FOODE, Part II

When I think about a hamburger dinner, I think of two things.  First is the family trips to the fast food chain places.... I was a slow eater so all I ever heard was "EAT Rachel!"  I think I was also usually busy playing with my toy, the box, the crown, or trying to drink the ultra thick vanilla milk-shake (it's the finest of the flavors).  The second thought is of picnics and grilling out.  Those wonderful factory made frozen pucks of beef being tossed on the grill (hopefully they have been defrosted first).

I'm excited to say, that after trying the char-grilled burger at FOODE, and then making something very similar here, I actually like to eat hamburgers!

I started with some basic ground beef.  I have to admit, I bought the stuff at Wegmans with the little orange 'special today' sticker.  I think I've said this before, but Wegmans will put those stickers on products that are nearing the final days of being able to sell them.  The product is also usually marked down to about half price.  The quality is always still the best, and I think they make a habit of marking things down well before the end of the shelf-life.  I want to say the beef was 90% lean, but may have been as much as 95%.  (If I'm paying full price, I stick with the 80%.  I know it's not as healthy... but it is so much tastier!!!).

I decided to make the hamburgers about a half pound each.  I diced up some shallots, garlic, Parmesan cheese and some prosciutto.  Along with these ingredients I added Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper.  They were formed onto perfectly shaped patties and lovingly placed onto a nice hot grill. 

I used kaiser rolls (also purchased from Wegmans).  They are a perfect size for a nice big burger.  I split them open and added them to the grill for a short while until they were nicely toasted to a sun kissed tan color.

Once the burgers came off the grill at a nice medium well doneness, they were dressed with sharp cheddar cheese, ketchup, Dijon mustard and mayo (my burger had a dill flavored mayo, the husband had chipotle mayo... inspiration from Capital Ale House).  One day, I'll add the lettuce and tomato.... maybe. ;)

I really enjoyed eating my hamburger.  Although, I'll admit that at a half pound, I did not finish the entire thing, so my dog Fred also enjoyed it.  I think it was flavored differently than when I had it at FOODE, but it was because of my dining experience there that I decided to try fresh made hamburgers at home.  It did not take very long to make the patty, in fact, it was shorter than waiting for it to defrost.  I always forget to take things out of the freezer before I leave the house in the morning (which reminds me, I need to take dinner for tonight out).  Also, when you make your own patty, you can control the ingredients you use, the taste, and the size.  It was a lot of fun to make.  I think that will become a regular on my monthly list of meals.