Project Fire: Fan the Flame With Triple Steak Burgers

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Serves 4 SERVINGS

Directions

• Coarsely grind the meat in a chilled meat grinder.
• Mix well with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
• Wet your hands with cold water and form 4 patties, each 3⁄4 inch thick. Dimple the centers slightly with your thumb — burgers rise in the center as they cook, so dimpling them will ensure even cooking. Place the patties on a plate lined with plastic wrap. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate while you prepare the grill.
• Set up your grill for direct grilling, and heat it to high. Brush or scrape the grill grate clean. Oil it well.
• Remove the burgers from the refrigerator, and season them generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Arrange them on the grate, and grill until the bottoms are sizzling and browned, about 3 to 5 minutes, rotating them a quarter turn after 90 seconds, so they grill evenly. Flip the burgers, and top them with cheese, if desired. Close the grill lid and continue grilling for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the burgers are cooked through. (The USDA recommends an internal temperature of 160 F, so insert an instant-read thermometer through the side of the burger to check it before declaring it finished.)
• While the burgers cook, butter the cut sides of the buns. Place them, cut side down, on the grill, and toast them for about 1 minute, or until they’re nicely browned.
• To assemble the burgers, line the bottom of each toasted bun with a lettuce leaf to keep the burger juices from soaking into the bun. Add the burger and toppings of choice. Cover with the top buns, and serve the burgers immediately.

Photo by Kesu01

Nothing says summer quite like firing up the grill on a warm afternoon, and dishing out hamburgers and hot dogs. But a grill is capable of so much more than these summer staples, and very few people take full advantage of its power. Luckily, all it takes to fix this are the right recipes, using various ingredients and cooking methods that may be new to your grate. So get outside, fire it up, and let some of my favorite recipes show you what your grill can really do.

Triple Steak Burgers

What makes a great burger? The flavorings, the grill master’s skill, and even the shape of the roll all contribute to the overall quality of a burger. However, the most important factor may be the one that few of us have control over: the composition of the meat. It’s hard to know what’s actually in the ground beef you buy in your supermarket, but here’s your chance to take charge and determine the meat blend. My dream burger contains equal parts brisket, sirloin, and short ribs: the first for its beefiness; the second for its steakiness; and the third for its richness and fat.

To create this meat blend, you’ll need a real meat grinder — you can’t properly grind meat in a food processor. If you don’t have a meat grinder, ask your local butcher to grind the burger meat to your specs.

Method: Direct grilling. Grilled over charcoal, wood, or gas. For the best results, grill over wood or a wood-enhanced fire.

Direct vs. Indirect Grilling

Direct Grilling: This is the simplest, most straightforward, and most widely practiced method of grilling, and it’s what most people use when they fire up the grill. In a nutshell, you cook small, tender, quick-cooking foods directly over a hot fire.

Indirect Grilling: For indirect grilling, you cook the food next to (not directly over) the fire, or between two fires. This method is the choice for grilling larger cuts that direct grilling can’t handle, such as whole chickens or pork loins, and fatty cuts such as whole ducks or pork shoulders. Indirect grilling is usually done with the lid closed.

Steven Raichlen hosts “Project Smoke” and “Primal Grill” on PBS. This is an excerpt from his book Project Fire (Workman Publishing).