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OxfordPress.com

Tom Perry's Burgers

Makes 6 burgers
1 cup hickory chips
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1/2 pound ground sirloin
1 medium Vidalia onion, finely diced or pureed
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped and pureed with 1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cracked pepper
6 Kaiser rolls or sesame buns
6 slices Monterey Jack cheese
Condiments: mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, sliced Vidalia onion, sliced tomato, sliced jalapenos, lettuce and fresh guacamole

Soak the hickory chips in water.

Combine the ground meats, diced onion, egg white, garlic puree and pepper. Form into 6 patties.

Spread the coals in a charcoal grill and sprinkle the soaked hickory chips on top.

Lightly toast the buns on both sides.

Cook the burger covered, with air vents adjusted, for 6 to 8 minutes. Turn and cook another 4 to 6 minutes. Add the cheese; close grill and air vents and let cheese melt for two minutes.

Serve on a roll or bun with condiments.

Ed Peterson suggests using Kraft's Mohawk Valley Limburger cheese spread, because it melts more quickly than true Limburger. He also prefers the German rye bread from Blue Sky Bakery. The burgers can be served open faced or between two toasted slices of the bread.

Ed Peterson's Limburger Burger

Makes 4 burgers
4 (or 8) slices German Rye bread
1 1/2 pounds ground round steak
Salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, divided
2 teaspoons lemon juice, divided
4 tablespoons Limburger spread, divided
1/4 cup chopped parsley, divided

Toast and butter the rye bread. Place on a warm serving plate.

Form the ground beef into four equal patties.

Sprinkle the bottom of a heavy cast-iron skillet with a light layer of salt and heat until very hot. Add the beef patties and sear well on one side. Turn the burgers, reduce heat and cook to desired doneness.

Transfer the patties to toasts. Top each with 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon Limburger spread, smoothing it over the burger. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon parsley over each patty.

(Craig Claiborne's original recipe also calls for sprinkling the cooked burger with salt and pepper before adding the toppings).

Steve Bertolo's burger is utter simplicity.

"It is so simple," he says. "The key is fresh everything."

And that means a garden, not supermarket tomato. And leaves of fresh basil, from the garden or farm market.

Steve's Basil Burger

For each hamburger, grill patties made with fresh ground chuck. When cooked to your liking, put on a split Kaiser roll, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with slices of garden tomatoes and 4 to 5 basil leaves. Mayonnaise is optional.