BURGERS!!! (and other stuff too!)

There’s nothing better than a good burger. In my opinion, it’s important to keep it simple. I see photos all over the internet of huge burgers- stacked high with ridiculous things like lobster tails, mac and cheese, pieces of fried chicken… what are we even doing? A burger is a burger. Really good beef, really good cheese, really good sauce, and really good pickles. That’s all that matters. And we’ve got all that!

Here’s what you’ll need:

A seasoning tray or rack, a spatula, a couple spoons, some softened butter or nice olive oil, a resting tray or rack, a couple side towels, and a good attitude! Maybe some hot sauce 🙂

For the burgers!

You’re probably sick of me saying this, but Joyce Farms knows what the heck is up. They have the best standards and ethics in the business when it comes to cattle ranching, and not only are they sustainable as a business, but they actually practice regenerative agriculture- which returns much needed nutrients and carbon to the earth, enriching the soil and counteracting the effects of high impact till farming and global warming. Real good folks down there, and they make a mean burger. This is a Steakburger, a custom blend of sirloin, ribeye, chuck, and eye round. It’s got just the right blend of flavorful fat and succulent meat, and does wonderfully on the grill. I’m so excited for you to try it. 

Open up the packs, and lay the burgers on your seasoning tray or rack. Season liberally on both sides with WECO savory salt. You want a pretty good coating of salt on there. We gave you two ounces, which is a lot of salt, but you definitely don’t need to use it all! Just a healthy coating of salt on there. 

Burgers are seasoned, grill is hot, you know what to do. I won’t micromanage your grilling here- but there are some keys to producing a flavorful and perfectly cooked burger. I’ll explain. First, don’t flip it too much! You should only need one flip, and two rotations. Pop the burger on a hot, clean section of the grill, and leave it there! It’s tempting to fiddle with stuff on the grill- don’t do it. Let the burger sear, forming a nice crust to lock in all the juices and flavor. Once the edges begin to turn brown, you’re probably ready for a rotate. Using a spatula, gently pick the burger up off the grill, rotate the patty 45 degrees, and place it right back on the grill. This produces those wonderful cross-hatch marks that provide more caramelization and smoky char flavor. 

I generally grill my burgers for 3 minutes, rotate, grill for 2 more minutes, then flip. But everything depends on your personal preference and cook temperature. I prefer my burgers grilled to medium, you might not. Once you’ve got some nice grill marks on the bottom, give it a flip- but make sure it lands on a clean and hot section of the grill. Repeat the sear process, letting it sit for 2-3 minutes before rotating. Once you are at the point of the final rotation, for those dope cross-hatch marks, it’s time to cheese it up. You may be thinking to yourself… I have four burgers, but this idiot gave me eight slices of cheese. What the heck?! Yeah, two slices per burger. Might be overkill, but it’s all about the cheddar for me. On the final rotation, pop not one, but TWO slices of Cabot cheddar on top, and close the lid to melt the cheese. Once you’ve got melty cheese, you’re good to go. Pull those burgers off the grill and onto your resting rack. This part is super important. If the burgers don’t rest, as soon as you bite or cut into them, all those juices are gonna come gushing out- leaving you with a soggy bun and a dry patty. Rest the burger for 1-2 minutes before assembling. You can always give it a kiss on the grill if it’s not hot enough for ya. Ready for the buns?

For the buns:

We’ve buttered your buns! For convenience, and because we love you guys 🙂 Buttered brioche. Nothing better. Pop them on a hot, clean section of the grill, face down, and toast. Shouldn’t need too much time. Once they’ve got some marks, they’re ready to go! Onto a plate. To assemble, spread a thin (or thick!) layer of our bad-ass burger sauce on the bottom bun, stack a rested burger on top, and finally, layer the pickles on top of the cheese. More sauce on top, and finish it off! You’ve done it. I’m so proud of you. Fill your plate with some sides, and marvel at your good work. Enjoy!

For the grilled corn!

This is super simple. Really. On a nice hot area of the grill, place the pieces of corn parallel to the grill grates so they sit in the groove nicely. Important to have your corn in the groove. Groovy corn is the best kind of corn. Let them blister and pop over high heat until they begin to caramelize and char, then roll them over. Char them lightly, but evenly, over high heat. Once they’re hot, we’re ready for the next step

This is where it gets kind of messy. In a good way. Basically, you want to liberally apply as much avocado aioli that you can reasonably get on the corn. The best way is to just put the corn on a plate, and drizzle the aioli on top. Then, carefully rotate the ears of corn so that they aioli coats each ear evenly. No, do not run the aioli on YOUR ears. It’s not sunblock. 

Once the corn is nice and coated, it’s time for a cotija shower. Give the corn a good dusting with cotija, evenly and on all sides. That’s it. If you have some hot sauce, definitely now is the time. But I didn’t make anything spicy here, so that you can all spice it up to your preference. But hot sauce is the way to go. I recommend Valentina, or Chipotle Cholula for this. But let me know if there’s any cool hot sauces that I should try!

For the potato salad:

Last, and definitely not least, potato salad. A staple in so many summer cookouts, this one is made without any mayo- just really really good honey mustard dressing, lots of celery, and herbs. It’s no joke. Don’t do a damn thing to this! It’s ready to go. Dressed to impress, and wholly delicious. Stir, and serve!

That’s it!

You’ve made it to the end of the reheating instructions. We are so proud of you. Happy weekend, and happy eating. See you next week!

<3

WECO