Joe Burger 2

I don't think I've actually posted my burger recipe on JoeSoCookbook yet. I started developing it about 2 years when I first got the grill. Generally speaking I love a very simple cheeseburger, made with high quality ground beef and maybe just a pinch of salt and pepper, maybe cumin or the classic onion soup mix burgers -- you know, easy, simple, delicious, and it makes everyone happy (well, except non-carnivores).

But then I also like to have a "different" kind of burger recipe in rotation -- something "interesting"  or  "exotic," something a little bit out there.  Something with weird ingredients stuffed in the middle. Something gooey or cheesy or spicy or strangely colorful. The original Joe Burger uses hot sauce, turmeric, and several other ingredients, and Joe Burger 2 kind of spins off of that basic approach. But the Joe Burger 2 gets a lot of its flavor from the garden, which I like. I have several fresh herbs that I don't know exactly what to do with, so adding them to burgers seemed like one obvious idea. I've only tried this once, so consider it a recipe in progress. Next time I may cut out the curry and rely more on the fresh herbs for flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef (3-4 burgers)
• 1/2 Tablespoon cumin
• 1/2 T. curry powder
• 1 T. hot sauce
• 1 T. worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 - 1/2 Cup fresh cilantro
• 1 T. fresh oregano
• 2-4 leaves fresh basil
• goat cheese (or other cheese, optional)

Mix ingredients and form into burgers. Grill to your liking and top with cheese. Enjoy burgers with your favorite toppings, such as avocado, banana peppers, siracha, whole grain mustard, etc.

fresh herbs and spices: cumin, curry, basil, cilantro, oregano

plus hot sauce and worcestershire sauce

mix ingredients

mix into the ground beef 

make into burgers

add fresh veggies to make a wholesome meal

broccoli, spinach, carrots, and green beans with sesame oil, salt, and pepper

steam the veggies for a 10 minutes or so

grill the burgers to your desired liking

topped with goat cheese

yeah buddy

Joe Burger 2 with goat cheese and banana peppers with steamed veggies

Cooking Out Often Lately

I've already dipped balls deep into cookout season over here, so I want to share some pictures from recent meals. 

I'll do a full recipe post for my Amazing Chicken some time soon. You just need chicken and four other ingredients of your choice to make an amazing sauce. 

sweet n spicy chicken

I like grilling my vegetables raw, especially when I have high quality veggies. Red and green peppers, corn, and other veggies supply their own great taste when grilled properly, in my opinion, and don't need anything else.

Hebrew National hot dog grilled corn and green pepper

I make a flavorful curry paste for mixing into burgers, which I really enjoy. I use curry powder, hot sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, and a few other choice ingredients. I should do a post for that as well. When I moved into the apartment on Penn a couple years ago, and we got the gas grill, I started working on my own recipes for burgers, chicken, pork chops, etc. So I've had a lot of practice with some of these.

Joe burger with avocado and banana peppers

cheddar cheese, avocado, banana peppers

relish and yellow mustard

When I grill corn I leave it in the husk. If I have a chance, I soak it in water for a little while before grilling. I actually peal away a few pieces of husk, leaving maybe 2-4 layers rather than, say, 6-8. I firmly believe in slow grilling -- for almost everything. You can make the corn quickly in about 10 minutes, or go slowly for 20 or more.

grilled corn on the cob and Joe Chicken

sweet and spicy Joe Chicken

For an almost instant meal that takes no preparation, try grilling chicken sausages and whole red peppers. I get the peppers at Donatelli's Italian grocer in Bloomfield for like $1.19 for a bag of 8. Throw them on the grill for about 10 minutes over medium to high heat. I cook the red peppers whole then cut 'em up and serve with the sausage on a roll.

chicken sausages from the store

sweet red pepper -- perfect grilled plain