[I Grilled] Burgers!

It's grilling season! I wait for it impatiently all winter long, and expect to embrace warmer weather at any moment. April gets here, and it's still feels like winter. It didn't really get warm until May, after my parents lovingly bought me a new grill and then the next day (and the following two weeks) it rained all the time and was gross. Really?! Well, it's June now, and hotter than hell, so I am in heaven.

What do I love most about grilling? The simplicity of it. You can take about any piece of meat, throw it on those grates, and you're done. Granted, you can get fancy with all your marinades, rubs, wood chips and smoker packets. My favorite thing is just a simple burger. I threw together some burgers the other night after I got out of work late, and wanted something quick and easy. I also had to take care of a long standing burger craving.

So, I got out my 80/20 meat and made my patties. I prefer to make my own patties instead of pre-made ones. They are perfect for burgers; they are juicy, and hold up extremely well regardless of how well done like them. And to really make them hold together well, I add a little mayo. Then I add some Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and McCormick's Montreal Steak grill blend. This blend gives them so much flavor. Spreading the patties out evenly is important. To help them cook faster, push your thumb into the middle of the patty, leaving an indent.

My patties are generally thick but I leave a dent in the center so they cook more evenly. (I flipped the dented side over here).

Throw those on a hot (high heat) grill, and cook on one side for about 5 minutes. Flip and cook 4-5 minutes more. If you like cheese, add the cheese in the last minute of grilling. I usually move my patties up to the top grill rack for more indirect heat and add cheese until it it gets all melty (I used white american here).

I added the burgers to a Brioche bun, with ketchup, mustard, and pickles (plural, must have lots of pickles), and done. 15 minutes later, and I have dinner. Now, go grill some burgers, you know you want one now!

I store leftover ground beef in freezer. To prep for freezing, wrap in parchment paper or plastic wrap, and then in foil. Otherwise, the frozen meat will get 'stuck' to the foil when you unwrap it. And separate it into sections for faster thawing :).