Spring Cleaning? ... Start with the Grill!

Finally, the weather is beginning to show signs of  spring. The temperature is starting to warm up enough to spark our desire to take some of our cooking outdoors. Generally speaking, grilling is something we can manage to do throughout the winter months. However, with the incredibly harsh winter we endured this year, unless you had a team of huskies and a dog sled, getting to the grill was virtually impossible.  

So, now is the time to fire up the grill, take out the wire brush and get the BBQ back in shape for the season!

Why not ease into things with something simple, something we crave while the grill lies dormant? Enter the burger. Without the grill, there simply isn't a burger worth cooking, is there?

For the best tasting burgers we prefer to begin preparations with a lean ground beef (90/10 works well). However, and this is important, to ensure that your burger will be a juicy delight, there needs to be enough fat in the mixture. Adding a little olive oil (2TB per lb), allows you to add back a "better" fat to lean meat. Less animal fat is always better — nutritionally speaking.  

Salt and pepper are the next most important ingredients. After that, any of the following ingredients, according to your taste, works well: garlic, worcestershire sauce, ketchup, dried onion, oregano, thyme or parsley.      

Mix all your ingredients until they are incorporated, but do not overwork the meat, as this will make the burgers tough and less juicy.

Grill them to your preferred doneness on medium heat, being careful not to push down too hard with the spatula, spilling precious juices out onto the grill.

For bread, you have options as well. The traditional potato roll is always popular, a fresh Portuguese style roll is an alternative, as is a toasted English muffin ... Personal taste prevails.

Burgers can be finished with less or more. Ketchup, steak sauce or mustards are a start. Fresh tomato, lettuce, red onion and pickles are likely additions. To add some flare, perhaps sauteed portobella mushrooms, caramelized yellow onion, Gorgonzola cheese crumbles or chipotle mayonnaise.

Now, if you prefer to add some friends to this burger bash, you might consider making the patties smaller and serving up a "slider" soiree. These mini burger delights are the perfect party food.

All of the above instructions apply with a few adjustments. Use smaller rolls — available at most grocery stores upon request and make the hamburgers fit the rolls. Set out all the condiments and vegetables on platters so that guests can "build their own." Make a simple potato salad of steamed red potatoes, mayo, and maybe some fresh dill; throw together a simple green salad and put the beer on ice.  

After the winter we endured, everyone is ready to celebrate spring. Be the first to have the neighborhood BBQ. Your friends will love you for it — even (or maybe because) it's only burgers!