning once, 5 to 7 minutes per side for medium. Just before the patties are done, turn a second time and place a thin slice of
baked ham and a slice of
cheese on top of each patty. (The dudes who wrote the recipe are calling for Monterey Jack, but I'm using Muenster.)
Toast
4 large sesame seed buns (split and brushed with
butter).
Assembly time: Spread the pickle spread over the
cut sides of the buns. (No, not the side with the sesame seeds, fool! And yes, the recipe specifies the cut sides. Some people need to be told these things!) On each bun bottom, place a patty, top with the bun tops, and serve.
(Truth to tell, a thin slice of onion wouldn't be uncalled for here. I'd place it between the pickle-spreaded bottom bun and the patty.)
(Oooh! Pickle-spreaded bottom bun! Sure sounds like a euphemism to me!)
