(TIP: Don't forget to share this article with your friends.)

Memorial Day Third Most Popular Day for Grilling Viewed 101,882 times

By: Lee Everton

Published for Providence, Utah (Area-Info.net May. 22, 2012)

The official start of the summer season is coming up in just a few days on Memorial Day. Along with family gatherings, trips to the mountains, lakes and beaches, nearly 71% of us will include grilling in our plans. According to the Weber Grill company, a full 71% of the American population uses their grills on Memorial Day (July 4th is in first place with 90% of the population grilling). This year, will probably be right there with good weather planned for most places around the country.

Because burgers are the most popular meet for grilling over the holidays with 85% of the people planning to grill burgers (steaks are 80%, hotdogs 79% and chicken 73%), I thought it would be a good idea to help you be a little unique with your burger preparation with a secret family recipe for a juicy and flavorful burger.

If you love using pre-shaped hamburger patties out of the freezer, please stop reading.

However, if your idea of a great burger is buying ground beef and shaping your own burgers, this recipe will be for you.

My Best Burger
Since I purchased my smoker grill, I am a fan of indirect heat to “grill” meats on the grill. So, I look for ways to keep the juices in the meat. You might use a pan with a lid, or tinfoil to wrap the burgers.

This recipe makes four burgers:
2 lbs quality ground beef
1 small yellow onion finely chopped (optional)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbs soy sauce
½ tsp crushed oregano
½ tsp ground sage
1 dried hot pepper, crushed or finely chopped
Fresh ground pepper to taste
½ tsp kosher salt

Thoroughly mix all ingredients by hand in a large bowl (have to get your hands dirty). Separate into four meat balls and then flatten and shape. Finished burgers should be about 1 inch thick. I try to keep the meet compressed together as tightly as possible so the burgers don’t break apart.

I cook these quite often in a frying pan in my house. However, on the grill, I use either a grill safe pan which you can cover, or place on tinfoil so the flames don’t touch the meat. Cook each burger on the first side about three minutes. After cooking the second side, cover and let the burgers cook (creating their own steam) for another six minutes. When finished, let the burgers rest for a couple of minutes on a plate and serve. Often, we won’t even eat these burgers on a bun. The burgers taste great and go well with a baked potato, or rice.

Simple gravy:
To the pan drippings from the burgers, add:
2 cups beef bouillon

Bring the drippings and bouillon to a boil and let reduce for a minute or two. You can skim if you want.

1 ½ Tbs Corn Starch mixed in ¼ cup cold water.
Slowly stir in at least half of this mixture to thicken the gravy just a little bit. Gravy is great over rice or over the cooked burger.

One way I can tell this burger is good, is by the reaction of my wife. If there is no talking for awhile, I know she is enjoying the meal. If you are one of the 85% who enjoy grilling burgers over the Memorial Day weekend, try this recipe and let me know how it goes for you. You may find a new “calling” in your family.

Have a great weekend!

---

Lee Everton enjoys writing occasional articles and observing all aspects of life. Lee believes: "Life is an adventure. Live it." In the past, Lee published Everton's Genealogical Helper and was the inspiration behind the original Everton.com website. Become a friend on facebook. Follow on Google + Lee Everton
 
 
(TIP: Share your opinion, or news from your point of view: Go to Your View)