Tasty burgers

It is hard to make a BAD burger.  You really have to work at it to screw up something so basic, so fundamentally and inherently great as a burger.  There are, however, lots of mediocre burgers out there.  Now don't get me wrong.  Even a mediocre burger is better than most things you could be eating.  I mean, seriously.....a salad?  No way any salad can compare to a burger.  Even a mediocre burger tops a salad.  If I go to McDonald's (like that's going to happen if I have a choice) I am getting a Quarter Pounder; not a McVeggie salad or cup of apples and nuts.  Give me a break.  Yeah, even a so-so burger is better than that junk.

What is so disappointing is that there are a lot of mediocre burgers out there.  It is disheartening to see a burger, already superior to most food, just by the virtue of it being a burger, that isn't great.  Eating a burger should make you happy.  It doesn't take that much effort to make a really tasty burger.  So why are there so many mediocre burgers?   Laziness?  Indifference?  Contempt for the glory that is the burger?  I don't know.  I do know that I rate most restaurants by their ability to make a good burger.  They might screw up the fries, the onion rings, the pan-seared squab served on a sunchoke puree, topped with bitter micro-greens and a persimmon puree, but if they mess up a burger they aren't going to get anymore of my business.  No sir.

So, when I find a good burger place I know I'm going to be a repeat customer.  A couple of large chains do it right:
In-N-Out: Tasty, drip-down-your-chin goodness
Five Guys: Pure, simple classic burger

More often than not, the best restaurant burgers come from small independent places.  Watch Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and you'll see some awesome burgers.  One of my favorites.....
Hodads: Beach burger Nirvana.  For my money, best on the Left Coast

I watch Diners, Drive-ins and Dives every chance I get.  I am guaranteed to see at least a couple of recipes that will be downright awesome.  I have seen some great looking burgers that have either validated what I've been doing or given me new ideas.  After watching a recent 'Triple D' marathon I found myself with a hankerin' for burgers.  Not one to deny a hankerin' I went out and bought some ground beef and pork.  Normally I would add some ground lamb to the mix, but I just couldn't find any at a decent price.  Still, beef and pork makes for a nice combo.  I actually toyed with the idea of adding ground bacon to the mix, but chickened out at the last minute.

Now I've been making cheese-stuffed burgers since I was a kid.  It started with finely diced bits of sharp cheddar mixed in with the meat.  Later I found that I preferred making a thick patty with a slice of cheese inside.  I usually want a sharp cheese inside; something like cheddar, bleu or gorganzola.  The sharp flavor nicely balances the rich fattiness of the meat.  While I love American cheese on top of burgers (just about as classic a flavor as you can get), I have never tried it inside of one.  After seeing a couple of places up in Milwaukee that make American-stuffed burgers, I decided to try it.

From The Hollow Leg Diner - images

There was about half a slice of cheese in each burger.  The cheese melts while cooking and lubricates the inside of the burger.  The burgers weighed in at about 1/2 lb.  I season the meat when it is mixed.  I like to get a lot of flavor into the burger, and I don't think just seasoning the outside does enough.  Seasoning varies every time I make burgers, but will usually include salt, black pepper, garlic powder, Cayenne pepper and paprika.

From The Hollow Leg Diner - images

I prefer my burgers cooked on the grill.  I really like the smokiness from cooking over charcoal.  If I want a pan seared burger, I'll cook it in a really hot cast iron pan and then finish in the oven.  My burgers are thick so just pan-searing is not an option.

From The Hollow Leg Diner - images

There's just nothing like the taste of smoky, melted cheese on top of a burger.  In this case the burgers were topped with a mix of sharp cheddar and Swiss or American and Swiss.

From The Hollow Leg Diner - images

Ahh, yeah!  Red onion rings under the melted cheese.

From The Hollow Leg Diner - images

Now that's a burger.  Toasted buns with mayo, mustard, ketchup, dill pickles, tomatoes and lettuce.

From The Hollow Leg Diner - images

Whaaaaaat!!!!????  What is wrong with this picture?  Leave it to Lupe to assemble the perfect burger upside down.  Geeeez!  Amateurs!

From The Hollow Leg Diner - images

Tasty burgers for the whole week.  After all; the burger is the cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast.

