Comaburgers

As I mentioned in my last entry (before Blogger went crazy and wouldn't let me write anymore), the weather is positively balmy outside, and the world seems to have spring fever this weekend. All over the neighborhood I hear children playing, lawns being mown, and the telltale scent of charred meat wafts through the air.



And so, of course, it was time for hamburgers. And not just any hamburger, but the winner of the 2005 Build A Better Burger contest, the venerable "Grilled California Avocado BLT Burger wth Caramalized Chipotle Onions". It's even more of a mouthful to eat.

As usual, I took liberties with the recipe, made it smaller, etc. The link above will take you to the original creation, if you are a recipe purist. I have to say, this is probably one of the best hamburgers I have ever eaten. Ever. PERIOD. It is that good, folks. Paired with grilled corn and slow baked beans, it will put you in heaven.


Now, why "Comaburgers"? First of all, I didn't quite follow the original recipe and I find typing it out to be a tiresome task. Secondly, these burgers have a unique narcoleptic effect. After eating them, Chris and I both felt the need to lie down and ultimately went to bed early. Today, I had a dialed-down version for lunch, and promptly took a nap with Buster the beagle. Dangerous stuff. But, so amazing.

Comaburgers
serves 4

for the caramelized chipotle onions:

.5 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp Tabasco Smoked Chipotle sauce
1 tsp stock, any flavor (water will do in a pinch)
1 tsp basalmic vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp brown sugar


Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the rest of the ingredients, tossing well to combine and cover onions. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until tender and sweet. Keep warm until ready to serve.

for the bleu cheese spread:

.25 c. herbed spreadable cheese (I used Boursin)
2 Tbsp. bleu cheese crumbles
(or, try melting some good pimento cheese instead)


Combine cheeses in a small saucepan. Heat gently over a low flame until soft and easily combined. Cover and keep warm.

for the patties:

1 lb. ground beef (I used Laura's Lean Beef)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 Tbsp. Tabasco Smoked Chipotle sauce
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
8 avocado slices
basalmic vinegar
4 leaves of lettuce
4 slices cooked bacon (very crispy turkey bacon works, too)
4 hamburger buns, split

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. Remind me sometime to rant about the inferiority of gas grills.

Combine the beef, herbs, Chipotle sauce, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Handling the meat as little as possible, mix well. Divide into four equal portions, and keep in mind that wider, thinner burgers are less likely to cook up into hockey pucks.


Place the patties on the grill and cook, turning once, 5-6 minutes per side for medium doneness. While the burgers are grilling, brush the avocado slices with basalmic vinegar and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cut your cooked bacon slices in half. Lightly toast your buns during the last minute of burger cooking.

To assemble: spread the cheese mixture evenly on all cut bun sides. On each roll bottom, place a lettuce leaf, a patty, an equal portion of the caramalized onions, 2 bacon halves, and 2 avocado slices. Smoosh the roll tops on, and dig in!


So there you go, these burgers are to die for. Or, at least, worth the coma. Labor intensive, yes, but it's for a very good cause--enjoy!

Steak au Poivre

I have admitted in the past to be a raging Francophile, so it shouldn't surprise you that this is one of my favorite ways to eat steak. The super easy pan sauce really makes the dish, and if you use a good cut of meat you will be left with a show stopper. Serve this with some roasted potatoes and a great salad, and you'll leave them begging for more. Oo-la-la!


Steak au Poivre
serves 2

2 6-oz. beef tenderloins*, at least 1 inch thick
cracked peppercorns
coarse sea salt
2 Tbsp butter, divided
.5 Tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
.25 cup beef stock
3 Tbsp cognac or brandy

*Other good cuts are New York Strips, Ribeyes, and Hanger steaks.

Place filet on a board and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle both sides with coarse salt and cracked pepper, pressing the grains in evenly. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.


Heat 1 Tbsp of the butter and all of the olive oil in a large, heavy saute pan over medium high heat until the butter is almost smoking. Place the steaks in the pan and lower heat to medium (turn your range fan on, it will get smoky!).Saute the steaks for 3 minutes on one side, 2 minutes on the other for medium rare meat (longer if the steaks are thicker than 1 inch). Remove the steaks to a platter and cover well with foil--they continue to cook while resting, so be careful to not over cook.

Pour off fat if there appears to be more than a Tbsp or two remaining in the pan. To the one Tbsp of hot pan fat, add the shallots and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the beef broth and cook over high heat for 4-5 minutes, until reduced by half, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.


Add the cognac or brandy and cook over high for 1-2 more minutes. Off the heat, swirl in the remaining Tbsp of butter and a pinch of salt. Serve the steaks hot with the pan sauce spooned over the top. We ended up eating this fine meal on the couch so that I could get my "American Idol" fix, and Buster watched us from the position all night. How can you not want to make something that so enraptured this little dog? Worth every penny!

A kitchen garden.

Joyeux anniversaire à moi! It has been one month since I started this blog, and I'm celebrating by starting a kitchen garden. I am very lucky to have a door off my kitchen that leads to a part of the yard with an arbor, patio, and elevated flower bed. It's the perfect spot for grilling and for the year we've lived here I've had big ideas about turning the bed into a primarily herb garden.



And now, it's becoming a reality! It is still early in the season so I can only plant a few things--yesterday I put lettuces, rosemary, lavender, and strawberries in the ground. I am also trying to sprout some radishes, since I have trouble finding the young, tender radishes I became addicted to in France in this part of the country.





Even though there's no recipe here, I've submitted this to Weekend Herb Blogging over at Kalyn's Kitchen. Check out her recap, there are always tons of great recipes!