STG (Save The Gravy) Burgers
To any real fan, a hamburger is never “just a burger.†A great burger is a work of art, passionately thought out and painstakingly executed. It’s the very extension of the grill master’s identity.
So with the smells of charcoal and grilled meat beginning to perfume backyards across the country, we challenged L.A. Times burgermeisters everywhere to submit their recipes in our third annual Battle of the Burgers. The response was amazing. We received submissions from all over the country (and even the world), for creations combining common and unusual ingredients, many drawing from local flavors and regional cuisine. Every recipe was at once unique and uniquely American.
Thousands of votes were tallied to narrow the choices to the top 20 burgers. The best recipes were then put to task in the Los Angeles Times Test Kitchen. The burgers were judged by Food section editors and staff. It was tough, but after days of testing, exhaustive judging (and maybe a little post-burger napping), we came up with five favorites.
Sigma Saulos’s caramelized pears
In a large, non-stick skillet, saute the pears in the vegetable oil over high heat for 3 minutes, to give the slices a little color. Add the truffle oil and salt and simmer the slices until softened, about 10 minutes, carefully stirring so as not to break the slices. Stir in the sugar and continue to cook until the slices are caramelized, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve both the pears and pear juice separately, holding each in a warm place.
Tau Ted’s sauteed mushrooms
In a large saute pan heated over medium-high heat, melt the butter and stir in the mushrooms. Stir in the garlic, along with one-half teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are soft and lightly-browned. Remove from heat and strain the mushrooms, separately reserving both the mushrooms and any leftover liquid and holding in a warm place.
Gamma gravy
In a large skillet, crisp the bacon strips. Set the strips aside in a warm place, reserving 2 tablespoons bacon fat.
In a saute pan, heat the flour over medium heat. Whisk in the mushroom liquid, then the bacon grease, then the pear juice. Continue mixing to form a lumpy roux (add more flour if needed to form a lumpy roux). Whisk in the apple juice and bring to a simmer, whisking until the mixture has the consistency of ketchup (whisk in additional flour and/or apple juice to form the right consistency. Remove from heat. This makes about 2 cups gravy; set aside in a warm place.
Ogre’s onion rings
Peel and slice the onions into rings 1-inch thick.
Fill a large mixing bowl with ice, and set a medium mixing bowl inside, surrounded by ice.
Into the medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Form an indentation in the center of the flour mixture.
In a measuring cup, combine the water and beer. Slowly pour the water/beer mixture into the flour, mixing until the batter has the consistency of lumpy pancake batter.
In a large saucepan, heat the oil to 350 degrees. Dip the onion slices into the batter, then fry until golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on a rack and hold in a warm place.
The pinky patty
In a large bowl, combine the beef and chorizo along with the chopped onions. Season with the Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, Montreal steak seasoning and salt, kneading until the seasonings and flavorings are evenly disbursed. Divide into 8 burgers, shaping the patties so they are slightly larger than the diameter of the buns (they will shrink while cooking).
Grill the patties to desired doneness. Hold in a warm place.
STG (Save the gravy) Burger
To assemble each burger, spoon about 2 tablespoons gravy on the bottom of each bun. Top with a layer of caramelized pears, and divide the bacon strips evenly between each. Place a burger patty over the bacon on each bun, then top each patty with an onion ring and a dollop (1 ounce) of goat cheese. Top the onion rings with mushrooms and spoon over more gravy. Complete the burger by adding the top bun.
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