BURGERS WITHOUT BEEF
It’s the height of grilling season, which means that the seasonal novelty has worn off, new recipes earmarked over the winter have been tested and burgers should have slid into that traditional ‘easy summer dinner’ slot. In fact, with all the grills available now, indoors as well as out, burgers can be a quick meal option all year. See posts Aug. 30, 2012 and Sept. 28, 2017.
However, there’s been a big ingredient change. The ‘burger’ isn’t necessarily beef. In 2008, we were warned, due to the draught, the herds had to be culled, raising prices. The herds were restored by 2010, but beef prices haven’t, and won’t, be coming down. Unfortunately, at that same time, our government lost control over our food supply, both agriculture and husbandry. Both are now run by international conglomerates. See post Jan. 14, 2021-*Footnote-The Story is Simple
Nevertheless, the lure of enjoying the warm sunny weather, while keeping the heat and mess of cooking out of the kitchen is irresistible, especially on a busy weeknight or if it involves entertaining and burgers are still the simplest things to make and eat for an outdoor meal. In my post of June 10, 2014, I offered options to beef burgers but those five are only a start and even among them allow for variations. Do check them out because they are delicious, far from boring and slightly more elegant than the recipes below.
Pork and poultry burger toppings can be switched. Sliced, sweet, ripe fruit like mangos and peaches, or dried berries like cranberries are interchangeable or they could be add-ins on the mustard glazed burgers. All the seasonings in lamb recipes can be replaced by simply brushing the meat with mint sauce* before and during cooking and eliminating the cumin from the mint-yogurt sauce at the end. Cooked peppers and onions can be added to poultry recipes as toppings. Parmesan or Mozzarella can be added to the sausage burgers. As I always say – the possibilities are endless, use your imagination and you’ll be a family hero. Also, serving the burgers on different types of buns is a good way to arouse interest-rye, pretzel, ciabatta…..
* Mint Sauce; Lee and Perrins make a good one, but to do your own: Remove heavy stems from a bunch of mint and wash well. Cover the mint with cider vinegar, and bring to a boil, reduce heat add sugar, or sweetener to taste. Simmer until mint is cooked, about 4 min. Cool and blend until leaves are very fine. Bottle in glass (I use clean salad dressing bottles), cool completely, cap securely and store in a cool dark place. Keeps for years; Also good on vegetables, on fruit and in salads. Since this sauce contains sugar which burns quickly, use it sparingly and mixed with a bit of oil to prevent the meat sticking to the grill until the final 2-3 min of cooking. This is really a case where the cook must exercise judgment, because the size of the meat rolls, the heat of the coals and the distance of the grate from the fire are variables. Just keep an eye on it.
I’ll repeat a few tips from the 2014 post to ease your path.
1.The ground meat sold in rolls. Both in the freezer and in the meat counter are essentially minced. They are too compact to stretch to the required portions and too brittle to hold up under grilling. That’s why I advise the butcher ground meat found in packaged in the meat counter.
2. Poultry is dryer than other meats and may need a binder to insure it’s stable enough for the grill. Egg is the best option to bind it, but other things may help as well or in addition to egg.
3.Cooked rice, leftover mashed potatoes or milk dampened fresh breadcrumbs are good choices added in the ½ cup to l lb. meat ratio. All will bind meat, and if needed, stretch it to fit the required amount. Remember though, these things are neutral in taste and may dilute the flavor you want to achieve. Be sure to taste to see if you need to increase the seasonings.
4.Fresh or dried breadcrumbs are usually recommended to bind ground meat, but grilling things, especially poultry is a special case. Standing up to the grate on a grill is different than being cooked in a pan and the dryness makes a patty difficult to turn over, and can make it unpleasant to eat. Molding meat into kebobs and cooking it on skewers is a good solution.
5.One way to make it easier for the meat on skewers to hold together on the grill grate is to dip the filled skewers into boiling water for a second or two before putting them on the grill—just long enough for the egg to set and bind them.
6.Bamboo skewers need to be soaked before using, but soak a pack at a time, and freeze them, then there will always be some ready. Remember to grease them so the meat will slide off without breaking.
RECIPES– These meats are leaner than beef, so keep a small dish of oil by the grill and brush the patties before cooking and when turning to prevent sticking.
Basic Chicken or Turkey Burger: Serves 4
1 lb. ground chicken or turkey
1 tsp. garlic powder or 2 cloves crushed
1 tsp. lemon zest or ½ tsp lemon pepper –omit salt if using this
1 thick slice white bread-crusts off-soaked in milk for 15 min.
1 egg
1 Tbs. dried parsley
¼ tsp. nutmeg
Flour
Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Shape into 4 patties on a floured board. Make a dent I the top of each to stop puffing during cooking. Cook on a hot grill until done-about 5 min. per side. Top each burger with a grilled peach half.
Ham Burgers: Serves 4
1 lb. cooked ham ground-roast leftovers or deli ends
1 egg
1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
¼ tp. Muted powder
Pinch ground cloves
Pepper to taste
3 Tbs. milk or more if needed
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and shape into 4 patties. Chill until set, about 15-20 min. Grill until nicely marked, turning once. Top with a slice of grilled pineapple.
Lamburgers: Serves 4
1 lb. ground lamb
1 egg
1 Tbs. minced onion
1 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
¼ tsp. dried rosemary
Ground black pepper
¼ tsp. lemon pepper or to taste
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and shape into 4 patties. Chill until ready to cook, can be made a day ahead if kept covered. Cook over hot coals for 10 min. turning once until done.
Top with the following sauce:
1 cup plain yogurt
3 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
¼ tsp. cumin powder
Mix the 3 ingredients and chill at least 30 min. Serve on or with the burgers.
Chaurice: Serves 4
2 lb. ground pork
1 medium onion grated
1-2 cloves minced garlic-to taste
1 tsp. Tabasco
1 tsp. EACH ground black pepper, parsley flakes, dried thyme
1 Bay leaf-crumbled
Salt to taste
1/8 tsp. allspice
Mix the ingredients and form into 4 patties. Grill over low heat until crispy on both sides turning once. Serve topped with a slice of tomato and, optionally spinach leaves or chopped Romaine.
Salmon Burgers: Serves 4
1 lb. salmon-canned or frozen fillets
1 egg
1 cup cracker crumbs
1 Tbs. lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
If using canned salmon, pick any skin and bones out. I prefer using the frozen fillets available in packages in most stores. Allowing one fillet per serving, poach the fish about 8 min. cool and flake. Mix all the ingredients and form into 4 patties and grill over medium heat about 5 min. per side until browned. Serve with Dill Sauce:
½ cup sour cream
¾ cup mayonnaise
1 Tbs. dried dill weed
Mix the ingredients until smooth and chill at least 2 hours before serving.
