Happy Father’s Day

By Lori Powell

To all the dads out there who love a barbecue...this one’s for you!

I grew up in a small cape house on Long Island with four brothers. Even the dog was a boy. So it’s funny that whenever grilling was involved, and especially protein, I was the go-to grill girl!

Even if I wasn’t technically manning the grill, one of my brothers would be yelling for me to come over and do the finger test to see if the meat was done. I had the magic touch to see if a steak or chop was cooked to perfection. In the case of steak, medium rare for most of the crowd and then…yikes, well done for my dad.

You see, after cooking and playing a chef in real life, I have the Midas touch with rarely a misstep. These days I am happy to be the one not standing over a hot grill and then just sweeping in when needed to declare dinner is done or if it needs a bit more time on the grill.

So in honor of the day and my dad, here’s a recipe for a delicious grilled burger (his favorite indulgence). I would, however, change up the well doneness to something a little more palatable – to at least medium!

Also go for the extra expense in a celebratory gesture for the man and the day. Buy grass-fed beef because it tastes like beef used to, meaning delicious, is better for you and supports the grass-fed industry.

To get the recipe and shopping list on your smartphone (iPhone, BlackBerry, Android device) or PC, click here.

Dad’s Burger
Serves 1

6 ounces ground beef, preferably grass fed
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot, onion or green part of the scallion (scallion gives a nice hit of green)
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil
2 thick rounds red onion slices
Slice of Cheddar, Swiss or provolone cheese
1 burger bun, halved and toasted
1/4 cup cooked sliced mushrooms (see note)
Bread and butter pickles or dill pickles
Small leaf of romaine or green leaf lettuce
1 slice tomato
Organic ketchup

1. Heat grill to medium heat. Gently mix together beef, Worcestershire, shallot, garlic and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Form into a patty making a depression in the center with your finger. This will help to keep the burger in a flat disc instead of doming up when it cooks which will make it easier to top and eat.
2. Spray or brush burger and onion on both sides with olive oil and grill, turning, topping burger with cheese during last few minutes of cooking, about 4 minutes for onion and 10 minutes total for medium done burger.
3. Sandwich burger in bun with onion, mushrooms, pickles, lettuce, tomato and ketchup as desired.

Note: To cook mushrooms, in small skillet heat oil over medium heat, add sliced mushrooms, season with a little salt and sauté until mushrooms given up their juices; continue to sauté until mushrooms are lightly browned, about 5 minutes total.

More fun toppings:

• Hot red pepper jelly
• Asian chili sauce
• Kimchi
• Tomato chutney
• Slaw
• Cooked sliced bacon or Canadian bacon
• Fried egg
• Smoked cheeses such as Mozzarella or Gouda
• Pickled onions, peppers such as peppadews, or pepperoncini (found in the olive bar of a supermarket or in the pickle aisle)
• Russian, blue cheese or ranch dressing
• Tomato or fruit salsa
• Tapenade (olive spread)
• Tzatziki sauce (Greek cucumber dill sauce)
• Pesto of sundried tomato, cilantro, basil or arugula
• BBQ sauce
• Marinated artichokes
• Grilled veggies such as zucchini, eggplant, peppers and scallions

More stuff for mixing in:

• Any of the above, chopped if pieces are too large
• Fresh herbs
• Sesame oil, wasabi paste and chopped pickled ginger for an Asian flavor profile
• Seeds and chopped nuts for texture
• Chopped chipotle in adobo to kick up the heat
• Cooked beans
• Chopped mushrooms, which will add moisture while cooking
• Seasoned salts
• Spices such as chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, dried herbs, seasoning blends, rubs
• Pork and veal added to the beef.
• Shredded Parmesan, Cheddar or other cheeses
• Chopped bacon
• Actually anything that you would put in a meatloaf would work, since a burger is like a mini loaf but the bread is in the bun; not the crumbs

Special Fork is a recipe website for your smartphone and PC that solves the daily dinnertime dilemma: what to cook now! Our bloggers blog Monday through Friday to give you cooking inspiration. Check out our recipe database for quick ideas that take no more than 30 minutes of prep time. Join the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Related posts:

1. Happy Chinese New Year
2. Happy Holidays from Special Fork
3. Eggplant Parmesan
4. Super-Speedy Dinner for One Features Naan Bread
5. Kitchen Yoga