I think one of God’s gift to carnivores is the good ole mighty hamburger! Just look at how many burger chains we have spawning in every corner of the world serving a bazillion hungry people who never seem to get tired of eating them nearly every day.
What is in that beef patty that people go crazy over? With the different signature burgers of all these burger chains, you wonder how many more can invade the consumer market with another hamburger recipe much different from the rest. I guess there is always one thing different in each and every one of them. A secret ingredient maybe? Or a special cooking technique? Either way, there is so much you can do with a hamburger nowadays other than just slapping ground meat in between a bun and slathered on with ketchup. Basically, that is just all that it’s about. A purist would definitely agree that it takes only the best tasting beef to make a perfect burger. However, we all know you can’t just pass up on all the other delicious things you can stuff it with. In fact, you don’t really need to eat a hamburger in a bun. Some would actually prefer it to be served as a Salisbury steak with gravy, mashed taters and a sunny side up egg. Okay, that thought just made my mouth drool and my tummy grumble. It is 2:30am where I am at and I just remembered that I forgot to eat dinner.
Writing this takes me back to that one place where I had the fattest juiciest burger in my entire life! I couldn’t even finish half of it. And I only ordered the smallest size! This restaurant is named after Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen, probably aptly spun from how things get hella busy when orders start coming in. It is located in Puerto Galera , about 3 hours from the capital city of the Philippines in the island of MIndoro. A sweet couple of a German guy and his Filipina wife own and run this awesome joint off the road from the main beach. Quite a trek if you’re hungry and hot from a full day of running around but you can always flag a trike when your feet start giving out. They are pretty known for their Titan burgers and the biggest one they have ticks in at probably around half a cow of ground beef. The hamburgers are served with everything on it. Cheese, bacon, eggs, lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes , onions, pickles and dressing. I’ve seen a bunch of my friends go on a mission to conquer the Titan burger, but all have failed. Never the less, it was a sweet battle for them as you can tell by the smile of contentment in every bite and the sweet mess they have made of themselves.
This weekend, why not grill some burgers for the big boys ? Chill some beer , gather up some great company and maybe enjoy some smack talk with your team Sunday!
GUACAMOLE CHEESEBURGERS
Ingredients
Guacamole
2 avocados – halved, peeled, and pitted
1/2 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup minced onion
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt to taste
Burger
2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
6 slices Monterey Jack cheese
6 hamburger buns
Instructions
1.Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat.
2.To make the guacamole, mash the avocado in a medium bowl with the juice of half a lime, chili powder, jalapeno, cilantro, 1/4 cup onion, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of minced garlic; season to taste with salt, and set aside.
3.In a large bowl, mix together beef, the juice of half a lime, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1/2 cup diced onion, and tomatoes. Form the meat into 6 patties.
4.Cook the burgers to desired doneness on the preheated grill. Add a slice of cheese to each burger during the last minute of cooking. Serve on toasted buns with a dollop of guacamole.
Photo Credit: mooshee85
Photo Credit: Pasty Cornish