classyfoodmofo

11:47 am - Sun, May 29, 2011

12 notes

GOAT sandwich

Look, I’ve seen everyone’s sandwiches so far. And they look … tasty. Damn tasty. But they just. don’t. match. up.

Let’s face it. If you’re talking about sandwiches, you need only mention the hamburger, and frankly, the conversation is O-V-E-R over. I thought I’d see if anyone posted a good burger recipe before throwing my hat in the ring, but since the Greatest Of All Time has not yet been mentioned, I had to do it justice.

What makes a good burger? It’s not as tricky a question as it sounds. Good meat, good cheese, complimentary flavors, and a good bun. If you have all of those, you don’t need 8 strips of bacon (but even I’ll admit, it doesn’t hurt). You don’t need a pile of fries next to it. And you don’t need it to be the size of a dinner plate to entice diners.

Good Meat
What makes good hamburger meat? If I had to sum it up in 2 words, it’d be fresh and fat. If the meat isn’t fresh, it’ll taste oxidized and nasty. If it’s not fatty, the burger will not hold together unless you add things like egg and breadcrumbs (and in that case you’re just making flat meatballs, and fuck you), and if it DOES hold together, it’ll likely be drier than Oscar Wilde. 

The best hamburger meat, in my opinion, is meat you grind yourself. You know how fresh it is, and you can control the fat content very easily. If you’re looking to grind it yourself, I recommend a 50-50 combination of chuck roast and short ribs. The chuck has a great beefy flavor, and the short ribs add wonderful fattiness. If you don’t have the means to grind it yourself, get yourself some 80/20 (80% lean meat, 20% fat) ground chuck or ground beef (the term ground beef means it’s all sorts of cuts ground up, and you’re likely to get some good stuff in there: chuck, ribeye, short rib, etc). You need the fat. If you get 93/7, I take no responsibility for the abortion you pull off the grill.

Good Cheese
The best cheese for a cheeseburger is one that melts without getting greasy and is strong enough to stand up to the meat and condiments without overpowering. My favorites are sharp cheddar (while I normally love extra-sharp, the additional aging means it doesn’t always melt so well) and smoked gouda. Blue cheese is nice, too … I suppose, but I’d never put it ON a burger. If I want blue cheese with my burger, i mix the chunks into the ground meat itself, or take a big ole hunk of it, and wrap the patties around it.

Complimentary flavors
This isn’t rocket surgery, people. If it tastes good with pot roast or a steak, it’ll taste good with a burger. Pickles, onions, tomatoes all work. For this burger, I made a quick onion marmalade and mixed some wine into the burger meat itself.

Good Bun
KEEP UP, PEOPLE. It needs to be soft. If you’re using all your jaw’s power to bite through the crust, it’s gonna crush the light and fluffy burger you just spent time making. AND FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST, TOAST IT. And you’ll want a thin layer of fat on the bun to prevent it from getting soggy from all those amazing juices that are gonna be coming out of the burger. Either brush it with melted butter before toasting, or (like I did this time) smear a small amount of mayo on the buns after they’re toasted.

Greatest Of All Time Sandwich… The Hamburger
Makes 6 large burgers

1000 g (2.25 lb) ground beef (see above)
120 mL (1/2 c) red wine, like burgundy
10 g (1 1/2 tsp) kosher salt
4 g (1/2 tsp) finely ground black pepper
A-1 steak sauce (trust me) 

6 slices sharp cheddar cheese

6 kaiser rolls

1/2 c onion marmalade (recipe below … you should probably make this a day or two before to let the flavors marry)

arugula

Add the first 4 ingredients to a bowl and LIGHTLY (LIGHTLY DAMMIT) mix them together until the mixture is roughly homogeneous. Never ever EVER EVER EVER EVER squish the meat between your hands. If you want to eat hockey pucks, go to McDonald’s. This meat should be folded lightly together. Form into 6 equal patties (if you have a scale, each one should be about 190 g) that should be slightly larger in diameter than your bun, so that when the meat shrinks on the grill, you don’t have a crapload of empty bun space. These bad boys should still be pretty thick at bun-size. Slather the patties with a little steak sauce (about a tsp per burger). Trust me. I hate A-1, but the subtle sweetness and saltiness of the sauce will accentuate the wine and pepper in the meat, and the sugar will help form a nice crust on the grill. Let the patties sit for a few minutes at room temperature. The patties will firm up a bit and will cook more quickly. In the mean time …

Prepare your grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-high heat. Once the grill is hot, add the burgers and cook for 4 minutes with the cover closed. Flip the burgers (and I swear to Christ, if at any point in the process you press the burgers with your spatula, I will burn your life) and cook for 2 min, 30 seconds (again, with the cover closed). After that time is up, add a slice of cheese to each burger, close the cover, and cook for another 90 seconds. These burgers will be cooked medium verging on medium well. I wouldn’t go less than that because it’s hard to get a good crust on the burger otherwise, but if you must, be my guest. If you want it well done, add a minute to each side. The burgers will still be nice and juicy because of the fat in the meat and the wine you added.

Pull the burgers onto a plate while you toast the buns on the grill over direct heat for about 45 seconds. Add mayo if you wish to the buns. Top each burger with a small handful of arugula and a tablespoon or 2 of the onion marmalade. Enjoy.

Onion Marmalade
2 large red onions, sliced thin
1/4 c honey
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red chile flakes
1/2 c sherry wine vinegar (red wine vinegar is also ok)
1/4 c raisins

Add the first 5 ingredients to a heavy bottom pot and set over medium low heat. Cook for 15 - 20 minutes, till the onions are soft. Add the vinegar and cook for another 20 min, till the vinegar is syrupy. Add the raisins and cook ANOTHER 15 - 20 minutes, till they’re plump and the marmalade is a deep red. Let cool completely, then store in the fridge for up to a week.