The Glory of a Homemade Burger

Inspired by Marnie's Dad, who loves a good BBQ burger, I found myself asking "what's summer without at least one BBQ burger?"  In fact our BBQ burger season runs from early April through to November.  My final burger of the season is called the Novemburger - pulling out all the stops just after Halloween, and then because it's way too cold to BBQ, swearing I'll never do it again... it's become a tradition.

There are a lot of burgers out there.  And many, many, many are delicious.  But my favourites are the ones made at home.  The one pictured above includes caramelized onions, spinach, Boursin soft cheese, mayo and ketchup.  Can I get a YUM?!

This is not hard to make. Seriously, super easy. All you need is some ground pork, some ground beef, a few spices, a BBQ or a grill pan and voila!  Homemade burgers can be yours.

I like to make mine in bulk.  The ground beef and pork are generally cheaper and then I have burgers ready at a moments notice.  And on occasion, when the kitchen is a sweltering 30 degrees in the summer , these are the perfect dinner choice.  (Nope, no air conditioning.  Good cross breezes  and lots of fans though.)

 So start with pork...

 Add in the beef...

Usually I do 2 parts beef to 1 part pork.  Mush it around with your fingers so all the meat is evenly mixed.  Then comes my favourite part, seasoning!

These are the seasonings I usually use...

Celery seed, onion powder, oregano and garlic plus (and you have to say "plus" with a French accent so it sounds like "pluuse". )  Lately I've also been throwing in a dash of seasoning salt.  Depending on how much meat you've got I use anywhere from 2 tablespoons to 1 teaspoon of each.  I've discovered a little oregano goes a long way.

Once I've formed patties, I package them up for later use.  This involves placing 4 to 8 patties between parchment paper and then putting them all into a zip lock freezer bag. These will keep for a long time.  We usually eat them all long before I see any sign of freezer burn.

 

Once you've finished packaging all your make ahead burgers, it's time to reward yourself  and your family with a few on the BBQ.  (The smallest one is for my youngest, who does not eat a lot in one sitting.)  If you are looking for a BBQ lesson, may I direct your attention to youtube.  My BBQ skills are all instinctual and either produce something fabulous or something pretty dry.  Luckily, I've cooked enough hamburgers that I usually deliver something delicious.  It just takes practice.  Lots and lots of practice.

 

Now, that's a burger!  Hopefully, I'll have the opportunity to share at least one BBQ burger with Marnie's Dad this summer.