Red Meat (with a side of veggies)
David and I have often been accused of being vegetarians. Yes, for those of you who live in other parts of the country, being a vegetarian is something you can be accused of in the South. Possibly even prosecuted in court, although I personally have never had it taken that far. In any case, we eat a lot of vegetables and not very much meat. Especially not very much red meat. But every now and then, I really crave a big, juicy burger. I don’t know if it’s too many years of Fourth of July in Mississippi, or possibly just growing up in a house with my father and two brothers, but I can’t escape the occasional physical need for grilled meat. David is always happy when these cravings strike–like me, he doesn’t eat red meat often, but when he does, he really enjoys it. I think it makes him feel more manly somehow, but he’s an artist–that’s a losing battle. He proved his muscles by grilling these burgers–they were perfectly falling apart, crispy and black on the outside and tender and not-quite-pink on the inside. I mixed up some Corn Salad from The Barefoot Contessa–a delightful mixture of corn straight off the cob, red onion, and basil with cider vinegar and olive oil. David ate the corn salad leftovers–all of them–straight out of the bowl the next day. I also cooked the remaining potatoes and onions I chopped for the hash browns on Tuesday, so the vegetables in no way took backstage. We are fair-minded people, after all. Here’s how we fixed the burgers:
David’s Burgers
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 yellow onion, chopped finely
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1/4 cup Worcestshire
Salt and pepper
Mix all in a bowl (with hands, he says, if you can stand the goopy-ness), and form into patties. If you have time to refrigerate the patties for a while, they tend to hold up better on the grill. Grill over a medium flame to desired doneness.
To dress the burgers:
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 yellow onion, diced finely
3 T. butter
1 t. Kosher salt
Sauté the mushrooms and onion in butter until very soft and the onions are beginning to brown. Top each burger with a heap of this mixture and some Swiss cheese. Enjoy your carnivorous meal, but don’t forget the veggies (or they will have their feelings hurt).