For instance, most people love bacon, but bacon on a burger can be a bit messy to eat. Instead, try crisping some little lardons (small cubes or strips of bacon) and mixing them into the hamburger before you form the patties and grill them. You'll use less bacon, and still have that great, smokey flavor to accent your burger.
Last night I caramelized onion that we have growing wild in the flower beds (I yank them up when I find them, and they might as well get used) along with some mushrooms, and mixed that into the meat along with a pinch of salt and pepper. They were wonderfully delicious, and so easy. If you don't have a melting cheese on hand, but want some cheesy goodness in your burger, try stirring a bit of grated Parmesan into your meat. It will bring salt, a bit of fat (which makes a burger juicier) and great cheese flavor to a hamburger. A burger is a great way to get your imagination going in the kitchen, and it's a prime candidate for "door knock dinner" ideas.
A toasted baguette or toasted english muffins do a great job of standing in for the bun if you don't have hamburger buns on hand. And now that summer is here, a tomato out of the garden is a fantastic topper for a burger. No ripe tomatoes yet? Try making a relish from a green tomato chopped up with a couple of spring onions, and pickled in a bit of salt, a pinch of sugar, and wine vinegar. That will add a welcome note of crisp tang to your burger, and plays very well off the richness of the meat.
Grilling season is here, and the economical burger is a sure bet for a great casual meal.
The mighty man burger
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