This Sunday is Father’s day. Whether you are celebrating with your dad, husband, son, grandfather, step-father, brother, uncle, or four-legged companion, it is the perfect time to dust off the grill and get ready for a back yard bar-b-que!
I always love a good burger, and fortunately my Dad is the perfect grill master. He really makes the best burgers. He says it is all in the timing, and he uses a squirt bottle filled with water to douse the flames. This Sunday I will have all of the preparations made for our “Ultimate Man Burgers”, but Dad will insist on being in charge of the grill, and I for one will not be complaining!
Not long ago Mr. Bar-B-Q contacted me about trying out a few of their tools, and I said that I would love too! Living on the Gulf Coast we are known to grill year round, on the beach, and even in unfortunate weather, so this was right up my alley.
The box arrived on my doorstep and contained a fantastic grill pan, a case holding a professional set of tools, and on top of that, a Georgia-Tech grill cover! How thoughtful is that!? Mr. Bar-B-Q heard our son just graduated from high school and is attending college at Tech this fall. The grill-cover immediately sparked good-humored controversy as we also have LSU and BAMA fans under our roof, but our son was happy to see Georgia-Tech prominently displayed on the back yard grill.
Mr. Bar-B-Q’s motto is “If you are going to grill, do it right!”, and they sell the highest quality tools, accessories and parts. Basically, everything you need in order to have a great Bar-B-Q, but the grill. They have been in business for more than forty years, and pride themselves on customer service and value.
The Ultimate Man Burger recipe below is grilled to perfection and topped with just the right combination of flavors guaranteed to make everyone at your backyard bar-b-que happy!
The Ultimate Man Burger
(Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence-Burger Bar)
Ingredients
- 4 pounds ground brisket or chuck
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- freshly ground black pepper
- 8 hamburger buns, split
Toppings:
- 8 thin slices Swiss cheese
- Sauteed Mushrooms (recipe below)
- Sliced Purple Onion
- Sliced Heirloom Tomato, drizzled with olive oil, sea salt, and fresh chopped chives
- Thick Slice Bacon, cooked, one piece cut in 1/2 per burger
- Herbed Horseradish Mayonnaise ( recipe below)
Preparation
- In a large bowl, lightly season ground meat with salt and pepper and mix in gently with your hands. To shape the burgers, take about 1/8 of meat and form it into a meatball; then flatten it a between your hands until it’s about 1/2 in. thick. Turn the patty on your palm while firming up its edges with the thumb and forefingers of your other hand (your goal is to get rid of a crumbly edge). Repeat with remaining meat. Let burgers rest at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for high heat (450° to 550°). Wipe grate with oiled paper towels.
- Grill burgers 5 to 7 minutes, topping with cheese during the final minute.
- Transfer burgers to a clean plate. Clean grate with oiled paper towels. Toast buns on grill 1 minute and serve with burgers.
- Assemble burgers and add favorite toppings. Serve Horseradish Mayo spread on bun, top burger with onion, tomato, sauteed mushrooms and bacon.
Notes:
- For a medium to well-done burger, cook over medium-high heat (about 450°) for 10 minutes total; cut to check doneness.
- Buy the right meat. Brisket has the perfect mix of lean and fat to make a juicy burger. For uniform texture, ask your butcher to grind it twice for you.
- Don’t overwork it. Also, let the patties rest before cooking. Otherwise they’ll be chewy.
- Start with a clean cooking grate. Dirt makes food taste bad and makes it stick.
- Cook it hot. Heat the grill to between 450° and 550°. Cold burgers on a cold grill are going to stick every time.
- Create a nonstick cooking surface. When the cooking grate is hot, wipe it quickly and carefully with an oiled square of several folded paper towels.
- My Dad only eats American Cheese on his burger, and my husband only Sharp Cheddar. Use what you prefer, but the Swiss really tastes great with the Sauteed Mushrooms.
- I purchase my Heirloom tomatoes from Dragonfly Fields at the Seaside Farmers Market. Aunt Ruby’s Green German is a juicy favorite!
Sauteed Mushrooms:
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 pound thickly sliced mushrooms
- Kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 sliced garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Preparation
- In a large frying pan over high heat, heat oil. Add mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and sauté. Do not crowd the mushrooms, and don’t over stir. 4 minutes.
- Add garlic and thyme, continue stirring, until mushrooms are nicely browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in lemon juice to brighten the flavor.
Note: You can also saute the mushrooms on the grill in a grill pan.
Herbed Horseradish Mayonnaise
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 to 2 tbsp. prepared horseradish
- 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley, basil, or chives
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
- In a small serving bowl, stir together mayonnaise, horseradish, herbs, oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
Giveaway: (this contest has ended)
Mr. Bar-B-Q has Generously offered to give away one 18 piece Barbecue Tool Set to a lucky 30A EATS reader, a Grill Pan, and a Collegiate Grill Cover (your team choice)!
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Leave a Comment below telling me your favorite thing to grill, or your favorite collegiate team!
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The Giveaway is open to all with a US shipping address, and ends Saturday, June 23, 2012, midnight Central time. Drawing is by random.org, and product will be shipped by Mr. Bar-B-Q. The winner will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. Good Luck!
