Hamburgers, one of my earliest backyard grilling memories. Our Family would get together, usually on the weekends, and have a hamburger and ice cream supper as we say here in Texas. I can fondly remember sitting on top of the old ice cream freezer while my Dad, Uncles and Granddad took turns at spinning the old hand crank attached to the water soaked wooden ice bucket.
Today, the hoodless grill would resemble a throw away variety you would take to the beach, but then we were in tall cotton and in for some delicious eating. The ice cream would be flavored most of the time with a can of crushed pineapple. Or, just maybe, someone would have given us some fresh ripe peaches to mash and toss into the vanilla ice cream mixture.
Cooking out then was a real big treat for the entire family, always with a lot of laughter, running and playing.
Grilling the hamburgers soon became my responsibility, even though I was only about 10 years old at the time. Carefully building the charcoal fire in that old grill we had was a test of my better Boy Scout skills. Once the charcoal was covered in a fine white ash the grilling could begin.
The ice cream was being packed in more ice mixed with a generous amount of rock salt mixture to be allowed to season, while we all ate our terrific tasting hamburgers always topped with lettuce, red ripe tomatoes and onions. The catsup bottle would be passed around as everyone would take their turn, shaking or popping the bottom of the bottle to get the thick tomato sauce from the jar.
Ribs today are one of my favorite backyard treats, but the hamburgers still to this day come sliding across the plate for a delicious grilling feast.
Ah the ribs, good tender slab of ribs with the meat falling off the bone, slathered with a generous portion of smoky chipotle barbecue sauce. Just enough heat in the sauce to add a nice warm blanket right on top of your tongue. Did you know the chipotle is nothing more than the Jalapeno smoked and dried usually with mesquite wood? They are quite delicious giving a nice smoky flavor to your food.
Guacamole is also a favorite topping with just about any grilled meat, especially beef, pork or chicken.
Creaming those fresh ripe avocados together with a nice garden ripe tomatos, chopped green onions, try a little chopped chipotle as well. Season your delicious concoction with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, toss in some cilantro, salt and pepper and call it a meal by it self.
Thick juicy T-Bone steaks are a great treat as well as chicken fajitas. Fun to do because everyone gets to pile their own into a large flour tortilla made just to suit them.
Yes grilling today is just as much fun today as it was when I was growing up. The old three legged grill has long since been tossed onto the trash heap. Replaced with a big cast iron wood smoker and grill, sure
I have a handy gas grill for almost daily use but nothing is better than firing up the old trusty smoker.
My great nieces and nephews are now the ones running and playing. They are always beaming with delight as the scoops of homemade fresh peach ice cream is served up with one of “Nana’s” homemade cookies.
Someday though I think I will pull out the old hand cranked ice cream freezer. After all, they are missing one of the best parts of the family cookout. Sitting on the old freezer, holding it down while their Dad,
Uncle and Granddad take turns cranking the old beast.
I wonder if they would sit still that long?
Super Juicy Grilled Burgers with Blue Cheese and Avocado
There are two things you need for super juicy, flavorful grilled burgers: Fat and seasonings. For the best tasting burgers, choose ground meat with a higher fat content. For example, pick regular ground beef instead of ground chuck, ground round, or ground sirloin. If the package labeling doesn’t clearly indicate what you are buying, don’t be afraid to ask the person behind the meat counter to point you in the right direction.
Ground beef doesn’t have much flavor, so it is important to add additional seasoning to it. For this recipe, a combination of sweet Italian pork sausage, salt, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, onion, garlic, and fresh rosemary are used to pack a lot of flavor into each bite. As an added bonus, the Worcestershire sauce and onion increase the juiciness of the burger without adding extra fat.
Tip: This recipe doesn’t specifically call for bacon, but it would be a wonderful addition to the blue cheese and avocado.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 8-10 minutes
Yields: 8 burgers
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. regular ground beef
- 1 lb. ground sweet Italian pork sausage (no casings)
- 3 T. Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ c. white onion, very finely minced
- 4 cloves garlic, very finely minced
- 3 T. fresh rosemary, stems removed and leaves finely minced
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- Blue cheese, crumbled
- 8 hamburger buns, lightly toasted*
- 2 T. unsalted butter, melted
*To toast buns, brush the inside surface of each bun with the melted butter and place over indirect heat while the burgers are cooking.
Toppings:
- Leaf lettuce
- Tomato, sliced
- Avocado, sliced
Directions:
- Clean grill grates and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Pre-heat grill to high.
- Add ground beef, sausage, Worcestershire sauce, onion, garlic, and rosemary to a large glass bowl. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and combine thoroughly. Make sure both types of meat and all seasonings are completely incorporated throughout the mixture.
- Divide meat mixture into 8 equal parts and shape each part into ¾-inch thick patties. Place patties on a lined tray and use your thumb to create an indent in the middle to keep them from puffing up while cooking.
- Place patties over direct, high heat on your grill and cook for 8-10 minutes.
Tip: Actual cooking time will depend on desired level of doneness, so check after 4-5 minutes and adjust final cook time accordingly. (According to the USDA, the safe internal temperature for ground beef and pork is 160°F. Use an instant read thermometer to confirm).
5. Flip and move burgers to indirect heat 2-3 minutes before they are done. Top with blue cheese and close lid to allow cheese to melt completely.
6. Transfer burgers to a platter and serve immediately on toasted hamburger buns and topped with lettuce, tomato, and avocado slices. Enjoy!
