Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Beer Burgers from the Basement

Most interesting food have stories behind them. This recipe is the result of an experience my roommate and I shared over about 4 months in a very small apartment in the basement of a house in Bismark, North Dakota. We were Vista Volunteers and got very little money for our trouble and paid very little rent for the place. As he had a girlfriend I got the bed in the living room, where my head ended up under the stairs with a bookcase at the head. We got food stamps as part of the program and bought a lot of macaroni and cheese and hamburger. One night, after a few beers, I was making hamburgers on the tiny gas stove in the cramped and crowded kitchen and tried putting some beer in with the burgers. It worked and we had really moist, good tasting burgers as a result.

Over the years I have adapted and modified the recipe and it has only gotten better! My kids loved them and so do friends when I have made them.

Ingredients
1 to 2 pounds of hamburger (lean but not extra lean)
Beer (anything works, but I prefer Amber, like Alaskan Amber or Corona Amber)
Worcestershire sauce (the good stuff)
Pepper/salt to taste
Large skillet with cover
Additions I have tried:
Onions sliced and separated into rings
Green or red bell peppers
Cheese: cheddar, jack or pepper jack
Bacon

Heat the pan. Make patties with 1/4 to 1/3 pound of hamburger, making a depression in the center into which you pour Worcestershire sauce, then mix into meat. Alternately, put the burgers in and the beer and then add the Worcestershire, or both... Put patties in pan, letting them just start to cook. Add enough beer to cover bottom of pan plus about 1/4 inch. Put in veggies if desired and cover. Use your own judgement, but it does not take long for them to cook. Take off cover, turn and press the burgers down and stir the veggies around. When they are about done put the cheese on and let it melt some, then dish things up, using the onions and/or peppers as topping. Bacon works well of course. As with any burger you can dress them up any way you like!

So, there you are, my beer burgers.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'm requesting your French onion soup recipe. I made it before and it was delicous! I lost the recipe and would like to make it again.