Ok, I experimented with round one, and now I think I have a much better game plan, thanks to some lovely suggestions by you friends and family!! I ended up sauteing onions, butter, olive oil until soft, then finished it off with syrup. VERY good, especially the smokiness of the onions. It was too sweet, though, and I need it to be much less.
This time, I will keep the crumbles of cheese IN the patty (they were delicious!) but also make a cheddar-maple cheese sauce that will go over the burger. To top it off, I am making a Macintosh-Cabbage slaw (with a DAB of horseradish) and buttered/grilled Kaiser roles. The maple will also go into the slaw, as will cider vinegar to give it some tang.
I will let you know more after dinner tomorrow!! Keep the suggestions coming! The more the merrier!!!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Build a Better Burger Part 1
So I love to cook, and no, this is not an imitation of Julie Powell. Far from it. I am blogging about ONE food, one purpose: to create a winning burger for the contest Build a Better Burger. HA! I am doing this because I have been watching the competition for 6 years now, and finally, have decided that I CAN try to compete........
I have come up with a unique idea for this grilled delight: combine all of the fabulous flavors from my roots in Vermont and mash them all together with beef and stick them in between some bread . . .Tonight is my first attempt at this Frankenstein-ish creation. I went to Whole Foods, the only retailer here who sells Grafton Cheddar, and was able to snag the last 8 oz. wheel! Good start. Until I realize all of the sourdough buns/rolls are sold out, so I have to stick with plain Kaiser. Any suggestions for other yummy buns? I found my Grade B syrup, at a wicked high price, but it's cool: it's from Brattleboro! Onto radishes and apples. Too bad apples are way out of season, so I settle for two kids: Granny smith (I know, not really VT but the tang will be so good!) and a firm-enough Gala. We'll see which one works better, though I believe my Granny will win.
So far I can't get enough maple flavor into the mayonnaise spread. I added 2 T. to 1/2 C. mayo and it tastes weak.....any more would make it too sweet. Hopefully, the grated radishes will add the hint of heat I am looking for, though I may need to break down and switch to fresh horseradish. Just seems SO cliche!!! Any other Vermont-y type heat sources you can recommend?
The cheese crumbles are mixed into the meat mixture. YUM! Grill goes on in T-45 minutes. Until then, just think VERMONT!!!
I have come up with a unique idea for this grilled delight: combine all of the fabulous flavors from my roots in Vermont and mash them all together with beef and stick them in between some bread . . .Tonight is my first attempt at this Frankenstein-ish creation. I went to Whole Foods, the only retailer here who sells Grafton Cheddar, and was able to snag the last 8 oz. wheel! Good start. Until I realize all of the sourdough buns/rolls are sold out, so I have to stick with plain Kaiser. Any suggestions for other yummy buns? I found my Grade B syrup, at a wicked high price, but it's cool: it's from Brattleboro! Onto radishes and apples. Too bad apples are way out of season, so I settle for two kids: Granny smith (I know, not really VT but the tang will be so good!) and a firm-enough Gala. We'll see which one works better, though I believe my Granny will win.
So far I can't get enough maple flavor into the mayonnaise spread. I added 2 T. to 1/2 C. mayo and it tastes weak.....any more would make it too sweet. Hopefully, the grated radishes will add the hint of heat I am looking for, though I may need to break down and switch to fresh horseradish. Just seems SO cliche!!! Any other Vermont-y type heat sources you can recommend?
The cheese crumbles are mixed into the meat mixture. YUM! Grill goes on in T-45 minutes. Until then, just think VERMONT!!!
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