The Birth Of a Nation

Independence Day, July 4th is one of the most popular days to grill in the U.S. and with good reason. Since it’s a national holiday, most people are off work and enjoy the day spending time with friends and family to celebrate the birth of the nation. What better way than with a hot grill and a cold beverage!

Keep It Simple!

When I’m grilling for July 4th, I like to keep it light and simple. Steak and Ribs are great, but to me, July 4th is about grilled hamburgers and hotdogs! Here are some of Grilling Guides favorite July 4th grilling recipes:

Grilled Hamburger
Perfect Beer Bratwurst
Grilled Corn On The Cob
Summertime Baked Beans on the Grill

-AR

Popularity: 1%

I found this zinger of a burger on Sargento’s web site. This Southwest inspired burger is perfect for tailgating or any football get-together. It looks like it takes hours of preparation but is in fact, very simple.

Ingredients

* 2 lbs. lean ground beef
* 2 cups medium salsa, divided
* 1 cup chopped green onions, divided
* 1 cup finely crushed tortilla chips, divided
* 1 Tbsp. garlic salt
* 1 Tbsp. chili powder
* 8 hamburger buns, split
* 8 slices Sargento Deli Style Sliced Chipotle Cheddar Cheese

Directions

1. Combine ground beef, 1 cup salsa, 1/2 cup green onions, 1/2 cup tortilla chips, garlic salt and chili powder in large bowl. Shape beef mixture into 8 patties, 4 inches in diameter and 1/2-inch thick. Preheat grill or broiler.
2. Grill patties, 5 minutes each side or until no longer pink in center (see below). Grill or lightly toast hamburger buns. Top patties with 1 slice cheese before removing from grill or broiler; let melt.
3. Place patties on buns. Top with remaining salsa, tortilla chips and green onions.

Source: www.sargento.com

Popularity: 2%

Lately, I have been getting a lot of questions about Bubba Burgers. What are they, how to grill them, recipes etc. So, I did a little research to find out for myself some of these same things I wanted to know.

Bubba Burger: What is it?

Bubba Burger is the #1 branded frozen hamburger patty in the United States. What makes the Bubba Burger unique from store brands is the quality of meat and the process used to freeze them.

Bubba Burger: What is in it?

The meat is 100% U.S.D.A. whole muscle chuck. Unlike many “100% beef” store brand patties, there are no trimmings or fillers used in a Bubba Burger. Several varieties are offered including onion and jalepeno. Those natural ingredients would be the only additives used.

Bubba Burger: How are they made?

Freezing meat in your home freezer causes expansion of the meat fibers that resulting in cell damage and breaking down enzymes. The “normal” freezing process ultimately degrades the quality of meat. Walter “Bubba” Eaves, the company’s founder, invented a unique process used to flash freeze the burger. Flash freezing protects the meat fibers from this expansion, protecting the flavor and retaining the juices.

Bubba went one step further to make sure his burger had the taste and texture of a hand formed patty by giving them a unique shape. This branding technique also lets you know that this is a Bubba Burger and not a store brand.

Bubba Burger: How do you grill them?

That special production process allows the Bubba burger to be grilled from a frozen state and still remain juicy, tender and delicious. In fact, DO NOT THAW OR DEFROST Bubba Burgers, or they will fall apart.

How to grill Bubba Burgers

1. Heat grill to about 325 degrees.
2. Take as many as you need from the freezer pack. DO NOT THAW
3. Place frozen BUBBA burger directly on grill rack.
4. Don’t flip the burger ’til you see juices on top.
5. Once you flip the burger, cook it ’til it’sjust how you like it.
6. Serve on a bun with your favorite condiments, or eat it alone like a steak.
7. See theseHamburger Recipes for more great ideas

Notice, there is no suggesting on how long to cook Bubba burgers, just keep them frozen and don’t flip until you see juices on top. This is a good rule of thumb for any hamburger patty, frozen or not.

"The Original Bubba Burger"

Bubba Burgers cost around $7 for 6 1/3 pound patties, making them affordable to serve at any backyard party. They are made with quality ingredients and are easy to prepare, even at a moments notice.

Popularity: 26%

It isn’t hard to make an average burger, but the perfect one is a matter of personal taste. Some choose a gourmet style with exotic cheeses and festive ingredients, but I prefer the simple classic burger which means simple ingredients. Add the toppings of your choice, and you’ll never order a burger from a restaurant again.

So what is most important to grilling a good hamburger?

1) Use ground chuck. Regular Ground Beef shrinks too much.

2) Sear both sides of the meat over high heat, then finish them off slowly away from the flames.

3) Poke a dimple into the middle of each patty before cooking. This prevents the burgers from poofing into balls.

