Janet Murphy - The Great Big Burger Book: 100 New and Classic Recipes for Mouthwatering Burgers Every Day Every Way

The Harvard Common Press
535 Albany Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02118
www.harvardcommonpress.com

2003 by Jane Murphy and Liz Yeh Singh
Photographs 2003 by Duane Winfield

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

Printed on acid-free paper

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Murphy, Jane
The great big burger book : 100 new and classic recipes for mouthwatering burgers every day every way / Jane Murphy and Liz Yeh Singh.
p. cm.
ISBN 1-55832-246-9 (hc)ISBN I-55832-247-7 (pbk)
I. Cookery (Meat) 2. Hamburgers. 3. Meat substitutes. I. Singh, Liz Yeh. II. Title.
TX749 .M937 2003
641,6'6dc21
2002015395
Special bulk-order discounts are available on this and other Harvard Common Press books. Companies and organizations may purchase books for premiums or resale, or may arrange a custom edition, by contacting the Marketing Director at the address above.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Book design by Richard Oriolo
Cover design by Night & Day Design
Cover and interior photographs by Duane Winfield

To Jerry and Ravihusbands extraordinaire and the two guys who willingly downed all the burgers, watched familiar surroundings transformed into test kitchens, withstood on-the-spot grilling of the questioning kind, and responded with their own flavor takes and critiqueswe offer hugs and kisses and, of course, leftovers.

From its national debut at the 1904 Worlds Fair in St. Louis, the humble hamburger has become an American culinary icon. Its what makes McDonalds arches golden. Its the saving grace of parents short on time and college students short on skill. Its also the staple of every Fourth of July barbecue. Whether youre a red-meat lover or a devoted vegetarian, theres a burger for you: filet mignon, turkey, tofu, black bean, tunathe list is endless.

Nothing dominates menus across the United States like the burger. It has spawned legions of famous burger joints, from the fabled Fatburger in Hollywood to Poppys Grill in New Orleans to New York Citys Jackson Hole. Americans cant stop their craving for this popular comfort food. In fact, The Dictionary of American Food and Drink says that the average American eats 3 hamburgers per week. That adds up to about 38 billion burgers a year, or 3 out of every 5 sandwiches we eat.

Sandwich, you gasp? Yes, the hamburger is, at its core, a sandwich. The American Heritage Dictionary defines it as a sandwich made with a patty of ground meat, usually in a roll or bun. But the definition of a burger is a loose one. In these anticarbohydrate days, more Americans than ever are leaving the buns behind (so to speak). So a burger doesnt necessarily mean a whole sandwichit can be just the patty itself.

The hamburger is the most democratic of dishes. Its that pure American invention that offers something for everyone. Choose your proteinfish, turkey, chicken, or veggie. Burgers can be made ahead and kept in the fridge, ready for last-minute cooking. They freeze wellthe perfect solution when you dont want to cook or go out or even think about what to make. And theres a burger for every meal of the day. Try Snapper Hash Burgers for brunch. Think Spicy Black Bean Burgers for lunch. Sit down to Chicken Marsala Burgers for dinner. Make mini-burgers and serve them as a fun appetizer or first course. Burgers are one of the most user-friendly dishes youll ever make.

Counting calories? Make burgers from fish, poultry, or veggies and tempt your taste buds with Grilled Mustard-Dill Turkey Burgers or Salmon Burgers in Grape Leaves. Our Juicy Portobello Burgers with Mesclun are so rich and meaty, you might not think theyre vegetarian. And if you broil, grill, or even steam your burgers, theres no additional fat.

Bored with the same old burger served up with ketchup? Serve your burgers ethnic style. Head south of the border with our Guacamole Burgers with Spicy Chili Con Queso or try our Asian Tuna Burgers. Dig into our Italian-inspired Tuscan Turkey Burgers or go Greek and bring down the frat house with our Hellenic Lamb Burgers.

If youre feeling fancy, you can take it uptown with chef Reed Hearons decadent Rich Mans Hamburger, or try our very own Duck Burgers with Wild Rice Pancakes. Impress your guests with elegant and luxurious Lobster Burgers with Hearts of Palm and Sauce Verte. No matter how you serve it, the burger is delicious in all its incarnations.

Incredible as it sounds, we know that man (and woman) cannot live by burgers alone, so weve created a cornucopia of toppings and sauces to go with your burgers. Choose Fiesta Corn Salsa, Wasabi Mayo, or Balsamic Tomato Glaze; make your own Kick-Ass Ketchup from scratch; or cool your heels with Cucumber Mint Sauce or Carrot Daikon Slaw. Theres a menu of possibilities.

We hope you find The Great Big Burger Book indispensable. Armed with this arsenal of recipes, you can turn your meals into something extraordinary. And feel free to invent your own burgers, mixing and matching burgers and toppings to suit your tastes and cravings. Go ahead, beef up your burger repertoire and get cooking!

You can find Your way across this country using burger joints the way a navigator uses stars.... We have munched Bridge burgers in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge and Cable burgers hard by the Golden Gate, Dixie burgers in the sunny South and Yankee Doodle burgers in the North.... We had a Capitol burgerguess where? And so help us, in the inner courtyard of the Pentagon, a Penta burger.

Charles Kuralt

Folks know a good burger when they see and taste one. Its easy to make and great to eatif you follow a few simple rules. Here are some key burger tips that separate the hacks from the pros.

• Dont fuss with the burger mixture. The less you handle it, the juicier and more tender your burger will be. Mix the ingredients together until just combined.
• Form the patty gently between your hands. This is not a stress balldont knead the mixture, pack it too tightly, or pummel it. TLC is good for a burgerfeel the love! You can also use a mold, but we like to form it by hand to have more control over the shape.
• Accept your burger for what it is. Like people, burgers come in different sizes. Some burgers have lots of add-ins and are hefty. Others, particularly some seafood and veggie varieties, are delicate and simply wont hold together if they are too large. Some burgers have ethnic origins that dictate they get formed into smaller shapes or eaten in smaller portions. Sometimes a burgers shape and thickness are simply a matter of choice.
• Weigh the cooking pros and cons. We think nothing beats an outdoor grill when it comes to cooking burgers. But a cast-iron-skillet also will do an awesome job. A regular skillet is goodespecially for delicate fish and veggie burgers or for burgers that are simmered in saucebut avoid grill pans, which make dry burgers and dont sear well. Broiling is also a good alternative to grilling.