Jamie Purviance - Webers Big Book of Burgers: The Ultimate Guide to Grilling Backyard Classics

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Writing this book felt like throwing a big ole barbecue that lasted about a year. I had the good fortune of planning, cooking, and collaborating with many of my favorite people. Some were with me from start to finish. Some stopped by for just a short visit. But each and every person contributed something wonderful to this burger extravaganza. The first people on the scene were Mike Kempster and Brooke Jones from Weber.

They dreamed a big dream for this book and then gave me everything I needed to make it real. Thank you, Mike and Brooke. It is an honor and pleasure to work with you. Susan Maruyama was right there with us every step of the way, sharing superb ideas and her good graces with everyone involved. Several other people at Weber stepped up with grilling inspiration, grilling equipment, and all-around support. I want to express my appreciation to Kim Lefko, Kevin Kolman, Jeanine Thompson, and Kim Durk.

Amy Dorsch and Deanna Budnick also deserve special mentions for their awesome work on the finished look of these pages. The hardest-working person of all was Marsha Capen. I am awed and inspired by her extraordinary dedication to getting every element just right. As the managing editor, Marsha worked closely with a top-notch design team led by creative director Shum Prats and designer Carrie Tilmann. Marsha also collaborated with the wonderful editor and writer Abby Wilson and the pure genius of their boss, Christina Schroeder. Just one of Christinas brilliant moves was bringing Kerry Trotter onto the writing team.

Thank you, Kerry, for your hilarious wit and your unfailing kindness. I have been working on Weber cookbooks with photographer Tim Turner for more than 15 years. I used to think he was great at his job. Now I think that great doesnt begin to describe his actual level of technical skills, his impressive range of creative solutions, and his impressive artistry with light and lens. I want to send special thanks to Tims photo assistant, Christy Clow, and the other members of his team, including Joe Bankmann, Matt Gagn, Josh Marrah, David Raine, Meghan Ross, and Donte Tatum. For the gorgeousness of the food and the colorful variety of presentations, we can all thank the delightful food stylist Lynn Gagn and her very talented assistant, Nina Albazi.

Wanting to write a cookbook is one thing, but actually doing it in ways that are ultimately successful requires a publishing house with a deep understanding of the business and an unwavering professionalism about how to get it done right and on time. I am grateful that Jim Childs at Oxmoor House supported this book from start to finish. Thank you, Leah McLaughlin, Felicity Keane, and Pam Hoenig, for caring so deeply about all aspects and for giving your expertise so generously. I also want to acknowledge others at Oxmoor House whose hard work and collaborative attitudes I really appreciate, specifically Tom Mifsud, Steve Sandonato, Susan Hettleman, and Vanessa Tiongson. When we talk about the food at this yearlong barbecue, I have enormous gratitude and admiration for my culinary team (the Purviance Alliance). These people finessed each and every recipe again and again so they taste as great as they possibly can.

Many thanks, especially to the following grillers: Lynda Balslev, Brigit Binns, Lena Birnbaum, David Bonom, Angela Brassinga, Linda Carucci, Tara Duggan, Sarah Epstein, Elizabeth Hughes, Allison Kociuruba, Alex Novielli, Rick Rodgers, Cheryl Sternman Rule, Andrew Schloss, and Terri Wuerthner. You guys are the best. I hope you will all come back and enjoy our next barbecue together. FOREWORD I cant imagine a world without hamburgers. Some of my fondest memories are accompanying my dad to our favorite burger drive-ins for meaty treats, along with sides of fries and shakes. Dad and I also liked to explore.

When a new burger place opened, we had to give it a try. I guess you could say that I became an accomplished burger critic before even reaching my teenage years. At home, though, hamburgers just didnt seem to be nearly as tasty and adventuresomethat is, until my dad started grilling them in the backyard. Burgers cooked in a skillet on the range top were okay, but they were a meal, not a celebration. Burgers cooked on the grill were smoky and fun, and flames sizzled the patties, imparting a special flavor. Then, when I started grilling, I was like most backyard chefs: I started with hamburgers.

Burgers were an easy entry point to the world of grilling for friends and family, but what I didnt understand was that everyone is a hamburger expert. Grilling hamburgers is like walking out on stage: expectations are high, and preparation, technique, and creativity are closely scrutinized by a semicircle of hungry grill watchers. When I pleased the onlookers with techniquethe dimpled patty, the perfectly timed flip, and the addition of cheese at the right momentI felt like a true backyard hero. Webers Big Book of Burgers stretches the definition of the hamburger as it takes you on a journey of imaginative burger recipesbut we didnt stop there. Youll also find recipes for hot dogs, sausages, brats, sides, toppings, and drinks. Plus, there are plenty of helpful tips to improve your grilling technique, so youre sure to have crowd-pleasing results every time.

This book is all about fun and flavor. Use your imagination and let Burger Guy be your guide to a whole new world that is filled with big, beautiful burgersthats my kind of world! THE BURGER GUY Here at Weber we devoted a newsletter exclusively to hamburgers several years back, and in it we introduced an illustrated character we named Burger Guy. The newsletter generated an amazing level of interest, and readers thought that the illustrations successfully captured the casual fun of a burger barbecue. When we decided to create a book celebrating burgers and sausages of all kinds, it was a unanimous decision to bring back Burger Guy. Through, youll see him shimmying his way through special features, revealing recipe-related fun facts, and causing all sorts of saucy mischief every step of the way. INTRODUCTION Imagine you are seven years old.

Its the first day of second grade, and youre the new kid in class. All morning long you have a sinking feeling that you really dont belong. At lunch, you sit in the cafeteria and watch with skepticism as a few classmates pile potato chips on their cheeseburgers. To your surprise, they motion for you to do the same, and they wait as you balance your last delicate chip in place and hold the top bun over your little tower. In unison, you and your new classmates crush each tower of chips to smithereens, laugh instinctively, and then bite into the warm cheesy patties that are dripping with meaty juices and flecked with salty chips. The ladies in the kitchen wearing paper hats shake their heads but break into laughter right along with you.

I was that seven-year-old kid, and that was when I started to love burgers and the way they made me feel. Since then, like a lot of us, Ive eaten a ridiculous number of burgers. Most estimates are that Americans eat about 50 billion burgers per year. Thats three burgers per week for each and every American. For most of my childhood, a burger meant a predictably basic version involving a thin ground beef patty tucked inside a soft enriched bun. Sometimes they had cheese, sometimes they had lettuce and tomato, but back then, we didnt have a lot of burger options.