WHAT TO GRILL

1 lb ground chuck

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Salt – Use a quality name brand for the best flavor

1/3 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Buns

Red onions

HOW TO GRILL IT

Mix the ground chuck, garlic salt, and pepper just until they come together. Don’t ever do it. Carefully form 1/3 of the meat into a patty. Only compact the meat to the point where it won’t fall apart. Use a finger to make a quarter-sized indentation into the center of each patty, about half an inch deep. Keep in mind that the meat will shrink a bit on the grill. Slice some red onion and cover lightly with a tiny bit of olive oil. Just enough to coat the slices.

Prepare a two-zone fire on your grill (basically, all the coals on one side). You will know that the fire is hot when you can only hold your hand above the grate without pain for about 2 seconds.If using a gas grill, keep one side hotter.Sear the burgers over the coals for 90 seconds per side, then move to the edge of the coals to finish. 3 minutes per side away from the coals should produce medium doneness, but this is different on every grill. You’ll have to experiment on your own. After you move the meat away from the high heat, place the onions directly over the flames for a couple of minutes per side. Then move away from the heat until they are soft enough for you.

Toppings

1) Again, I like it simple. My favorite toppings are Miracle Whip, Ketchup and pickles

2)Add a slice of cheese on the top of each burger during the last minute or so of cooking.

3) Throw on a couple of pieces of bacon and some lettuce to add a nice crunchy layer of tastiness.

Popularity: 8%

Popularity: 20%

Source: www.sizzleonthegrill.com

Raw ground beef. Photo by Cobalt123 at Flickr

When I was a kid I can clearly remember my dad using a hand crank meat grinder that clamped onto the counter top. Hed feed chunks of beef into it and turn the crank, as bright red and speckled white freshly ground meat disgorged from the grinder hed take a fork-full and place it on a saltine, a good seasoning with both salt and pepper and wed gobble it up. My mom would shriek and we boys all thought we were getting away with something!

Fast forward 50 years.

These days if you prepare your own ground beef and are 100% certain of the quality of the source of the meat I would still advise against eating raw hamburger as we did. And especially if you purchase ground beef from the grocery store, either prepared at the store by the trained pros in the meat department or in those big tubes of ground meat. There is just too big of a risk that youll get some bacteria critter into your system and, just in case youve never had it, food poisoning is not a simple issue of discomfort. It can be life threatening!

Raw ground meat is not safe to eat. Hamburger is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 160F degrees as measured by a tip sensitive meat thermometer. Color is an unsafe indicator of doneness. Wash your hands after touching raw meat and before touching ready to eat products like buns. Prevent cross contamination! (This also goes for storing condiments like mustard, ketchup, mayo and the veggies like onions (these are little petri dishes!) and tomatoes, cheese, etc. keep them covered and out of direct sunlight, cooled at or below 45F degrees!)

Personally Ive switched over to using frozen burger patties like Bubba Burgers and have pretty much stopped making my own. When I do make my own burger patties, I make them the night before, less than 1/2 inch thick, and I freeze them as well. The chance of cross contamination using frozen meat is pretty slim, but it does have its own set of precautions. I toss the meat on a hot grill directly from the freezer, and dont waste any time between freezer and grill! Cooking a frozen beef patty has some advantages, the outside will thaw on the grates and sear, while the moisture starts to travel upwards through the ground meat and begin to cook the center, I flip and sear the other side then hold in a pan on the grill without direct heat until they finish. This keeps them moist and cooked to the right temperature! You may recognize this as the Sear & Hold method I tend to promote that (I find) ensures the outside has tasty sear marks and the inside slowly cooks to done of 160F degrees while remaining juicy.

Take a minute to plan your outdoor cooking to ensure all food will be handled, prepared and stored safely. As Chef at your home, you are responsible for safe food practices!

Happy Grilling!

Popularity: 4%

Grilling can be a great way to eat healthy when prepared properly. Look for a leaner beef, or try a ground turkey or chicken. When grilling you add flavor to your burgers without having to add excess seasoning. You also cook without adding excessive amounts of unhealthy fats and oils. When you cook meat at too high of a temperature, you chare them, making them not just distasteful but polluted with chemicals. Charring causes the formation of chemicals that have been linked to higher risk of some cancers. Follow these basic rules to also make your grilling experience a healthy one:

- Keep your grill clean
- Wash the grate each time you use your grill
- Avoid charring meats
- Choose healthier foods
- Cook meats to proper temperature, use a thermometer to be sure
- Do not overcook your meats
- Trim excess fat before cooking
- Choose leaner cuts of beef, fish, poultry or game meats

Consider thinking of other ways you can…

Popularity: 2%