While looking for a friend's of a friend blog posts about D&D, I came across Bobby Flay's Burger Palace. In the same day, a Khymos post sent me on a link journey to a comment in the Ideas in Food blog, and I started Jonesing for a good burger. I ended up making two too-big burgers for $4. $2 each for juicy heaven.
12 oz 80/20 ground beef - 800 calories - $2.40
2 potato buns - 180 calories - $0.33 or $0.50 (from a package of 12)
2 strips of store brand bacon - 80 calories - ~$0.42
1 tablespoon of butter - 100 calories - $0.09
2 oz colby jack cheese - 200 calories - $0.50 (because we didn't have goat cheese!)
2 spare slices of onion
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons of flour
a square foot of plastic wrap
I chopped the onion and bacon into small pieces, then browned them in a little steel skillet with a little fat from some other bacon. Then I mixed the bacon and onion into the beef with the Worcestershire sauce (maybe put the butter in there too, next time), packed the beef into a "log" (it was only 2" thick) and wrapped it in the plastic, then put it in the fridge to rest for an hour. I took out the log, cut it in half to make the two patties. I floured the patties, then fried them in the butter while lightly toasting the buns. I put the cheese on the patties after flipping them.
That's it. We did not put anything else on these succulent burgers. These blew away every other fancy burger I've had, so juicy and delicious. One of my regular complaints about burgers at restaurants (I'm not talking about the awful trash at fast food joints) is that the buns are too big. I don't want an enormous roll engulfing my burger and making it hard to fit in my mouth, giving me a lot of flour taste over the beef and fat. The small, generic, potato buns from any supermarket are the perfect meat-holders for me.
Our only lament was that we had no goat cheese. A little chevre from Trader Joe's would have topped this off nicely. Actually, we also decided that 4 ounces is the right size for a burger. The 6 oz burgers were delicious, but unnecessarily large.
So, each burger I made had about 650-700 calories and cost $2, but I would happily use a third less meat and swap the Colby Jack for some chevre ($0.50/oz), shaving off over a hundred calories and about $0.25 per burger.
Showing posts with label Beef. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beef. Show all posts
2011-04-22
2011-01-27
Cabbage Pockets
I loved when my mom made cabbage pockets for us when I was a kid. I think they have an original German name. This is nice comfort food when eaten hot, and serves as a convenient food when carried around cold.
Prepare the dough first ($1-2 depending on the type of flour, if you use milk, and how much you pay for yeast):
1 cup water
1 cup whey (or milk or water)
2 Tbsp butter
1.5 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar or honey
2.25 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
5.5 cups flour
Proof the yeast in 100-110 degree F water. Mix all the ingredients together, and kneed the dough, then roll into a ball and leave in a lightly oiled covered bowl to rise until doubled. If you only use whole wheat flour, you will have to add more liquid. Liquid needs vary by humidity and flour density also, so you'll really have to get a feel for proper dough consistency to figure out how much to add.
Filling ($6-7):
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 head of cabbage
2 medium/large onions
5 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp oil
oregano, whatever seasoning you like
Start preparing the filling when the dough finishes rising. In a big skillet or saute pan, saute the onion and garlic in oil. When the onions are translucent, add the cabbage and spices and stir. Punch down the dough and divide into 24 equal parts. Roll each part into a ball and let rest. Cook the beef in a separate skillet, drain, and add to the cabbage. Roll each dough ball into a flat circle about a quarter inch thick, put about 2 Tbsp of cabbage mix in the center, and pinch the edges together over the filling so that the dough completely encompasses the filling in a ball. Bake these, seam-side down, for 20 minutes at 400 F.
Next time I make these, I intend to add diced jalepeno. This should make 24 cabbage pockets pretty easily for $7-9. Each pocket is about 150 calories, and three make a decent meal for about $1, though bread-heavy.
Prepare the dough first ($1-2 depending on the type of flour, if you use milk, and how much you pay for yeast):
1 cup water
1 cup whey (or milk or water)
2 Tbsp butter
1.5 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar or honey
2.25 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
5.5 cups flour
Proof the yeast in 100-110 degree F water. Mix all the ingredients together, and kneed the dough, then roll into a ball and leave in a lightly oiled covered bowl to rise until doubled. If you only use whole wheat flour, you will have to add more liquid. Liquid needs vary by humidity and flour density also, so you'll really have to get a feel for proper dough consistency to figure out how much to add.
