Not only does Memorial Day kick off the summer grilling season, but May is also National Burger Month, making it a great time to enjoy one of America's greatest culinary achievements - the almighty hamburger.
And while it's hard to find fault with the classic combination of lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, mustard, ketchup and (not or) mayo, it is possible to build a better burger.
Experiment with different seasonings and combinations of meat, bypass basic condiments in favor of unique spreads and sauces, let go of the lettuce and try different veggies instead, break out a bun with a little something extra baked in. And for heaven's sake, butter-toast that thing.
If you need a little creative nudge, seek inspiration from some of this year's finalists in Sutter Home winery's 25th annual "Build a Better Burger Recipe Contest"
n Chorizo Beef Burger with Orange Piquillo Relish and Smoky Tomato Aioli
n Apres Ski Triple Ginger Bacon Burger with Rosemary Onion Rings and Brie
n Whistler Village Poutine Burger with Peppered Bacon and Portabella Mushrooms
n The Heart & Soul of Korea Burger with Peanut Basil Slaw and Gochujang Mayo
n Tidal Wave Butter Burger with Lemon Caper Mayonnaise and Watercress Slaw
Before I heard which one won, I had already picked the "Heart & Soul" as my favorite, which hand-to-God was the one that ended up winning the $25,000 grand prize. Peanut basil slaw and mayonnaise spiked with a spicy, fermented Korean paste? I'm in.
Second place went to the Whistler Village creation, which one judge described as "onion soup fondue in burger form," and the chorizo burger won the People's Choice award.
For recipes and photos of these and more gourmet burgers, visit www.buildabetterburger.com.
n n n
So you dream up the ultimate life-changing burger, throw your perfectly seasoned patties on the grill, line up all your toppings, crack open an ice cold beer, then go back to the grill to find a rack full of blackened hockey pucks.
In an effort to avoid serving undercooked meat, most people err on the side of overcooking it to the point of flavorlessness. Or, if you're like me, you're juggling too many things at once and just lose track of time - remembering you've got burgers searing away only when you start smelling the overly charred meat or notice flames darting out from under the grill.
Never fear, the experts at Men's Health magazine have a surefire way to help avoid burning your burgers ever again. Just use this handy calculation:
Your cook time in minutes equals your patty's thickness in inches times 14. Or in other words, an inch-thick burger needs about 14 minutes of cooking time over medium-high heat. (So a half-inch burger needs 7 minutes, a three-quarter-inch burger needs about 10 minutes, etc.)
It doesn't matter if you're using gas or charcoal, all beef or a blend, they swear this is the key to patty perfection. But timing is only half the equation. Heat is the other.
Preheat your grill until you can hold your hand about three inches above the grate for only three or four seconds before removing it, which gives you the perfect temperature for grilling. Now slap the burgers on and flip only once, halfway through their cooking time.
If you're making cheeseburgers, they suggest slapping a slice on during the last two minutes for "melty awesomeness."
In a sidebar to the article, Men's Health also suggested these off-the-wall toppings to perk up the other condiments you're slapping between your buns.
To enhance the richness of seared beef, stir a pea-sized dab of anchovy paste into a few tablespoons of ketchup.
Forgo classic pickles for other pickled vegetables, like pickled beets, whose sweet earthiness will offset the saltiness of a bacon cheeseburger.
Or crank up the heat by sprinkling Old Bay (spicy seafood seasoning) into your mayonnaise.
That last one sounds pretty tasty, but I'm not sure about the first two.
n n n
Finally, a selection of tasty toppings can elevate a mediocre burger, but truly great burgers start with great seasoned meat - and that's best accomplished with a quality dry rub or spice mix.
There are many recipes out there, but most good ones have one key ingredient in common: dry mustard powder.
I've been experimenting a lot lately with Colman's Mustard (powder and traditional) and really like the fiery kick this 200-year-old English mustard imparts on the ingredients it touches.
You can try it out yourself with this week's recipe for a BBQ Dry Rub that's great on both meat and veggies. For those freaked out about the addition of espresso powder, you can use regular ground coffee instead or omit this ingredient altogether. Makes it better, though!
Steven Keith writes a weekly food column for the Daily Mail. He can be reached at 304-348-1721 or dailymailfoodguy@aol.com. You can also follow him on Facebook and Pinterest as "DailyMail FoodGuy," on Twitter as "DMFoodGuy" or read his blog at http://blogs.charlestondailymail.com/foodguy.
Colman's BBQ Dry Rub
1/3 cup garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup Colman's mustard powder
1/4 cup ground cinnamon
2 cups ground decaf espresso
1 1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup ground black pepper
1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and store in a sealed jar in a cool, dry place.
2. To use, rub on meat, fish or vegetables and let sit for at least 3 hours for meat, or 30 minutes for fish or vegetables, then cook as desired.