I feel kind of funny sharing a mayonnaise recipe–can you even call it a recipe? But the thing is, a simple upgrade to your condiments can bring something new and wonderful to tried-and-true burgers or sandwiches. That’s how it was with this Old Bay mayo. We had it on pork burgers and it livened them up, brightened them, and heightened the flavor. It’s easy for seasonal foods to get intertwined with nostalgia, and that makes it hard to taste the actual food. Instead, I often find myself tasting the memory of the food. But with new and exciting condiments, you can trick you palate into being in the here and now. When I started writing this post, I certainly didn’t expect it to take a turn for the Baba Ram Das, but I guess that’s what really good mayo can do to you. [Read more…]
cherry burgers
Margaret Thatcher came to my college once to give a speech and she said “we must dedicate ourselves to that grand and noble tradition that nourishes our civilization and offers hope to the world.”
The English. Nothing ever changes with them. First, King George III tells us to buy some stamps, then Margaret Thatcher tells us what we must dedicate ourselves to, then that little gecko tells us what car insurance we have to buy. Well, I’ve had enough! So for the 4th of July, we wanted to make a meal that would really stick it to the English.
What do English people hate? Cherries, I would imagine, as they are sweet reminders of how we really got over on them on the border between Washington and British Columbia. Also, burgers because it probably really sticks in their craws how they got us started but then all our favorite food is from Germany (and Italy and Mexico. Also sushi.).
So, we made cherry burgers. For people who are concerned about such things, making burgers with cherries supposedly makes them less carcinogenic. But those people are boring. The real reason to make cherry burgers is that they taste good.
Cherry Burgers
makes 4 burgers
– 1 lb. ground beef
– 1 cup chopped cherries (sour if you’ve got them, sweet if you don’t)
– 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
– half of one red onion, diced
– salt and pepper to taste
– Get the grill started, let it get nice and hot.
– Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Really knead them together.
– Form the meat into four patties.
– Grill the patties for 4-5 minutes on each side.
– Serve on buns with mayo, lettuce and sliced tomato.