It isn’t July Fourth without firing up the grill, and what could be more American than grilling the perfect burger? We’ve paired our version of this all-American classic with a recipe for homemade onions rings and a fresh summer fruit pizza that is easy to make, beautiful to behold, and always a festive and delicious way to enjoy Independence Day!
ON THE MENU:
• Perfect Backyard Burgers
• Stone Fruit and Berry Pizza
Recipes by Tracey Koch
PERFECT BACKYARD BURGERS
There are thousands of recipes and theories about the best way to cook the perfect hamburger. Charcoal versus gas, flat griddle versus pan fried, thick patties versus thin—and that’s before even getting into how to dress them or the best type of buns. Let’s face it: Many of these debates get down to personal preference. We couldn’t begin to weigh in on those meaty matters. We can, however, offer advice to ensure whatever your burger preference, it will be tasty, tender and juicy every time.
Using ground meat that is too lean makes for a very dry and flavorless burger. We’ve also found if the meat is too fatty, the patties shrink up when cooking. Using an 85% lean ground beef has always worked best for us. Also, using a coarser grind tends to make the patties more tender than finely ground meat. To ensure a tender burger, don’t overwork your meat when mixing and forming the patties. Make a slight dent in the top of the patties to prevent them from forming a dome as they cook.
Allow your hamburgers to sit for 30 minutes or so before cooking to ensure all the seasonings have had time to work their way into the meat. Finally, as with a good steak, allow your burgers to rest for a couple of minutes after they are cooked to allow the juices to work their way back through the meat before serving.
Servings: Yields 8 ¼-pound burger patties
2 pounds 85% lean ground beef (coarsely ground if available)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup vegetable oil
1. In a mixing bowl, gently combine the meat with the salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder and garlic powder.
2. Divide the meat into 8 even ¼-pound balls.
3. Trying not to overwork the meat, press the balls into ¾-inch patties. Make a slight indentation in the middle of each patty to prevent them from doming up as they cook.
4. Place the burgers on a baking sheet, with a piece of parchment on top of each layer to prevent the burgers from sticking together.
5. Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Brush the burgers with a little vegetable oil. Place the burgers on the grill and cover.
6. Grill the burgers for 3 minutes and then flip them over. Cover and grill them for another 3 to 4 minutes and remove. If adding cheese, place slices on top and cover the burgers with foil to allow the cheese to melt. Let the burgers rest for a couple of minutes before dressing them.
CRISPY HOMEMADE ONION RINGS
One of our favorite sides with a good burger is onion rings. They are the perfect accompaniment and are really a treat when done well. This recipe sounds a little labor intensive, because to ensure the onion rings have a crispy crust that adheres to the onion we dip the rings in egg wash twice. This extra step makes all the difference when it comes time to fry them. It will keep the batter on the onion and will make for the crunchiest onion ring you’ve ever tasted. If you have never made onion rings from scratch, this is the recipe to try. They are addictive and delicious and a crowd pleaser every time.
Servings: 8
2 large vidalia onions or sweet onions
2 ½ cups flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
2 eggs
1 cup whole or low-fat milk
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
6 cups vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Slice the onions into ¼-inch slices and separate them into rings.
2. In a shallow baking dish, sift together the flour, baking powder and Creole seasoning.
3. Whisk together the eggs and milk, and divide this mixture between two more shallow dishes.
4. In a fourth dish, pour the Panko bread crumbs.
5. Make an assembly line starting with one of the egg-mixture dishes, followed by the seasoned flour, the second dish of egg mixture, and finally, the dish with the breadcrumbs.
6. Working in batches, dip the onion rings into the first dish of egg mixture, then roll them in the seasoned flour. Place the onion rings into the second dish of egg mixture and end by rolling them in the breadcrumbs.
7. Place the onion rings in a single layer on a baking sheet while you heat up your oil to 350 degrees.
8. Fry the onion rings in batches, 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Serve immediately.
STONE FRUIT AND BERRY PIZZA
To call this delicious summer dessert a pizza is almost selling it short, because it is so much more. The tender, buttery shortbread cookie crust is hearty enough to stand up to the creamy cream cheese, buttercream and fruit. The layers of peaches, plums and berries make it look like a fancy French tart. And the balance of slightly tart mascarpone spread with the blend of stone fruits and berries give off an almost floral note. This beautiful dessert is elegant enough to serve after a seated dinner. But because you can serve it like a pizza—and eat it like one—it is ideal for your backyard picnic or July Fourth get together.
Servings: 8
For a standard shortbread crust:
1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
2 cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest (optional)
¼ cup chopped pecans, almonds or pistachios (optional)
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, salt and powdered sugar. If you are flavoring the crust with lemon zest or chopped nuts, fold them into the dry ingredients.
2. Mix the softened butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles wet sand.
3. Form the dough into a ball. Place the dough on a piece of parchment and roll it out into a 10-inch round circle. It should be about ¼-inch thick.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and cool completely before adding the toppings.
For the mascarpone spread:
4 ounces mascarpone cheese
4 tablespoons softened butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
1. Using an electric mixer, cream together the mascarpone and butter until creamy.
2. Slowly add in the sugar, vanilla and milk. Continue to beat until smooth.
3. Cover the shortbread crust with the mascarpone spread. Place it in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes before topping with the fruit.
Fruit topping:
2 cups sliced peaches or nectarines
2 cups sliced plums
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup blueberries
¼ cup sugar
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1. Keep the sliced fruit separated in 4 different bowls, and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over each bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice over each bowl of fruit. Stir to combine.
2. Allow the sugar to blend with the fruits for 10 minutes.
3. To assemble, start by placing the peach slices around the edge of the pizza on top of the mascarpone spread to form a complete ring. Repeat this with a second ring of the sliced peaches.
4. Working toward the middle, place the plum slices next to the peaches to form the next ring. Follow this with a second ring of plum slices.
5. Follow this with the sliced strawberries as the last ring. Finish off by piling the blueberries in the middle of the pizza.
6. Place the fruit pizza back in the refrigerator for one hour or until you are ready to serve.
This article was originally published in the July 2018 issue of 225 Magazine.
