During the kid's and I weekly trip to the library last week, I saw a book that caught my eye. It was Bobby Flay's new cookbook "Burgers, Fries & Shakes". I love Bobby Flay, so I immediately picked it up and checked it out. When I got home, I flipped through the book and immediately began salivating. The pictures were gorgeous. There was no healthy aspect to this book whatsoever. The burgers were loaded with crazy toppings, potatoes double-fried in peanut oil and shakes made with not only ice-cream, but cream cheese as well! I decided that I would try one of these burgers a week for the rest of the summer/fall grilling season. And since Damon is about the biggest burger lover I know, I let him choose the first one I would make. It took him all of 3 seconds to choose the "Breakfast Burger". We had recently eaten at Red Robin before Caden's 6th birthday party, and since then he hasn't quit talking about the burger he had there. He couldn't remember all the exact details, but the main thing he DID remember was that there was a fried egg on top of it all. Well, the picture of the Breakfast Burger featured a glorious, yolk-running fried egg on it and that was all she wrote. I went to the store Thursday, and every day Damon asked when I would be making the burger. Last night was that night. He was nearly giddy with anticipation! I guess I should consider myself very lucky that food makes him so happy, consider how much I enjoy cooking :) So ladies, if you are in the doghouse for some reason, or are looking to make your man very, very happy - I highly recommend making this burger for him! It is every man's dream burger!
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck (80/20)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Canola oil (for brushing on the burgers before they go on the grill)
- 4 slices American cheese
- 4 large eggs
- 8 slices crisp cooked bacon
- 1/2 recipe shoestring fries (recipe below). You could also use frozen hashbrowns, thawed and cooked and it would be just as good, with a lot less work.
- Chipotle Ketchup (recipe below)
1. Heat your gas grill to high or your charcoal grill until your coals glow bright orange and ash over. You will also want to start cooking your bacon now, so it will be good and crispy the time the burgers are done.
2. Divide the meat into 4 equal portions. Form each portion into a 3/4 inch burger and make a deep depression in the middle of the burger with your thumb. Bobby explains that this depression prevents flying-saucer shaped burgers - ones puffed up with bulging center. He says the first thing people want to see when they see a burger on the grill with the big centers is to take their spatulas and press down on the burger to flatten it out. That is a big HUGE burger NO-NO. If you press down on your burger while cooking it, you will press out all the yummy juices, and end up with a dry, tasteless burger. So, the depression will magically disappear while the burger cooks and expands and you will end up with with perfectly even patties.
3. Season both sides of the burger with salt and pepper, and brush them with the oil. Grill the burgers until slightly charred on the first side - about 3 minutes. Flip over and cook to your liking (cooking chart below).
4. Add the cheese to the tops of the burgers during the last minute of cooking. Close the grill cover or tent with the foil to melt the cheese.
5. After removing your burgers from the grill, toast your buns. Place them cut side down on the grill until they are light golden brown, about 10 seconds.
6. Heat your griddle (or non-stick pan) for your eggs. Crack the eggs into the pan with salt and pepper. Let the eggs cook until the whites set up, about 45 seconds. Gently flip the eggs over (trying not to break the yolks) and cook for just about 10 more seconds. I cooked our eggs the way Bobby recommended (over easy) so the eggs so the yolk would run out and completely soak the burger . . . however, feel free to cook the eggs to your liking.
7. Place the burgers on the bun bottoms and top with bacon, and a handful of shoestring fries. Drizzle with the chipotle ketchup and CAREFULLY place the eggs on top of the fries. Top with the bun tops and serve immediately.
That first bite will be the best. The egg yolks breaks and you get an incredibly juicy mixture of all the flavors. YUM! Here is Damon devouring his (and Caden eating his WAY less adventurous burger with NOTHING on it).
SHOESTRING FRIES
adapted from Bobby Flay's "Burgers, Fries and Shakes"
*remember you only need HALF of this recipe if you are making them for the burgers
- 1 quart peanut oil
- 4 large Russet potatoes, peeled
- Kosher salt
1. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.
2. While the oil is heating, slice the potatoes lengthwise into 1/2 inch-thick slices. Then cut each slice into long 1/8 inch-thick strips. (Bobby recommends using a mandoline to get the slices super thin).
3. Add the strips to the hot oil in batches, separating them when they hit the oil. Fry, turning frequently until golden brown, about 60-90 seconds (mine never got golden brown). Remove with a mesh skimmer (I used a slotted spoon) and drain on the paper towel lined baking sheets. Season immediately with the kosher salt.
CHIPOTLE KETCHUP
adapted from Bobby Flay's "Burgers, Fries and Shakes"
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 to 3 tablespoons pureed canned chipotle in adobo (I found these in the international aisle at Meijer)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 14/ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so all the flavors can come together. This was VERY spicy, so adjust the amount of chipotle peppers to your liking - or if you don't like spice at all, skip this ketchup entirely!
COOKING TIMES FOR BURGERS (all times are approximate)
- Rare: 6 minutes
- Medium-Rare: 7 minutes
- Medium: 8 minutes
- Medium-Well: 9 minutes
- Well: 10 minutes
- Well done: 11 minutes
*please note, these cooking times are for beef only. If you are using turkey or chicken, you MUST cook your burgers to at least a medium-well doneness (165 degrees F) to prevent salmonella poisoning.