Lamb three ways

More Indian yumminess. This time it is all about the lamb.

Boti gosht, a simple lamb curry, is Lupe's favorite.  Flavored with fried spices and curry leaves, delicious chunks of lamb, slow cooked until tender.

Green bean curry.  Seared strips of lamb and green beans in a tasty curry sauce.

Lamb daal.  Green lentils and lamb chunks in a spicy tomato sauce

From The Hollow Leg Diner - images

Prep, prep prep......

I am really growing very fond of Indian cuisine.  It has some bold, hearty flavors that really appeal to me.  The only thing that I don't like is the prep.  As with stir fry, Indian cooking requires lots of prep.  Mise en place is crucial.  You need to have your crap in one sock (as we would say in the Navy.....well we didn't quite say it that way).

This is just some of the prep for 3 Indian dishes.

From The Hollow Leg Diner - images

Lamb meatballs ready to go into the pot.

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Lamb meatballs are simmering and the vegetable korma is just about done.  You can tell by the clock on the stove that we are eating a little late.  All that prep takes time.

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A hot, steaming plate of lamb kofta curry and vegetable korma

From The Hollow Leg Diner - images

Chili-cheese tots

WARNING: As required by the Food and Drug Administration, Center for Disease Control, American Medical Association, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, Los Angeles County Health Department, Michelle Obama, Mayor Bloomberg and all other nanny-state food police agencies and individuals, I am required to inform you that this recipe is not healthy, nor does it meet federal guidelines for nutritional content.*

Well that's out of the way so now we can get on with the food.

Step 1
Make yourself some good chili.  I know, I know; you don't have time to make chili, it's cheaper to just buy a can of chili from the store, or you suck in the kitchen and couldn't make a PB&J.  Whatever.  It ain't hard.  Make it yourself.  No pressure.  You can do it.

Step 2
Make some tater tots.  OK, you don't have to make the tater tots.  Just open the package and heat them up.  Got a deep fat fryer?  Use it.  If you don't want to fry the tots, you can just bake them in a hot oven.  Just put some oil on the sheet pan to keep them from sticking.  Get them nice and crispy.

From The Hollow Leg Diner - images

Step 3
Slop some of that nice, hot, tasty, homemade chili on top of the tater tots.

From The Hollow Leg Diner - images

Step 4
Cheese, and lots of it.  Good, sharp cheddar cheese is best.  If you happen to have a salamander, use it now.  If not, put the plate under the broiler for a few seconds to get it all gooey and nom-nom-nommy.

From The Hollow Leg Diner - images

Step 5
Toppings!  Whatchya want on chili-cheese fries?   I don't know about you, but I want onion and bacon bits.  White or red onion would be best.  I only had green onions, so that's what I went with.

From The Hollow Leg Diner - images

Step 6
Get your grub on.  You know you want it.

From The Hollow Leg Diner - images

From The Hollow Leg Diner - images

I apologize for the salad that appeared in that photo.  That was a terrible oversight on my part.  I assure you that no healthy food was consumed with the chili-cheese tots.  That just wouldn't be right.





* In the inimitable words of Eazy E: "F**k da food police"

Fermented Chili Sauces

Fermented Chili

1gal.                 Ripe chili peppers (Fresno, Serrano, Cayenne, Tabasco, Thai bird) mashed

½ cup               Kosher salt (not iodized table salt)

1 cup                White wine vinegar (Pinot Grigio)

This recipe makes the basic fermented chili mash that is used as a base for the following chili sauces.

Pepper to salt ratio is 32:1 (1.5 Tsp salt for every cup of mash)

Wash peppers

Remove stems but leave the ‘crown’

Cut peppers into chunks and then purée in a food processor

Add salt and mix thoroughly in a crock (Water can be added to keep all mash submerged, but this will result in a thinner sauce.) 

Leave crock uncovered for a day to gather bacteria

Cover crock with cheese cloth or towel

Ferment for 12 weeks (Fermentation time can be anywhere from 1 week up to 6 months.  Longer fermentation will make sauce more pungent)

Skim off mold at the end of the fermentation period

Add enough vinegar to mash to lower pH to less than 4.6.  I use white wine vinegar for the base acidity level.

