ten steps to the perfect cheeseburger

My team had a bye-week last weekend; so I'm more than ready for some tailgating & football this Saturday. I'm not yet certain what the weekend's menu holds; but I'm dreaming of cheeseburgers. And a Texas Aggie win.

The 10 Essential Steps to the Perfect Cheeseburger

1. Use 6 oz. of meat per patty, no more and no less. Don't guess; weigh it.

2. Shape it with your hands into patties. Ignore the common advice about not "overworking" the meat.

3. Liberally salt (use Kosher salt) and pepper both sides. Salt is the glory of red meat; don't stint.

4. Make a deep thumbprint in the middle of each patty (it evens out the burger when it cooks, don't ask why).

5. Refrigerate the patties until you're ready to grill. You can salt and pepper well ahead if you'd like.

6. Make a HOT charcoal fire.

7. Liberally oil both your grill and the meat before you start.

8. For medium-rare, grill the meat EXACTLY 3 minutes on one side (grill lid closed) and 2 minutes on the other.

9. Add the cheese, cover each patty with a burger cover, and cook for 1 minute more.

10. Remove the meat and quickly grill the buns (the only civilized way to eat hamburger buns).

doing 'shrooms

I love grilling. I love mushrooms. I love Williams-Sonoma. So when my mom recently gave me WS's Appetizer Grill Rack, I was tickled! I broke it in yesterday, via some Sunday afternoon grilling. Top notch results, if I do say so myself.

STUFFED CREMINI MUSHROOMS
18 cremini mushrooms, each about 1 3/4 inches in diameter
2 oz. bacon, diced
3 Tbsp. finely chopped shallot
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. dry white wine
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 1/2 Tbsp. sour cream
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 tsp. minced fresh sage
2 Tbsp. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
olive oil for brushing

Trim off the rough base of each mushroom stem, then remove the stems and chop finely, set aside.


In a fry pan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels.


Discard all but 1 Tbsp. of the fat from the pan. Add the shallot and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook until any moisture that has been released has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook until evaporated, about 1 minute.


Transfer the mushroom mixture to a bowl. Add the bacon, bread crumbs, sour cream, parsley, sage, and cheese and stir to combine. Season with salt and black pepper.




Prepare a grill for indirect grilling over medium-high heat.


Brush the mushroom caps on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Place the caps, gill side down, on the Appetizer Grill Rack. Place the rack over direct heat, cover the grill and cook until the mushrooms begin to release some moisture, about 5 minutes.

Remove the rack from the grill, turn the mushrooms over and stuff each cap with 1 tsp. of the bacon-mushroom mixture. Place rack over indirect heat, cover the grill, and cook until the mushrooms are tender and the stuffing is golden and crisp on top, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Makes 18 stuffed mushrooms.


Tasty.


Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Colection Series, Hors d'oeuvre, by Brigit L. Binns (Simon & Schuster, 2001)

mexican grilled corn & steak

Made this Mexican Grilled Corn (from Eating Well Magazine) tonight. Tasty.

Street vendors across Mexico sell this style of roasted or grilled corn—topped with mayonnaise, chili powder and Cotija cheese. You can serve the unadorned corn on a platter with small bowls of the sauce, cheese and lime on the side so everyone can make their own.

2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise [I left out the mayo]
2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
4 ears corn, husked
4 tablespoons finely shredded Cotija or Parmesan cheese
1 lime, quartered

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Combine mayonnaise, yogurt and chili powder in a small bowl.
3. Grill corn, turning occasionally, until marked and tender, 8 to 12 minutes total. Spread each ear with 1 tablespoon of the sauce and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Cotija (or Parmesan). Serve with lime wedges.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 98 calories; 3 g fat (1 g sat, 0 g mono); 2 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 4 g fiber; 108 mg sodium; 19 mg potassium.
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat