I’m happy to report my recent dining conversion from knife-and-fork wielder to a pick-it-up-in-your-hands fan of America’s iconic hamburger and fries. For so many years I have regarded the hamburger as an over-laden sandwich of so-so beef in a soggy bun that had to be wolfed down before it dripped on your clothes. I wrote off burgers as a comfort food people ate out of habit not for pure pleasure.
That all changed recentl when Jimmy Bastable, an avid cook who would make a great chef if quite his day job, described his favorite burger mixture of equal parts ground beef short ribs, brisket and chuck. It sounded delicious. Whole Foods Market stores grinds up a limited amount of this premium mix for customers on summer weekends. But, it is not a proprietary formula. Any butcher can prepare this ground meat, although you may have to commit to purchasing more than a pound or two. Yes, it's more expensive than ground round steak, but it’s worth it.
A burger this delicious deserves to be eaten slowly on a bun firm enough to hold the contents, tender enough for a child to chew, yet dense enough to absorb meat juices. Store-bought hamburger buns are cloyingly sweet, soft as Kleenex and filled with additives not found in nature. So, like the little red hen, I elected to make my own hamburger buns using a recipe adapted from the King Arthur Flour's website. I eliminated the sugar and added more butter. (Recipe link)
Preparing fries to accompany this splendid burger was another challenge until I realized they didn’t have to be made with potatoes. Polenta fries are easy to make ahead and finish at the last minute. Cooking the corn grits takes five minutes. Once it has cooled to a firm consistency in a bread pan, I cut it into half-inch-thick fries and brown them under the broiler while the burgers are grilling. (Recipe link)
A dinner plate at our house is not complete without some greenery. My favorite quick salad this summer is a kale slaw made by tossing thinly sliced curly kale (stem removed), red bell pepper and scallions in a classic mustard vinaigrette (Recipe link).
I’ve finally arrived at a plate of hamburger and fries worth picking-up and savoring slowly at my summer table. Thanks, Jimmy!