Mix mash

Cover crock with cheese cloth or towel

Let mash blend with vinegar for another two weeks

Skim mold

Run mash through a food mill or blend and then run through food mill-depending on final use.

Save seeds and skins from food mill to make chili powder

Hot Chili Sauces - Basics

In all chili sauce recipes, the consistency of the final product is regulated by adjusting the amount of vinegar added and method of processing.  I use cane or palm vinegar for setting the acidity level and then fine tune with rice wine vinegar.  Rice vinegar is not as acidic or harsh as the other types.  The mash can be left as is for Sambals or the Chili-Garlic sauce.  The whole seeds and minced garlic and ginger pieces produce the traditional chunky texture desired.  The mash can also be puréed in a blender for smother sauces.  The purée is left as is, or run through a food mill for thinner sauces.  Thin, Tabasco-style hot sauces are pressed through a sieve.  Jaggery, an unrefined cane or palm sugar, is preferred for its mellow flavor. 

Sambal Oelek

2 cups              Fermented chili mash

½ cup               Cane or palm vinegar

2 heads            Garlic-crushed or minced

2”                     Ginger-fresh minced

4 Tbls               Fish sauce

3oz.                  Jaggery-shaved

2oz.                  Lemon grass- white part only-minced and ground in a mortar and pestle

1 Tbls               Lime zest

To taste            Salt

For a really chunky Sambal use the chili mash as is.  For a smother sauce, purée some or all the mash before mixing with other ingredients.  Mix all ingredients, except lime zest and salt.  Place mixture in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Remove from heat and add lime zest.  Saltiness is mostly controlled with fish sauce.  If the sauce is too ‘fishy’ for your taste, but still needs salt, you can add kosher salt to taste.

Pineapple-Garlic Chili Hot Sauce

3 cups              Fermented chili mash

¾ cup               Pineapple- puréed with juice

½ cup               Cane or palm vinegar

½ cup               Rice wine vinegar

1 Tbls               Marjoram-ground

1 Tsp               Mexican oregano-ground

1 Tsp               Cumin-ground

¼ Tsp              Clove-ground

¼ Tsp              Cinnamon-ground

1 Tsp               Black pepper-ground

1-2 heads         Garlic-pureed

¼ - ½               Brown or White onion- puréed

To taste            Salt

Use a spice grinder to grind all spices into a very fine powder.  Purée garlic, onion and pineapple in a blender.  Add chili mash and purée.  Add vinegar to adjust for taste and consistency.  Salt to taste.

Chili-Garlic Sauce

3 cups              Fermented chili mash

½ cup               Cane or palm vinegar

¼ cup               Rice wine vinegar

1-2 heads         Garlic-minced

To taste            Salt

Mix chili mash and garlic.  Add cane/palm vinegar for desired acidity and consistency.  Use rice wine, if needed, to adjust consistency.  Salt to taste.

Sriracha  (Tuong Ot Sriracha)

3 cups              Fermented chili mash

½ - ¾ cup        Cane or palm vinegar

3-4oz.              Jaggery-shaved

1-2 heads         Garlic-puréed

To taste            Salt

Purée garlic and chili mash in a blender.  Purée the garlic with a little vinegar first to ensure it is processed into a smooth paste before adding the chili mash.  Add vinegar to set acidity and consistency.  Mix in jaggery to taste.  Salt to taste.  Sauce can be used raw or cooked.  For cooked: Place in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer to reduce. 

From The Hollow Leg Diner - images

Chili Powder

2 cups              Chili mash remnants (seeds and skins) after processing through food mill

If using a dehydrator, spread mash over screen and dehydrate until all moisture is removed.

If using the oven, spread mash in a thin layer over a ¼ sheet pan. Dehydrate in low oven (150° - 180°), stirring occasionally to dry evenly

When the chili is completely dried use a fork or mortar and pestle to break up chunks

Place dried chili on a sheet pan and smoke in a BBQ or smoker for 1-2 hours.  Time in smoker depends on level of smokiness desired.  Use hickory or mesquite, depending on taste.

Grind chili in a spice grinder and store in an air tight container.

From The Hollow Leg Diner - images