Searching for the Perfect Burger (Part 3)
I was going to post my blackberry sorbet recipe, but I had a burger breakthrough that I wanted to talk about. After my last blog post about the perfect burger, I burnt the motor out on my meat grinder. I have really enjoyed grinding my own meat for burgers and sausage and I just can’t go back to store grind. So with a heavy heart, I tapped into my “sous vide supreme” fund and bought a new grinder. During my research for a replacement I discovered that my problem was that I was not paying close attention to the rules of using a meat grinder:
Grinder rules
- Keep your meat and grinder parts COLD
- Remove the “sliver skin” from the meat
- Re-chill meat before the second grind
- Use the coarse grind die, first
- With the “cheap” grinders, use for 10 minutes and then let it rest
Not exactly the “Ten Crack Commandments,” but following these basic steps should keep your grinder motor safe and your wallet safer.
Back to the burger, I tried 100% ground brisket and 100% ground rib-eye and discovered that while the ground brisket tasted good, it was a bit grainy and a little too lean. Besides, trimming all of that silver skin was a pain in the neck. On the other hand, the ground rib-eye was almost perfect. I used the coarse die on my new grinder and gently handled the meat to maintain a “steak like” texture of the burger. I also used a very hot, well-seasoned cast iron pan to produce a wonderful crust on the outside of the burger. The result was a tasty, juicy burger with a perfect fat/meat ratio. The one concern with using this technique is that the burger cooks quicker than normal and one must take care not to over cook the burger. My burger ended up medium-well while I was waiting for the cheese to melt. I prefer my burgers with a little bit of pink.
Even though my burger was slightly over cooked, this was one of the best burgers I have ever had. The ground ribeye is a keeper. The next step on the perfect burger journey is going to be a combination of ribeye and oxtails or ribeye and shortribs. Until then, enjoy!
Blackberry Vodka (Recipe)
Living in the Seattle area gives me access to the some of freshest fruit and vegetables in the United States and last weekend I was fortunate enough to visit with Ron & Cindi Fox of Foxberry’s Farm in Tacoma. You should go and visit their farm, because they are some of nicest farmers people that you will ever meet and their prices are amazing. What I liked best about Foxberry’s Farm was the ability to pick my own blackberries and use them as inspiration for my culinary projects this past weekend. My goal for the first project was to infuse Crater Lake vodka with blackberries and a little bit of mint. Now, most people would simply take the blackberries, put them in a jar with vodka, and wait for a few weeks. Being a bit of a geek, I decided to infuse the vodka using a ISI cream whipper and two NO2 cartridges. Why wait weeks, when it can be done in minutes?
Tools:
1 liter ISI whipper
2 NO2 cartridges
Ingredients:
250 ml Crater Lake vodka
Blackberries (enough to bring the vodka up to the maximum 500 ml level)
3 grams Mint Leaves (whole)
Application:
Add vodka, blackberries, and mint (in that order) to a 1 liter ISI cream whipper. Close whipper and add the first NO2 cartridge. Shake for 30 seconds, then add the second cartridge. Wait 60 seconds. While holding the whipper upright, quickly vent the NO2. (Note: it is a good idea to hold a cup over the nozzle to prevent spraying blackberry vodka all over your kitchen walls.) Slowly open the whipper and strain the blackberry vodka into a container. Chill in freezer for 15 minutes. Serve with a small scoop of homemade blackberry sorbet and a mint leaf.
I am so looking forward to sharing my blackberry sorbet recipe in my next post, so stay tuned for that. Enjoy!
