No matter how you stack it (every imaginable pun intended) the classic American Hamburger remains the most popular sandwich throughout the United States. The humble hamburger has evolved in a variety of ways, from Veggie Burgers and Salmon burger to Pork Burgers and the mouth watering Wagyu (Kobe) Burger. So as we find ourselves in the middle of summer with our grills at the ready, we’ve decided to give you some of our favorite options when serving up the 21st Century burger.
BURGERS!!
We sell a LOT of Wagyu burgers between The Flora Butcher and Dave’s Triple B just down the street For the customers that come often, it is not uncommon to see some specialty burgers on Dave’s menu or in the Butcher’s display cases
16 Ounces Pork Belly, trimmed and ground
1 Tablespoon B3 Marinade(Blake’s Bistro Blend)
1 Teaspoon Granulated Garlic
1 Teaspoon Onion Salt
1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
½ Teaspoon Dried Red Chili, minced
1 Egg, beaten
1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Pork burgers seem to be an uncommon menu item, but we have some patrons who request them in advance. It started with a young man who had an allergy to beef that made him feel left out at the backyard cook outs. We wanted to make a recipe that would give him a burger just as juicy and delicious as his beef eating counterparts. The local pigs that we use are a Yorkshire-Duroc cross out of Moselle Mississippi. We make bacon with some of the bellies, but it also makes a rich, succulent burger when trimmed up and ground. Once we mold the patties, we par freeze them before cooking to help them keep their shape. Grill and then dress theses burgers just as if they were beef.
16 Ounces Nilgai, ground with Wagyu Fat
2 Tablespoon Uncle John’s Molasses
3 Shakes of Tabasco
3 Tablespoon Blackening Seasoning (Like Paul Prudhomme’s Seafood Magic)
2 Slices Pineapple, grilled or seared
2 Slices Monterey Jack Cheese
¼ cup French’s Fried Jalapenos
Salt and Pepper to Taste
When we started carrying Nilgai, we noticed that gaminess of this massive antelope went exceptionally well with both sweet and spicy preparations, so we combined the two. Mix the meat, molasses, Tabasco and then half of the blackening seasoning together. Portion them into two 8 ounce patties and then season the outsides with salt, pepper and the remaining blackening seasoning.
Cooking in a cast iron on medium heat or a slightly lower temp for the grill works best. You want to give the burgers time to cook but you don’t want to burn the sugar in the molasses. Put the cooked pineapple on the burger and then top with cheese to let it melt towards the end. Add the crispy jalapenos when you build your burger.
16 Ounces of Elk ground with Wagyu Fat.
4 Slices Cheddar Cheese
2 Heaping Tablespoons Hot Pepper Bacon Jam by Terrapin Ridge Farms
Salt and Pepper to taste
Take your Elk and divide it into two 5 ounce patty and two 3 ounce patty. On the larger patty, place 1 slice of cheese and fold in the corners if it hangs over at all. Add half of the Bacon Jam to the center and place the smaller patty on top. Crimp the edges of the two patties together to seal your burger. Repeat with the second burger. Season the outside with salt and pepper and then cook them as you would a normal burger, adding the second slice of cheese as they get close to cooking through.
16 Ounces Lamb, ground with Lamb Fat
½ cup Red Onion, grilled
1 Handful of Baby Arugula
½ cup Feta Cheese, Crumbled
For the Tzatziki
1 cup Whole Fat Greek Yogurt
2 Cloves Garlic, peeled and pushed through a garlic press
¼ cup Greek Olive Oil
½ Small English Cucumber, peeled and coarsely grated
Salt and Pepper to Taste
To make the tzatziki, set the olive oil to the side and then stir the remaining ingredients together. Once incorporated, drizzle the olive oil in while stirring and continue stirring until all of the oil is incorporated. Then season to taste.(I like a little extra salt in my tzatziki)
Lamb and Greek Cuisine go hand in hand, in my mind, so that was our inspiration for this burger. We get whole, local lamb from McComb and we combine the lamb with tzatziki and feta. Add some grilled red onion and he resulting burger is a fusion of Mississippi lamb and classic Greek ingredients.
Hold back the cheese until you dress your burger. Top the cooked burger with the onions and tzatziki. Then add the arugula and sprinkle on the feta. Serve them with the top bun on the side if you are cooking for guests. The contrast of the colors and textures is very inviting. (this is also one of the few times that I leave off the pickles on a burger)
16 Ounces Scottish Salmon, ground
2 Jalapeno Peppers, small dice
3 Tablespoon Cilantro, chopped
1 Tablespoon Chives, chopped
1 Lime, zested
1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Salt and Pepper to Taste
For Mayonnaise
¼ cup Duke’s Mayonnaise
1 Lime, zested and juiced
1 Tablespoon Cilantro, minced
Salt and Pepper to Taste
For the mayo, whisk together all of the ingredients and then season to taste. The lime should be very pronounced, but it is excellent when combined with the salmon. If you are a non-mayonnaise kind of burger eater, you can substitute sour cream in this recipe.
This burger is a little different than the rest. I still dress it the same way but the texture changes the preparation method. Once you mix all of the ingredients together, put the mixture back in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Then use a large ring mold or your hands on wax paper to shape the burger mix into three 6 ounce patties.(a set or ring molds is incredibly useful if you don’t have one yet) Put the burgers into the freezer for 30 minutes so that they hold their shape and are easy to move.
Par cooking them ahead of time makes mealtime go a little easier. In a nonstick skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat and brown one patty at a time as you would a crab cake. Wipe out the pan, add new butter and repeat with the other two patties. Once browned on both sides they can be finished in the oven whenever it is time to eat. It only takes 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees.
I have been a fan of Scottish Salmon since I first tried it during a short trip to a cooking school in the northern Scottish Highlands. The flavor is slightly buttery you can almost taste the ocean when you eat it. It is well worth trying, especially if you have not been too impressed with the salmon you get at the grocery store.
