I have decided to do a blog post about cheeseburgers, the ultimate in summertime grill traditions. The plan is to reinvent the American classic, ranging from super gourmet, to the down right greasy and delicious. Un-notch your belt and get ready to enter flavor country with my salute to cheeseburgers.
The ShaBoom ShaBoom’s Special
My first burger of the summer is an ever-evolving delight I started making at my first job working in a truck stop diner. The original burger; a modified bacon “Big Mac”, had two burgers and a fried egg over medium replacing the bun in the middle. Breakfast and cheeseburgers just mix well. This one is my house specialty.
This year’s model was ground lamb, breadcrumbs and fresh herbs from the garden mixed well and brushed with olive oil. I used pancetta for bacon and got it nice and crispy. Right when the burgers flipped and you put your cheese on have your egg going or already waiting.
We had a particularly good wheel of Raclette, which inspired me to start grilling this year; I cut myself a nice big wedge and used it for several burgers I will be telling you about. It melts like cheese wiz and when cold it is easy enough to cut into perfect slices. When your cheese is dripping and your bun is toasted, get your fixin’s. I like mayonnaise or if you can find it Mexican
mayonesa, with lettuce for some crisp wet texture and if you can fit them on there, sautéed mushrooms.
To sum it up; it two all lamb paddies, Mexican sauce, goopy melted cheese, runny yolk, crisp salty pancetta, on a sesame seed bun.
T.G.I.F.C - Thank God it’s Fried Cheese
For this burger, I wanted to do something new to me or anywhere on the menu. The cheeseburger has been around for quite some time, there is not too much you can do that has not been done. Burgers and crispy fried appetizers are a perfect combination, so this time I decided to mix the two together.
I started with a nice thick, very cold piece, of Raclette rolled in eggs and covered it in flour and then froze it. Repeat this processes at least once, if you use a softer cheese you may want to repeat more for a thicker shell to protect the cheese while frying. I used my deep fryer set to 400 degrees, but a simple frying pan with enough oil to almost cover the block will suffice.
This one puts the emphasis on the CHEESE-burger, not much else required. I just used some thinly cut red onions, lettuce for crunch and some mayonesa. Needless to say this molten hot showstopper with a nice cold beer has been the star of the summer so far.
The Pink Lady
Working at Dibruno’s in the market I am surrounded by the best food available to anyone living in Philadelphia, inspiration is bound to strike left and right. One of the simplest pleasures we sell are our cheese spreads. The may not be as fancy as Basque cheese, but they sure make a mean cheeseburger.
This next burger is for the Ladies in the room, I used our pink Provolone and Chianti spread for on top. This could be substituted for any of our 11 flavors but the Provolone spread takes longer to totally melt and adds a funky color combo to your meal. The fact that the spread will not melt entirely gives you a big dose of cheese in each bite. I topped this on with bitter greens and plenty of spicy Falott ginger bread mustard.
