Blue Cheese Burgers

This week, I discovered a delicious-sounding grilling recipe on one of the food blogs I follow (simplyrecipes.com...highly recommend it!). I've been on the war path for creative grilling recipes since we just finished jazzing up our small back patio (see beauteous photo below). I finally have a grill...and there's a world of cooking open to me that was untouchable a month ago.

Anyhow, the glorious recipe is for blue cheese burgers. Burgers with cheese MIXED IN. Cheesiness throughout the patty.

Let that sink in a moment.

Ok. So if you're like me, right now you're bemoaning the fact that you never thought of this yourself. (Or maybe you did...in which case, I salute you.) I mean...it's pure genius! Blue cheese doesn't melt like crazy, so it's a perfect burger mix-in.

Here's the original recipe from simplyrecipes.com:

• 1 pound ground beef (16-20%)
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese (get Pt. Reyes blue cheese if you can find it)
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp water
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Because I'm a cheese maniac, I modified this recipe by adding the entire 1 cup container of blue cheese. In retrospect, I should have known this could cause problems, but I merrily went ahead toward the promise of ultra-cheesiness. Not sure what exactly did it, but most of one of the burgers was devoured by the grill. Just split and fell right through the grate. It was really difficult to flip the burgers...they just crumbled. So. I revisited the recipe and tried again, with much better results. Not to mention I thought of a delicious way to complement the blue cheese with spiciness...those ingredients are starred so you can avoid them if you don't like spicy food. I don't like super-spicy food, but I cook for someone who does...so I try to accommodate tastes. :)

Kerri's No-More-Blue-Grillin' Spicy Blue Cheese Burgers

• 1 pound ground beef (80/20 recommended)
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 cup crumbled blue cheese 
• 1 egg
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• Salt and pepper
• 3T Tabasco sauce*
  
• 1t ground cayenne pepper*

1. Mix ingredients well. I like to mix by hand, but you might want to wear a glove if you are mixing in the spicy ingredients. I might be a bit oversensitive, but I personally do not find it enjoyable to spend an entire day with a burning sensation under my fingernails.

2. Divide the meat. Divide the mixture into as many equal-sized lumps as you want burgers. This recipe generally yields between 4 and 6 burgers.

3. Pat the burgers. Seize one of the lumps of meat. Cup it in your hands and squash it into as tight of a ball as you can. Flatten your hands and squish the ball so it's flat, about 1/2" thick. Using your thumbs, push in the sides of the patty so there aren't any pieces sticking out. Those tend to burn off and also make the structure of the patty weaker. Flattening the sides also allows you to make the patty round and equally thick the whole way across. Keep turning and flattening until you're happy with it. I like to make a depression in the middle of each patty. For some reason, it helps the burgers to cook more quickly and evenly. Mysterious.

4. Grill the burgers. Put the grill on high. If you have a bun rack, I highly suggest you use it. No. Use it. You will thank me when you're eating the burger instead of picking its charred remains from the insides of your grill. The bit of extra distance from the flame allows the burger to get a nice crust on the outside without being burned. That way, you can actually flip the burger after a few minutes instead of destroying it. If you do not have a bun rack, only turn half of your burners on high...and put the burgers on the opposite side. Put the burner under that side on super-low.

Variations: I was thinking that feta, being similar in texture, meltiness, etc, to blue cheese, would also make a good mix-in. I'd like to try a Greek burger...part lamb, part beef...mix in feta...serve with beet slices and onion....mmmm. When I actually make those, I'll post a recipe. Somehow, I feel certain that I will make them...