Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Burgers a la Man-B-Que

Last September, I was lucky enough to have the Godfather of Man-B-Que, Jesse Valenciana, host a cookout here at Chez Vizz. The grill must have been overwhelmed by his prowess, because it went on the fritz after that. So, I took to cooking burgers and steaks with the next best method - a ridiculously hot cast iron skillet. At that fateful cookout, I presented Bacon Burger Dogs (BBDs), which were at that point a favorite among my male friends until they had the Godfather's burgers. He marinated the ground beef in Negro Modelo overnight and crammed the burgers with fresh garlic, cilantro, chihuahua cheese, and some other stuff I'm probably forgetting. What I'm trying to say here is that these burgers were LEGIT.

So, tonight I made my own version of his burger, switching out the God-forsaken $9 Chihuahua cheese for a more economical White Chiptole cheddar. Here's the scoop, kittens.
(Caveat: I like to make burgers that you require a double-jointed jaw to bite into, so this only serves two people. Multiply as needed.)

1 lb ground beef (I found that chuck is best because of the fat content)
1/2 cup cubed white chipotle cheddar
2 tbsp bread crumbs
2 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
1/2 cup finely diced onion
salt & pepper to taste

Mix all of these wonderful things together. If you have a chance, definitely marinate the beef in beer overnight - it makes a noticeable difference. Form into gigantor patties and toss into a lightly oiled cast iron skillet (or preferably, grill) and cook on mid-high heat for about 4-5 minutes per side for medium. Even if you flub up and the burgers end up well done, they will still be ridiculously tender because of all the goodness stowed away inside. Serve on a toasted bun and top with sliced avocado - NOT lots of other bullshit like mayo, mustard, ketchup, etc. Trust me, you don't need it.


1 comments:

Amber said...

Ooo, baby, I am making this. It never occurred to me that you could marinate ground beef. I'm really excited to try this.

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