for Beginners
So grilling burgers can be intimidating if you have never done it or worse, you have made some that were undercooked or overcooked or just not quite right.
Have you ever seen someone that you just made dinner for spit the meat into a napkin and politely hide it? That's the worst! Have you ever started cooking a burger on the grill only to have flames erupt a foot high burning the outside, so you take them off and apologize for the charred lump only to be mortified to see it is blood red and raw on the inside?
This recipe and instructional menu will walk you through the process, and help you deliver a perfectly cooked burger with amazing taste that looks like it was made by a real chef.
As a bonus we are including a full menu and have timed it out so you know when to start everything so it all finishes at the right time and makes it look effortless so you can be a great host and still put out a home cooked meal that everyone will love.
Our menu includes crockpot green beans and Hasselback potatoes. If you want to really make it simple you can substitute potato chips and a bagged salad but I think that these two sides really elevate the meal and make it seem both homey and unique.
Let's get started - first do your shopping, the shopping list is on the pdf at the bottom of this blog and it will walk you through all the ingredients. You will need some spices and of course we recommend you get them from our website (or in store if you are local). We have bundled all of them together for you to make it easy, you can find it here - BEST BURGER SPICE BUNDLE
Here is the shopping list for the rest:
Best Burgers
2 pounds of fresh ground beef 80/20 (preferably ground chuck), we like to go to the Amish butcher near us for really fresh meat.
1 yellow onion
1 slicing tomato
1 head of lettuce (I use romaine because it holds up better)
1 jar of sliced pickles and any condiments you like
1 package of hamburger buns
2 oz. of Garlic salt with Parsley (from Persimmon Tree Health Foods and Gifts)
2 oz. of Best Burger Seasoning (from Persimmon Tree Health Foods and Gifts)
6 splashes of worcestershire sauce (I like the bourbon barrel aged kind from Persimmon Tree Health Foods and Gifts)
Cowboy Hasselback Potatoes
4 large baking potatoes
1 stick of butter
2 oz. of Cowboy Rub (from Persimmon Tree Health Foods and Gifts)
.1 oz. of dried chives (from Persimmon Tree Health Foods and Gifts)
Crockpot Green Beans
½ pound of bacon
2 pounds of rinsed and trimmed fresh green beans
Small carton of chicken broth
2 oz. of ground black pepper (from Persimmon Tree Health Foods and Gifts)
Here is the equipment you will need:
Grill, (charcoal, gas, electric, it doesn't matter)
Crockpot 4 quart sized
Meat thermometer
Two chopsticks or 2 wooden spoons (I prefer the wooden spoons)
A skillet for frying
Slicing knife and spatula
Here is the timeline for the day, so if you want to eat at noon start the green beans at 4:30 or 5:30 am (you can prep them the night before and just turn them on at 6 am) or if this is a dinner meal for 6 pm you would start the green beans at 11:30 am or so:
7 ½ hours before eating, prepare the Crockpot Green Beans
1 & ½ hours before eating, prepare the Cowboy Hasselback Potatoes
45 minutes before eating, prepare Best Burgers
If you are doing the crockpot green beans you can save a bit of time the day of by prepping them the night before. They may get done a bit sooner than the 6-8 hour cook time recommended so keep checking on them.
To start lightly spray the crock of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray and turn it on low to warm up.
Fry the bacon in a skillet and once it is cooked you will chop it up into chunks. While it is frying you will need to dice 1/2 of the onion and add it to the crockpot as it warms.
Also while the bacon is frying you will want to wash the green beans and make sure the
ends are snipped off. If you want to you can cut the beans in half or thirds so they are more bite sized. Then add the beans to the crock pot and pepper to taste, about a teaspoon of ground black pepper. Finally add the chopped bacon and 1/2 of the bacon grease from the frying pan and the chicken broth (just enough to cover the beans).
Cover and cook on low to 6 to 8 - or until the beans are tender. You will want to stir the beans a couple times during cooking. Once the beans are tender turn the crockpot to warm, if the liquid gets too low add a little more broth. Serve topped with the remaining bacon pieces.
About an hour and a half before you are eating, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Melt the butter in the microwave for about 30 second (be sure to cover it so it doesn't splatter), reserve 3 Tablespoons for the Best Burger buns.
Stir together the melted butter, chives and the Cowboy Rub, then set it aside for a couple of minutes while you prep the potatoes.
Place a potato between the handles of 2 wooden spoons or 2 chopsticks. Slice the
potato into thin slices, leaving 1/4 inch at the bottom unsliced; the spoon handles will prevent you from slicing the potato all the way through.
Repeat with the remaining potatoes. This will make the potatoes look like an accordion.
Put the potatoes on a baking sheet and brush on the butter mixture, making sure to get in between all the slices. This means you need to pry the slice apart a tiny bit to make sure the cowboy run and butter flavors get into the deep crevices. The butter need to be in each one to make sure there is enough fat to properly crisp them.
Bake until tender on the inside and crisp around the edges, 55 to 60 minutes
As soon as you get the potatoes in the oven you need to open the grill and preheat it. Once it's hot, you want to use your brush to clean the grates. You will want the temp to be around 450 degrees. If you are using an electric or gas grill this is easy, if you are using a charcoal grill you will need about 30 to 40 minutes to get it up to temp so plan ahead if that's your style. I like gas grills because it makes prep so much easier and we use some spices that really kick up the flavor so well that I don't think you need charcoal.
Use about 5 ¼ ounces of ground meat per patty, don’t over squeeze the meat, use just enough pressure to make a patty that stays together. Use your thumb to make a dent in the center of each patty.
Dust the Best Burger seasoning on both sides of each burger patty. Place the patties on the hot grill, sprinkle Worcestershire on each one and cook for about 4 minutes with the lid closed before turning. After the 4 minute, turn each patty over and again sprinkle Worcestershire on each one and add another dusting of the Best Burger seasoning. Cook for another 5 minutes (lid closed) without touching them, (or until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees for medium, or 150 for medium-well). If you are adding cheese put it on top with just 30 seconds to go.
While it is cooking, slice the tomato and the rest of the yellow onion put on a plate with 6 lettuce leaves. Open the pickle jar and place it near the other condiments.
Spread butter on the insides of each bun and sprinkle the garlic salt with parsley on the buttered side of each bun. When the patties are finished remove them from the heat and put aluminum foil over them. Then put the buns (buttered side down) on the grill for a minute or two until they are golden brown.
When the buns come off you are ready to serve, the Hasselback potatoes should be
done about the same time as the burger patties, and the green beans should be on warm by now.
Then just listen to all the praise from your family and friends about how great you are at making a real American meal! If you want me to walk you through it, just watch the video at the bottom of his page.
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