Last weekend, we had the best weather for gardening, and, as always in the first days of spring, excitement got the best of me, and I created lots of projects for the whole family. By days end on Sunday, we were happily dusty, and well worn out! For family dinner with some of our relatives, I wanted a one-dish meal that was festive and fun, but also quick and filling. I made a giant burger, served on toasted loaf of Italian bread and brought it to the table on a huge platter, to resounding ooohs and ahhhs! I filled ours with Pt. Reyes Original Blue Cheese (
http://www.pointreyescheese.com/html/index.html) , a terrific farmstead cheese made by my wife’s family in Marin County, Ca. It was topped with grilled onions (nice and caramelized), lettuce, tomato, and finished with a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar. Make it your own with toppings or by stuffing the burger with a highly-flavored filling or cheese. I love it with roasted garlic paste, a strong cheese, mozzarella and pesto, or if you are into hot, a chili paste. Make sure to season the meat inside and out, and barely press it out into an oval patty. Cook in a large skillet. And what’s with all the extra lean ground beef in the supermarkets these days? It’s hard to make a great burger if your meat has no fat at all. For the best experience, buy your meat from a real butcher (look for the blood on their aprons), freshly ground by them. Cook it the same day you buy it, and make sure it has a decent amount of fat, at least 20%. If you must stay with lean meat, add high flavor component like roasted garlic paste to deliver your palate the flavor it requires to get satisfied. That’s the difference between taste and flavor!
More...