Cooks Corner

If Memorial Day didn't find you , fresh apron firmly tied, wielding the spatula at the grill or mixing the potato salad for the grill guests, don't despair. You can be the star of the next cookout with these unusual and unusually tasty gourmet burgers.

Or, if gourmet burgers are not your family's fare, tempt them with the new by trying one of the gourmet sauces -- these have a bite -- for regular burgers. Just make your family's favorite burger and top with your choice of sauce. But don't put the Satay sauce over the peanut butter burger -- too much of a good thing. (While it may sound a bad pairing, peanut butter is the ingredient in Satay sauce that is a favorite of many diners who order the Satay Beef at Asian restaurants.)

You can make any burger a special occasion with a few simple tricks, if the recipes below don't suit you. For example, make the burger mix but put crumbled bleu cheese in the middle of the patty instead of - or as well as - on top of the burger. Add extra flavor to burgers with crumbled, well-done bacon mixed with the ground beef before you make the patties (about 5 cooked slices per pound of beef. Eliminate the salt from your recipe, bacon is salty.) Or add a thin slice of pineapple on top of the burger, along with the sliced onion and instead of the sliced tomato.

GOURMET BURGER SAUCES
Old-fashioned Hot Sauce

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 part horseradish
1 part Dijon-style mustard
Spicy Sauce
1 part softened cream cheese
1 part favorite salsa
Satay Sauce (Thai peanut sauce)
3 heaping Tbsp peanut butter, either smooth or crunchy style
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 C apple juice, unsweetened
1 tsp hot sauce, or to taste
3 Tbsp lime juice

Place peanut butter in a microwaveable bowl. Heat on high until softened, about 20 to 25 seconds. Meanwhile mix other ingredients together. Then slowly whisk the mixture into the warm peanut butter until fully blended. Serve either warm or chilled. Yields about one cup, or four servings.

NOTE: Try substituting pineapple juice for the apple for a more exotic taste.

PEANUT BUTTER
BACON BURGERS

This tastes better than it sounds. The peanut butter gives the burger a nice nutty taste, and keeps it very juicy.

1 1/2 lb lean ground beef or ground sirloin
1/4 C smooth peanut butter
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp butter, softened
8-10 strips freshly-cooked bacon

Combine all ingredients and shape into patties. Refrigerate patties for at least two hours. (Chilling the patties helps hold the shape while grilling). Grill on BBQ. Place on buns and top with bacon strips, if using. Makes 4-5 burgers.

NOTE: You can try practically any seasoning with this burger, but don't add raw egg or bread crumbs. The peanut butter and softened butter, plus the chilling, will hold them together quite well.

RED WINE PROVALONE BURGERS

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/3 C (or more) of your favorite red wine
1 Tbsp parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
flour or plain bread crumbs for soaking excess liquid
4-6 slices provalone cheese

Spices: (Add more or less to taste, or add your favorite spices)
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried savory
1 tsp. dried thyme

For a spicy burger:
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
pinch Tabasco
pinch of dried red chili pepper
(for use as a dry rub on top of burger)

Mix the spices with the lean ground beef, adding the wine, Worcestershire sauce and parmesan cheese. Add a little flour or bread as necessary if meat mixture becomes too liquid, and also to keep it from falling apart. Form into patties. Grill the burgers. If you are making the spicy burger, put the red chili pepper on the top as a dry rub. Makes 4 burgers.

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Cooks Corner
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