Caprese Pesto Burgers is a hamburger to remember

Posted on Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 1:20 p.m.

Caprese Pesto Burgers is a hamburger to remember

By Peggy Lampman

Caprese Pesto Burgers

Peggy Lampman |Contributor

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Hamburgers are an affectionate memoir of the 20th century American appetite, recalling backyard barbecues, squirt bottles of ketchup, and thighs sticking to vinyl in a small-town diner. There’s no stopping the free-wheeling burger, and in the spirit of free enterprise, empires continue to be built in the 21st century upon our insatiable, unblushing appetite for quarter-pounders, fully loaded, piled high on a sesame seed bun.

Hamburgers burst forth in a spirit of democracy, particularly suited to a capitalist economy. In Ann Arbor, for instance, you may grab a burger at the roll-back price of two bucks plus change at Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger. Then, head up the street, hang a right down Main, and pull up a chair at Vinology, where Kobe beef sliders, with a trio of house-made ketchups, make a small meal for ten big ones. Catch the restaurant at happy hour and that same plate is half price.

When it comes to grinds, the origin of the meat is important information.

The egalitarian hamburger may be customized to suit regional tastes. The West Coast palate might prefer a legume-based burger on a 12-grain roll, chock-full of fiber, basking in sunny health. A Southerner might insist their high fat to meat ratio burger be grilled, then served on a snow-white bun as plushy and soft as a goose down pillow. Ann Arborites, such as myself, tend to vacillate; pictured is a high-fat burger on a whole wheat bun.

The following recipe for a Caprese Burger reflects our predilection to borrow traditional recipes from overseas and conform them to our own palates. I found this recipe online at Food and Wine. com, which plays off the Italian Caprese Salad composed of tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella.

The recipe’s author, Grace Parisi, makes her pesto with basil, almonds and Pecorino-Romano — a laudable combination with the tang of sheep’s milk cheese. I made a huge batch of pesto several months ago and froze it, but used pine nuts instead of almonds and cow’s milk Parmigiana Reggiano instead of Pecorino. Most cooks who love Italian food have their own version of the classic Italian paste, and any made-from-scratch pesto would be appropriate in the following recipe.

The debate may never end regarding fat-to-meat ratios, whether grass- or corn-fed cattle produces the best grind, or if the knowledge regarding the source of the product is important. I waffle when it comes to fat content; my palate prefers a fattier, thus juicier, burger, but health data suggests I refrain. But I avoid eating corn-fed, feed-lot beef, and especially grinds, when I haven’t a clue as to the origin.

A steak, for instance, may be reasonably safe. But one cello-wrapped package of grinds may contain meat from dozens, if not hundreds, of animals, exponentially increasing the risk of bacterial contamination. You could kill most bacteria by cooking burgers well done to hockey-puck consistency, but I think hamburgers are best cooked — at most — to medium.

I could grind my own meat, but that’s a hassle, so it’s great to have a variety of places to shop that provide specific information as to a product’s origin. I’ve visited Lamb Farm in Manchester and know for a fact those grass-fed cattle are humanely raised; their grinds are available at Arbor Farms.

Whole Foods has an animal welfare rating system, which rates meat products on a scale of one to five based on the quality of the animal’s life. The six-step, color-coded labeling system allows consumers to make their choice based on specific criteria. I purchased the grinds for the following recipe at the Eisenhower Whole Foods, and the counter staff have an encyclopedic knowledge regarding the origins of the products they sell.

At the end of the day, when the debates have ceased, you just want to know: Does it taste good? After the first bite of this Caprese Burger, I pronounced the fusion brilliant; a burger where dreams are made —a burger to remember. The only issue was the attack; this is one big son-of-a-gun, so I’d advise using a minimalist bun.

The following recipe was adapted from Food and Wine. Click here for other memorable burgers, including the Bacon-Jam Burger, Go-Blue Cheese Burger, Portabella Burger and a knock-your-socks off Turkey Burger.

Yield: 6 burgers
Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

1 heaping cup prepared basil pesto
1 pound ground beef chuck
1 pound ground beef sirloin
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 6 slices
6 hamburger buns, split
2 tomatoes, sliced

Directions

1. Gently knead 1/4 cup of pesto into the ground chuck and sirloin. Form the mixture into six patties.
2. Oil grill grates, and heat gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Grill the burgers for 3 minutes. Flip the burgers, top with mozzarella slices and close the grill. Cook for 3-5 minutes longer for medium-rare burgers.
3. Grill the buns until lightly toasted, then divide the remaining pesto on the bottom of the buns. Top with the burger and tomatoes. Close the burgers and serve.

Peggy Lampman is a real-time food writer and photographer posting daily feeds on her website and in the Food & Grocery section of Annarbor.com. You may also e-mail her at peggy@dinnerfeed.com.

Comments

Ron Granger

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 6:09 p.m.

Sparrow, in Kerrytown, has great local grassfed ground beef. You can also chop your own beef. You know, with a knife. It need not be ground. It binds together surprisingly well. And it almost goes without saying that a gas grill is no substitute for hardwood charcoal. Not even close.

Peggy Lampman

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 7:57 p.m.

Hi Ron. You are right right right with every comment; and Sparrow Meats has the best of everything - just chatting with Bob yesterday about some game. I've never chopped my beef with a knife for a burger and will have to try that sometime - and oh so right about coals, you got it- but that gas grill on my screened in porch next to the kitchen is just so dang easy! Thanks for the comment!