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This recipe won the burger category at the Canadian National Barbecue Championships in Whistler, British Columbia, in the summer of 2003. More than a burger, it is the Atkins Diet equivalent of a jelly doughnut (if you forgo the bun). It’s a lifeshaping experience that should probably be accompanied by some kind of parental guidance message. Be careful to whom you serve this—your guests may stalk you until you cook it for them again.
Ingredients
Burger Patties
1-1/2–2 lb (750 g–1 kg) lean ground beef
1/2 tsp (2 mL) freshly grated nutmeg
Four 1/2-inch (1 cm) discs of frozen Mediterranean Butter
Fixin’s
1 Tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard
Championship Barbecue Rub
4 hamburger buns
Softened Mediterranean Butter for the buns
Granulated garlic
1/2 cup (125 mL) chèvre (creamy goat cheese), at room temperature
2 large roasted red bell peppers
Caramelized Onions
Directions
1. Combine the beef and nutmeg in a large nonreactive bowl. Mix together the spice and the meat lightly with your hands, being careful not to overwork it. Split the meat into 4 equal portions and roll it into balls. Poke your thumb in the middle of each ball to create a hole and insert a frozen disc of herbed butter.
2. Encase the butter in the burger as you shape it into a classic burger shape about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick, ensuring that there are no openings where molten butter could run out. (It may be helpful to dip your hands periodically into cold water to prevent the meat from sticking to them.) Coat the burger patties lightly with the mustard and sprinkle them with a light coating of the rub. Preheat your grill to medium heat. Either spray the burgers with vegetable oil spray or coat the grill with oil. Place the burgers on the grill and cook them for 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until the patties become firm, but not hard, to the touch.
3. Remove the burgers from the grill, tent them with foil, and let them rest for 4 to 5 minutes. In the meantime, coat the buns with the softened herbed butter, sprinkle them with a little granulated garlic, and toast them for 30 to 60 seconds on your grill.
4. Dress the burgers with a slather of chèvre, a piece or two of roasted red pepper, and a dollop of caramelized onion. Inhale.
Chef’s Notes
Warn your guests that the burgers have a molten filling or they could be in for a shock! In any case, have plenty of napkins at the ready. These are very juicy burgers.
Recipe excerpted from Barbecue Secrets Deluxe by Rockin’ Ronnie Shewchuk. Published by Whitecap. Copyright 2009 by Ron Shewchuk. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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