The Down−Homer Burger

I was sent an e-copy of the Burger-A-Day Cookbook by Arnie Tomaino for review and what a fun recipe book to have on hand!! This book contains 365 plus recipes, so you can enjoy a different variation of a burger every day of the year. Some of the burger recipes include: Pistachio Pesto Burger, The Peanutery Asian, Tuna Burgers with Ginger-Mustard Glaze, When Lamb Met Olives, Porky's Vengeance, Nero's Mediterranean Portobello Burger, etc. There is something for everyone! Any taste you have, you will find a burger recipe to satisfy it, along with suggested side dishes, rubs, and sauces too.

I had a hard time selecting a recipe to make, and almost made the bacon burger, but I already have about 3 or 4 bacon burger recipes on this blog, and decided to branch out just a little bit.

I made a few tweaks based on what I had available - I used a Spicy Mayo from Intensity Academy (instead of the ketchup / mustard / mayo mix) and omitted the raw onion (we are just not fans). We also added pickles and bacon to our burgers. We served ours up slider-sized on some homemade Outback Brown Bread copy-cat style rolls.

They were tender, flavorful, and completely delicious! I thought the mayo really complemented the seasoned hamburger patty.

The Down−Homer Burger from the Burger-A-Day Cookbook by Arnie Tomaino

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck - 80% lean
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
4 large lettuce leafs
1 large vine-ripened tomato
1 large yellow onion (optional)
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup of canola or light olive oil
4 hamburger buns or soft Kaiser rolls, split

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup. Blend well and set aside.
2. Prepare yellow onion (if using) by slicing in thick slices, place in a plastic bag or glass jar with ice water, seal and refrigerate until ready to use. This makes the onions very crisp and juicy.
3. Slice a vine-ripened tomato into thick slices.
4. In a large bowl mix sour cream, bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce and lemon pepper seasoning. Gently add in the ground chuck, being careful not to overwork the meat. 
5. Divide the meat into four equal portions. Each patty should consist of approximately 6 ounces of ground meat.
6. Carefully and loosely form each divided portion into a patty that is ¾ -1 inch thick and about 4 1/2 inch in diameter, again being careful to not overwork the meat. Make a deep depression in the center of each of the meat patties with your thumb.
7. Once formed, place patties on a clean plate, sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper, cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
8. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and coat grill grates with cooking oil so as to avoid patties from sticking. Remove patties from refrigeration, brush the burgers with light olive or canola oil, and place the patties on the hot grill grates. Grill and sear patties over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes per side, or to desired doneness being sure they are cooked through and have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove grilled patties from grill and let them rest for 2-3 minutes.
9. To assemble and stack, divide the ketchup/mustard/ mayo mixture evenly on the hamburger buns, top with a meat patty, tomato slice, onion slice and shredded lettuce. For a bit more crispness add radish sprouts to the tops of the burgers before covering with the upper bun.

*Full Disclosure: I received complimentary product from GrillJunkie for the purpose of review. I received no compensation for this post. All comments are 100% accurate and 100% my own.