Cooking, more than any other sport, brings out my competitive side. When I have a restaurant meal better than I can cook, I immediately go home to improve my skills.
Gourmet hamburgers, for example. There are so many inspired burgers at restaurants these days, that we can no longer slip a few pre-made beef patties on the grill and sandwich them between soft, sweet buns. These days, restaurant burgers knock us out with creativity. From bison to turkey, the combinations of cheese, condiments and toppings make us up the ante at home.
A recent visit to The Rathskeller, a traditional German restaurant in Indianapolis, sparked the idea for our signature burger to celebrate the Fourth of July and grill up throughout the summer: the frikadelle. Its version of a burger deliciously combines beef, pork and sausage.
Inspired, we came home to re-create these burgers with our own twists. For starters, my son suggested we upgrade the buns; he made a solid case for pretzel rolls. My husband sneaked in a horseradish suggestion. I wanted a pile of warm, bacony sauerkraut on top. (My daughter suggested we make them vegetarian — we decided that’s a challenge for another day.)
Fricadelles, says “The Escoffier Cookbook,” are a kind of meatball, seasoned, rolled in flour and cooked in a buttered skillet. Other sources tell us that frikadellers are a type of Danish meatball and frikadellen is a seasoned German meat patty cooked in a pan.
The common thread is seasoned ground meat. Like those at the restaurant, our summer burgers combine beef and pork. (You also can substitute a couple of ounces of the ground pork with fresh Hungarian or Polish sausage removed from the casing.) My Gram always added garlic to her ground pork dishes, so that’s in. So is sweet Hungarian paprika, a little onion and some fresh parsley. I add an egg and some breadcrumbs to keep things moist but manageable. Moving this combination to the charcoal grill feels right — the hot sear and smoke add terrific flavor.
For best results for this and any burger, follow these tips:
1. The mix: For all my summertime burgers, I prefer ground beef in the 80/20 or 85/15 lean to fat ratio. The slightly higher fat yields a juicier burger with less chance of dryness. I reserve the super lean 90/10 ground beef for chili and other applications that involve sauce and moisture. For the frikadellen burger, ground pork is available in most large supermarkets. It can be made at home from cubes of partially frozen pork shoulder coarsely ground in a food processor.
2. Gentle hand: Take care not to overmix the meat or the burgers can be tough. I make sure the seasonings are thoroughly combined in the bowl, then I add the ground meats. Use clean hands and work the seasonings gently into the meat.
3. Master the grill: Actually grilling burgers takes little time. To become a masterful burger chef, start by organizing yourself. Enroll a helper until you get comfortable. Mix the meat and shape the burger patties several hours in advance; keep them refrigerated. Make sure all your accompaniments and condiments are out and at the ready. Set the table and make guests aware that the burgers are going on the grill.
The countdown to dinner has begun.
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GRILLED FRIKADELLEN BURGERS ON PRETZEL BUNS
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Makes: 6 burgers
Using ground pork in the burgers means they need to be cooked carefully to medium in the interior. If you really crave medium-rare burgers, skip the ground pork and replace with more beef.
1 large egg
1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon salt
{ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
{ small red onion, grated or finely chopped
{ cup coarse dry breadcrumbs
\ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound ground beef, such as 85/15
1 pound ground pork
To serve:
6 pretzel buns or other hearty hamburger buns, split
6 slices Muenster cheese
Beer- and bacon-braised sauerkraut, see recipe
Horseradish burger sauce, see recipe
Small romaine lettuce leaves or baby arugula
1. Whisk egg lightly in a large bowl. Whisk in paprika, salt and pepper. Add onion, breadcrumbs, parsley and garlic; mix well. Add beef and pork. Use clean hands to mix everything together lightly; do not overmix.
2. Shape into 6 uniform patties about 1 \ inches thick. Place on a baking sheet. Refrigerate up to several hours.
3. Prepare a charcoal grill for direct cooking or heat a gas grill to medium-high heat. Put the grill grate in place; let it heat thoroughly.
