For students stretching their dollar, sometimes nothing is more satisfying than a simple and delicious hamburger. To spice up the traditional treat, skip fast-food burgers and try making your own.
Basic burger:
1-2 lbs lean ground beef
1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt
Pepper
Optional: 1 tablespoon mesquite seasoning
Cheese (of any sort)
Hamburger buns
Butter
The key to getting a good burger is getting a good burger base. Putting a myriad of toppings on a second-rate burger will only make it taste worse. Start with this fail-proof base and you can only make it better.
Take the ground beef out of the package and put it in a mixing bowl. As ground beef can shrink when cooked, making two pounds will ensure there’s enough for everyone. Add Worcestershire sauce and mesquite seasoning if you like.
This is the fun part; mix the Worcestershire sauce and seasonings into the meat by using your hands. Spoons and different utensils do not work as well as squishing the meat around manually.
Once everything is mixed, form four good-sized hamburger patties. Heat the frying pan on medium heat and begin cooking the burgers. Flip them occasionally. Cook to the USDA recommended internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once the burgers have reached the correct temperature, turn the heat off and place a cheese slice on top. The residual heat will melt the cheese perfectly.
For toasted buns: butter the buns and place under the broiler on high. It only takes about two minutes for the buns to toast so keep a close eye on them.
Build the burger how you like and enjoy.
A hint of western flair:
Try adding some barbeque sauce to the mix instead of Worcestershire sauce. The sweet and tangy flavor of barbeque sauce pairs well with sharp cheddar cheese and crisp bacon. For this particular burger, avoid red onion and try a sweet Vidalia or yellow onion.
South of the border:
Modify your basic burger recipe by adding a tablespoon of salsa, a squeeze of lime and a dash of Tabasco to the meat instead of the Worcestershire sauce. Guacamole is a topping that goes well with almost any food. For an added touch of cool taste with your burger follow this recipe:
2 large or 3 small soft avocados
1 clove minced garlic (or 1 teaspoon garlic salt)
Juice of 1 small lime
1 tablespoon salsa
1 teaspoon Tabasco
Bowl
Potato masher or fork
To properly remove the flesh from the avocado halves, use a sharp knife. Cut around the pit. There should be a seam running through the avocado down to the pit. To easily separate the halves, give them a twist. To remove the pit, use a spoon and scoop it out. Discard.
Using a large spoon, scoop out the flesh of the avocado and place it in a bowl. Mash until there are only small lumps. Add garlic, lime juice, salsa, and Tabasco and mix well. Spoon onto your finished burger and enjoy.
Not only does this guacamole go well on burgers, but it also makes a great dip.
Teriyaki taste:
For a burger with a bit of a sweet and tangy twist, add teriyaki sauce to the meat instead of Worcestershire sauce.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ana Faria at Ana.faria@colorado.edu.
