Burger fun

First thing, if you're a vegetarian stop reading now, this isn't for you!!! This is for carnivores- people who enjoy meat in all ways, shape and forms. You have been warned.

We haven't had many nice days this year so we decided to take advantage of this one. After running around all day (nothing too strenuous but still a full day) we found it was dinnertime and had planned on burgers on the grill, first time we've used the grill in far too long. Lately we've been kind of cheating and having premade turkey burgers- low fat, pretty tasty, quick and easy but just not as satisfying as a real burger. Last night Viv started defrosting some hamburger and, as she fed Brielle, it was time to make dinner.

Burgers are, to me, quintessentially American, especially when done on the grill. There's just something pure and good about meat and flame- the heat, the sound, the smell. The rituals- lighting the grill, making sure the temperature's right, getting everything out and prepped, it's all just pure pleasure.

The burgers themselves hold a magic all their own. So much goodness packed into a disc weighing about a third of a pound, where else can you find this? And the possibilities and combinations of tastes and textures are almost endless. The differences that can be achieved by something as simple as a different type of cheese going on top or a spice or two added or left out open up a world of options.

Tonight I wanted to play a little bit. I've tried a lot of things with burgers and tonight I wanted to do something different but not extreme. We have a large number of premade rubs and seasonings for meat but none of them really appealed to me. Instead I decided to play a little mix and match. As I went through the cabinet what caught my eye were onion powder, dried chopped garlic, paprika and chili powder. I took these, coated the raw hamburger in the order I picked out the spices then mixed by hand. In addition we had some thick-cut bacon from our local butcher and I decided that, grilled, this would make a good topper. As Viv was in feeding Brielle she didn't know what was in store for her, only that I was making dinner.

By this time the grill was ready and I loaded it with the burgers in the middle and the bacon (cut in half to fit on the burgers) near the edges so it wouldn't cook quite as fast. The smells that shortly began to sneak their way out were good- solid but not overpowering so I was confident that I hadn't used too much of anything. The sizzle of the burgers and bacon was a sweet, sweet sound as I went back and forth between the grill and the kitchen, getting the rest of dinner ready.

Three flips of everything later and the burgers were ready to be dressed. First went half of one slice of the bacon on each- the burgers had plumped up enough with cooking that the entire piece wouldn't fit. Next came the cheese- basic white American, nothing fancy, a couple more minutes for the cheese to melt then done.

Once complete the burgers stood tall and were dripping juice slightly- to me a neat burger isn't a good one. Viv was a little shocked at how tall they were but, once I took Brielle, she was able to take a bite and we both liked the flavors. Not too strong, just a touch of kick from the paprika and chili powder that was offset nicely by the saltiness of the bacon and mild flavor of the cheese- all kinds of goodness. Balanced off with the baked beans and sweet potatoes left over from her aunt's house yesterday it was a good and simple meal.

I love to cook but the simple things are, many times, the best. This was a good example of that- nothing fancy, a little experimentation and a good result. Next time it's burger night who knows what it will be? Definitely a different combination of flavors that my mood will dictate. The fun here is that I will never run out of new things to try. Will all of them be successful? Probably not but Hey, that's the fun in trying!!!