4. Have the cheese and buns near the grill. Reheat the sauerkraut if necessary. Have the horseradish sauce and lettuce ready.
5. Put burgers on grill directly over the heat source. Cover the grill; cook, 6 minutes. Flip burgers carefully. Cook, covered, until medium, 4 to 5 minutes. Arrange the buns around the cooler portion of the grill, cut side down to toast them lightly. (Don’t walk away or they could burn.) Meanwhile, top each burger with a slice of cheese; cook, 30 to 60 seconds more. Remove everything from the grill.
6. Assemble the burgers: Smear the horseradish mayo on the inside of the toasted buns. Top the bottom buns with a burger, then a generous scoop of the sauerkraut and some lettuce. Put top bun in place and enjoy.
Nutrition information per burger: 826 calories, 42 g fat, 20 g saturated fat, 240 mg cholesterol, 63 g carbohydrates, 7 g sugar, 47 g protein, 1,032 mg sodium, 2 g fiber
Horseradish burger sauce: Mix 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons drained prepared horseradish and 1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Stir in a little sweet or smoked paprika if you like.
BEER-AND-BACON-BRAISED SAUERKRAUT
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Makes: 6 to 8 servings
Leftovers reheat beautifully.
2 pounds refrigerated sauerkraut
1 small leek or 1 large sweet onion
2 tablespoons bacon fat or vegetable oil
4 thick strips bacon, diced
2 or 3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup chicken or beef broth
} cup Pilsner beer
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Drain sauerkraut in a colander or mesh strainer. Rinse under cool water, stirring and turning sauerkraut to rinse it thoroughly, for several minutes. Let drain in the sink.
2. Remove dark tough portion of leek and reserve it for soup or stock. Split remaining leek lengthwise in half and rinse well. Pat dry and cut leek into { inch pieces.
3. Melt bacon fat or heat oil in a 3-quart saucepan set over medium heat. Add leek and bacon. Cook, stirring often, until bacon is golden, about 10 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in drained sauerkraut, broth and beer. Heat to a simmer. Reduce heat to very low, cover the pan and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season with pepper. Serve warm.
Nutrition information per serving (for 8 servings): 80 calories, 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 7 mg cholesterol, 7 g carbohydrates, 2 g sugar, 3 g protein, 820 mg sodium, 3 g fiber
GRILLED HORSERADISH BURGERS ON RYE
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Makes: 6 burgers
These burgers are great topped with a slice of cooked bacon or a fried egg.
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon salt
{ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
{ small onion, grated or finely chopped
{ cup coarse dry breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound ground pork
12 to 16 ounces ground beef, such as 85/15
12 thick slices hearty rye bread, toasted
6 slices baby Swiss or havarti cheese
Whole grain mustard
6 thick slices ripe tomato
1. Whisk egg lightly in a large bowl. Whisk in horseradish, salt and pepper. Add onion, breadcrumbs and garlic; mix well. Add pork and beef. Use clean hands to mix everything together lightly; do not overmix.
2. Shape into 6 uniform patties about 1 \ inches thick. Place on a baking sheet. Refrigerate up to several hours.
3. Prepare a charcoal grill for direct cooking or heat a gas grill to medium-high heat. Put the grill grate in place; let it heat thoroughly.
4. Toast the bread in a toaster. Have the cheese near the grill.
5. Put burgers on grill directly over the heat source. Cover the grill; cook, 6 minutes. Flip burgers carefully. Cook, covered, until medium, 4 to 5 minutes. Top each burger with a slice of cheese; cook, 30 to 60 seconds more. Remove from the grill.
6. Assemble the burgers: Smear the mustard over one side of the toast slices. Top with a burger, then a slice of tomato. Put a second piece of toast on top and enjoy.
Nutrition information per burger: 623 calories, 31 g fat, 13 g saturated fat, 157 mg cholesterol, 41 g carbohydrates, 4 g sugar, 44 g protein, 970 mg sodium, 5 g fiber