No More Frozen Burger Patties

Burger "purists" may be quick to dismiss our version, which uses some whole grain bulgur to extend the volume, but consider this: without sacrificing taste, it helps you use less meat, which in this day and age will help you get extra mileage out of your grocery budget. Tasters described the burgers as beefy, hearty, and moist. If you cannot find bulgur at the store, you can substitute cooked cracked wheat, whole wheat couscous, or steel-cut oats.

Our Beef Burger Recipe:

The original recipe is courtesy of Food Matters by Mark Bittman. The original calls for the addition of 1 lb of fresh spinach, which was not included in ours. If you would like to try the version with spinach but are unsure how your hard-core meat lovers will react, use one-third to one-half that amount.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin (or 1 tbs chili powder)
• Black pepper
• 1 egg
• 2 cups soaked and drained bulgur (~ 1 cup dry)

Steps:

Pre-heat the grill. While you wait, in a large bowl, combine the ground meat, onion, garlic, spices, and salt and pepper. Thoroughly mix using a rubber spatula or your hands, then add in the egg and bulgur (or any other cooked grains of your choice). Mix well and, using your hands, form into patties (you should have 8 or 9 patties). Brush the patties with a thin coat of oil before throwing them on the grill.

Grill on medium high, turning once or twice during cooking to ensure the patties cook evenly. If you are new to this, turn the patties over only when the first side is no longer sticking to the grill (which, depending on your heat, will be about 5 minutes or so). A patty should take about 15 to 20 minutes to cook.

Our test kitchen produced 8 1/2 patties weighing 120 g each.