The term "gourmet" for this dish is debatable. But gourmet or not, this dish is easy to make and is sure to be a favorite for you and your friends. Some of the ingredients and cookware you should already have. If not, your friends and neighbors most likely have them. If you're worried about chopping the onion or garlic you can always go to the spice section in a grocery store - that's also where you can find the oregano. Even though fresh ingredients provide more flavor, dried spices are a good alternative since they have a much longer shelf-life. The ciabatta loaf used to make the buns gives the burgers a culinary touch as well as a great taste that mingles with the seasoned beef.
Serving: 6 burgers Time to make: 30-40 minutes
Ingredients * 1-1/2 pounds ground beef * 1 tablespoon chopped garlic * 1 tablespoon chopped onion * 1 egg * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 1/2 teaspoon pepper * 1/2 dried oregano * 1 ciabatta loaf (for the hamburger buns) * 1 tablespoon butter/margarine
Cookware needed * Frying pan * Large mixing bowl * Sharp knife * Cutting board (for chopping the onion and garlic) * Stove * Two plates * Spatula
Instructions
1. Put the ground beef in the mixing bowl with the chopped garlic, chopped onion, oregano, egg, salt and pepper. Blend all the ingredients by mashing the beef mixture with your hands. It's a little messy, but I assure you it's worth it.
2. Take out pieces of the beef mixture, round them into balls and place them on a plate. You should have six large balls of meat. If you want to make more patties then go ahead, just keep in mind that they won't be as big.
3. Turn the stove on medium.
4. Flatten one potential patty with your hands. Shape it into a circle as much as you can (don't worry if the burger comes out an irregular shape while frying it). Add a pinch of oregano, salt and pepper on top of the patty for extra flavor.
5. The stove should be ready once you have one patty shaped for cooking. Place the butter or margarine on the frying pan and move the butter or margarine with a spatula so that it covers the entire pan.
6. Flip the burger with the spatula once the bottom starts to brown, once the other side browns turn it over again. Grill the burgers for about five to six minutes to however you want them done. While one burger is in the pan, get the other ones ready for cooking. If you have a large enough pan, you can cook more than one burger at a time.
Note: One way to check if the burgers are ready is stab a toothpick into the patty to see if any juice flows out (if so it's not ready). You could also slice a small part into the patty to check if the meat is pink or not (if not pink it's ready).
7. Before the burgers are done, place napkins over a plate. Once the burgers are ready place them on the plate to drain.
8. Once all the burgers are ready, cut the ciabatta loaf into six pieces. Then cut those pieces in half to make buns for the burgers.
9. Add any condiments you want to burgers: lettuce, sliced tomato, cheese, etc. Enjoy.
You can reach this columnist at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
