Burger Love

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Jalapeño Cheeseburgers with Bacon and Grilled Onions

Ingredients

Spicy Ranch Sauce

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 4 green onions, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño chile
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Burgers

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped seeded jalapeño chile
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon ground black peper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Worcestershire-Coffee Glaze

• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals
• 2 teaspoons (packed) golden brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 
  
• 16 bacon slices
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray (Like Pam)
  
• 8 hamburger buns or 3- to 4-inch square focaccia rolls, split horizontally
• 8 lettuce leaves
• 2 cups coarsely shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
• Assorted additional toppings (such as tomato and grilled onion slices)

Preparation

FOR SPICY RANCH SAUCE

• Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

FOR BURGERS

• Gently mix all ingredients in large bowl. Form mixture into eight 1/2- to 3/4-inch-thick patties. Place on small baking sheet. Cover and chill at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

FOR GLAZE

• Stir first 5 ingredients in small saucepan over medium heat until coffee is dissolved. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter. Season glaze to taste with salt and pepper.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Working in batches if necessary, cook bacon in large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp and brown. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.
• Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Toast buns until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer buns, cut side up, to plates. Place lettuce on each bun bottom. Grill burgers 5 minutes, basting with glaze. Turn burgers, baste with glaze, and grill until cooked to desired doneness, about 5 minutes longer for medium. Press cheese atop each burger and allow cheese to melt. Place some sauce, then 1 burger on each bun bottom. Top each with 2 slices bacon and desired additional toppings. Cover with bun top. Serve with remaining sauce.

Cheddar Burgers With Balsamic Onions And Chipotle Ketchup

Ingredients

Onions

• 1 pound red onions, cut crosswise into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick rounds
• Olive Oil
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Chipotle ketchup

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped chipotle chiles from canned chipotles in adobo* plus 2 tabelspoons adobo sauce from can
• 2 teaspoons (or more) balsamic vinegar

Burgers

• 2 1/4 pounds ground beef (15% to 20% fat)
• Coarse kosher salt
• 6 thick slices sharp cheddar cheese
• 6 large English muffins or hamburger buns, split, cut sides grilled
• 6 tomato slices (optional)
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves

Preparation

For Onions

• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat): Arrange onion rounds on baking sheet. Brush with oil; sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt and pepper. Transfer onion rounds (still intact) to grill rack; close cover. Cook until grill marks appear, about 4 minutes per side. Reduce heat or move onions to cooler part of grill. Close cover; cook until onions are tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Toss with vinegar. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover; chill.

For chipotle ketchup

• Mix ketchup, chiles, adobo sauce, and 2 teaspoons vinegar in small bowl. Season with salt and more vinegar, if desired. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.

For burgers

• Shape beef into six 1/2-inch thick patties. Sprinkle patties on both sides with coarse salt and pepper. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Place burgers on grill. Close cover; cook burgers until bottoms start to darken and juices rise to surface, about 3 minutes. Turn burgers; cook to desired doneness, about 3 minutes longer for medium-rare. Top with onions and cheese. Close cover; cook until cheese melts. Place muffin bottoms on plates; spread with ketchup. Top with burgers, tomatoes, if desired, spinach, and muffin tops. Serve, passing remaining ketchup separately.
• *Dried, smoked jalapeños in a spicy tomato sauce called adobo; available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Latin markets.

Portobello Burgers with Pesto, Provolone, and Roasted Peppers

This quick vegetarian main course uses meaty portobello mushrooms instead of actual beef. Later in the summer, you can use eggplant in place of the portobellos. To make this burger Vegan, substitute a soy mayonnaise such as Soyannaise and use a Vegan Cheese (Vegan Gourmet Cheese Alternative is a block cheese that melts and tastes great. It comes in a few flavors like Monteray Jack, Cheddar, and Mozzarella.)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup purchased pesto
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 4 sourdough, whole grain, or ciabatta rolls, split horizontally
• 4 portobello mushrooms, stemmed, dark gills scraped out
• Olive oil
• Roasted red peppers from jar, drained
• 4 cups arugula (about 2 ounces)
• 4 slices provolone cheese

Preparation

• Stir pesto and mayonnaise in small bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill rolls, cut side down, until lightly toasted. Transfer to plates. Spread grilled side of rolls with pesto mayonnaise.
• Brush mushrooms on both sides with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill, rounded side up, 4 minutes. Turn mushrooms over. Cover and grill until mushrooms are tender, about 4 minutes. Place 1 mushroom on each roll bottom. Top each with enough red pepper pieces to cover, then with arugula and cheese. Press roll tops over and serve.

Open-Face Crab Burgers with Red Pepper Dressing

The burger's undeniable appeal and infinite flexibility have inspired culinary luminaries like Bobby Flay and Laurent Tourondel to devote entire restaurants to the humble sandwich. And despite what purists might say, some of today's best burgers aren't even made with beef. Patties made of lamb, bison, or seafood (like the crab burgers here) are increasingly popular. Toasted bread, a pita pocket, or even a lettuce leaf are fun stand-ins for the traditional bun. In our homage to the modern burger, the crab patties are served open-face with a spicy red pepper dressing.

Ingredients

dressing

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (preferably organic)
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons minced drained roasted red pepper from jar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon ketchup (preferably organic)
• 1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)*
• 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

crab burgers

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (preferably organic)
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)*
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons minced drained roasted red pepper from jar
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, picked over
• 1 3/4 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs),* divided
• 3 3- to 4-inch ciabatta rolls, halved horizontally
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter plus more for rolls
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or vegetable oil
• 6 crisp heart of romaine lettuce leaves, trimmed to 6-inch length

• * Available in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets and at markets.

Preparation

dressing

• Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

crab burgers

• Whisk first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Mix in red pepper and green onion. Gently mix in crab and 3/4 cup panko. Sprinkle 1 cup panko on rimmed baking sheet. Using 1/4 cup for each burger, shape crab mixture into twelve 3-inch patties. Press into crumbs on sheet to coat both sides; keep crab burgers on sheet. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill at least 1 hour.
• Preheat broiler. Spread cut sides of rolls with butter. Broil rolls, buttered side up, until golden, about 2 minutes; cover.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter with oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, add burgers to skillet. Sauté until brown, about 5 minutes per side.
• Arrange 1 roll half, cut side up, on each plate. Top each with lettuce leaf, then 2 crab burgers. Spoon dressing over.

Source: Bon Appetit Magazine