Recipe: Michelle's Awesome Burgers

(Photo: Michelle's Awesome Turkeyburger, a variation of the recipe below)

If it is not apparent at this point let me make it clear. In my home I do 90% of the cooking. After a one-hour commute to work and a nine-hour workday, I get my butt back in a car and spend another hour in traffic to get home so that I can prepare a real dinner for my family. I do it day after day after day and you know why? Because I LOVE IT! Well, not the work and commute stuff, SCREW THAT! It's the cooking for my family thing I enjoy. It is relaxing and I think its fun. We've got a pretty good situation in my home. I love to cook and hate to clean, my wife hates to cook and loves to clean -- HARMONY!

However, there are times and situations when I just can't cook or on very rare occasions, don't feel like cooking. That's when Mrs. K works her magic and cooks for the family. Remember, I wrote that she hates to cook, not that she can't cook, she certainly can. Unlike me, she's really humble about her skills and her dishes. She'll charmingly deflect any attempt to compliment her efforts. Though sometimes I think that's because she doesn't want to get too good at cooking too many things! She's clever like that. How else was she able to wrangle such a high quality man into marrying her?

There are several things she prepares for me that are among my favorite versions of those foods. Among them are her hamburgers. True to her style she takes some simple ingredients and creates something I REALLY and SINCERELY enjoy. True to my writing style I'll offer that her hamburgers transcend the potential of their ingredients! Snazzy huh? In fact I like her burgers so much, that she is the only one who makes them in my house. They're better than any of the ones I've ever made and well, once I grab onto something I like I'm not letting go!

So here is my favorite burger recipe, compliments of my wife Michelle for whom I am happy to cook 90% of her meals.

Michelle's Awesome Burgers

3 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup onions (chopped fine)
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
Ground black pepper to taste
Wheat or whole grain hamburger buns*
Sliced cheddar cheese
Stone ground mustard
Bufalo Brand Chipotle Hot Sauce
Dad's Coney Island Hot Dog Sauce

In a large bowl mix the ground beef, onions, Worcestershire Sauce and ground black pepper.

Divide into desired size servings and form into hamburger patties.

Place patties on grill.

While patties grill, toast the hamburger rolls.

Cook patties until done adding a slice of cheddar cheese the last few moments.

On the bottom of the bun spread Bufalo Brand Chipotle Hot Sauce to taste.

On the top of the bun spread the stone ground mustard.

Place burger on bun and top with two tablespoons of Dad's Coney Island Hot Dog Sauce.

You can also add tomatoes, lettuce and extra onions if you like.

*OR Supremely- Portuguese sweetbread buns or bolos levedos (Portuguese pancakes). For more information on these please see this previous entry.

Recipe: Michelle's Awesome Burgers from Chop Onions, Boil Water by Henry Krauzyk