Family Chow Hall

Add a little Somethin Somethin to your Burgers

July 27th, 2006

Recently, we took the whole family to the neighborhood swimming pool on a Saturday. We were all splashing and having a good ole time when suddenly, the smell of fire-grilled hamburgers drifted through the area.

My husband and I took immediate notice and were at once very hungry and tired of playing at the pool. About fifteen minutes later, we had all the kids in the van and a plan to stop at the grocery for supplies in place.

Man, when you smell grilling burgers, sometimes absolutely nothing else will do. Occasionally we take an after-supper walk through our neighborhood and I am always disappointed if we walk through the aroma of grilling meat after having had a casserole for dinner.

That day we’d been at the pool, I let hubby take charge of the burgers while I made sure the kids got their swimsuits and towels into the washer, the sunblock and snacks put away, and so on.

Here’s how Pat made the burgers:

Grilled Hamburgers
makes about 8 patties

2 lbs. ground beef
2 eggs
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
4 T. wheat germ

In a large bowl, dump all of the ingredients. With your bare hands (Wash them first and take off any rings!) squash it all together until it seems to be combined well. You may have to wash your hands again, if they are getting too sticky to work with. Form into patties — make a ball, then begin to flatten it while keeping the edges together. Make them thin and much larger than you want the finished product to be. They will shrink up quite a bit.

Working with raw meat is not for overly squeamish people. I once saw an acquaintance forming (well, attempting to form) hamburger patties with two forks, so she wouldn’t have to touch the meat. Needless to say, we ended up eating hamburger “balls” stuffed between two buns. If you can’t handle touching raw meat, buy pre-formed patties.

Good condiments for grilled burgers can be basic:

ketchup
mustard
pickles
onions
mayonnaise
American cheese

Or a little more complex:

coleslaw
sauerkraut
bacon
bleu cheese
jalapenos
barbeque sauce

Serve with some chips and soda (or pop) and you have a great after-swimming dinner!

Entry Filed under: Beef, Recipes, Supper, sandwiches