Filling ($6-7):
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 head of cabbage
2 medium/large onions
5 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp oil
oregano, whatever seasoning you like
Start preparing the filling when the dough finishes rising. In a big skillet or saute pan, saute the onion and garlic in oil. When the onions are translucent, add the cabbage and spices and stir. Punch down the dough and divide into 24 equal parts. Roll each part into a ball and let rest. Cook the beef in a separate skillet, drain, and add to the cabbage. Roll each dough ball into a flat circle about a quarter inch thick, put about 2 Tbsp of cabbage mix in the center, and pinch the edges together over the filling so that the dough completely encompasses the filling in a ball. Bake these, seam-side down, for 20 minutes at 400 F.
Next time I make these, I intend to add diced jalepeno. This should make 24 cabbage pockets pretty easily for $7-9. Each pocket is about 150 calories, and three make a decent meal for about $1, though bread-heavy.
2010-08-28
A Real American
This has been a great year for gastronomical innovation. KFC really threw the gloves down when it came out with the Double Down, a sandwich that uses fried chicken for the bun, with bacon, cheese, and sauce inside. Though initially subjected to ridicule, the DD has endured well by being tasty and healthier than much of its competition (unless evaluated per calorie). Eventually, more sandwich innovation appeared. Friendly's introduced a hamburger with grilled cheese sandwiches for buns, the Grilled Cheese BurgerMelt. Denny's now has a Fried Cheese Melt, a grilled cheese sandwich with fried Mozzarella sticks in it. At some fairgrounds you might find a cheeseburger topped with chocolate-covered bacon in a Krispy Kreme donut bun. Inspired by all this inventiveness, I decided to build an homage to the American spirit of sandwich creation. I give you the Real American:
What you see here is a burger with cheeseburgers for buns, and each cheeseburger has bacon for buns. Yes. Go ahead and read that sentence again.
Step 1: Construct the buns
I cut Tyson hardwood smoked thick-cut bacon in half (use any kind you like, I just got what was on sale for under $3.50/lb and looked meatiest), then wove the halves together.
Step 2: Cook the buns
I microwaved the buns between paper towels for 6 minutes, two buns per plate. I have experimented with many ways of cooking bacon, and microwaving is fast and easy to clean up while producing evenly-cooked, flat, crisp bacon. These buns held together great, were nice and crisp, and not too greasy on the hands.
Step 3: Make burger patties
I used Laura's 92% lean ground beef because it was marked down for sale before expiration. Of course, use whatever you want. I mixed in garlic powder, pepper flakes, and Worcestershire sauce, then hand packed the patties to be thin and fit the buns after cooking shrinkage. The Worcestershire sauce added a really great flavor. These patties are about 3 oz each and some change.
Step 4: Cook the burger patties
They cooked up great in my cast iron skillet, and I thought I took a picture, but it looks like I forgot.
Step 5: Assembly
Assembly was a piece of cake. First sub-bun:
Bottom "bun" (Colby-jack cheese):
The burger, topped with sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, and chevre:
Top "bun":
Step 6: Eat that mammer:
This was absolutely delicious, and I will make it again. Worcestershire sauce, caramelized onions, and goat cheese rocked out on this sandwich. The Real American was dinner for two people.
Broken down:
6 slices of bacon - about 240 calories - about $2
10 oz of lean beef - about 400 calories - about $3
1 oz Colby-jack - about 110 calories - about $0.25
a mushroom - negligible
some onion - negligible
.5 oz goat cheese - 35 calories - $0.25
seasoning - negligible - about $0.10
7 paper towels - about $0.10
Total: about 800 calories, about $5.70 not including utilities or equipment.
Step 1: Construct the buns
I cut Tyson hardwood smoked thick-cut bacon in half (use any kind you like, I just got what was on sale for under $3.50/lb and looked meatiest), then wove the halves together.
Step 2: Cook the buns
I microwaved the buns between paper towels for 6 minutes, two buns per plate. I have experimented with many ways of cooking bacon, and microwaving is fast and easy to clean up while producing evenly-cooked, flat, crisp bacon. These buns held together great, were nice and crisp, and not too greasy on the hands.
Step 3: Make burger patties
I used Laura's 92% lean ground beef because it was marked down for sale before expiration. Of course, use whatever you want. I mixed in garlic powder, pepper flakes, and Worcestershire sauce, then hand packed the patties to be thin and fit the buns after cooking shrinkage. The Worcestershire sauce added a really great flavor. These patties are about 3 oz each and some change.
Step 4: Cook the burger patties
They cooked up great in my cast iron skillet, and I thought I took a picture, but it looks like I forgot.
Step 5: Assembly
Assembly was a piece of cake. First sub-bun:
Step 6: Eat that mammer:
This was absolutely delicious, and I will make it again. Worcestershire sauce, caramelized onions, and goat cheese rocked out on this sandwich. The Real American was dinner for two people.
Broken down:
6 slices of bacon - about 240 calories - about $2
10 oz of lean beef - about 400 calories - about $3
1 oz Colby-jack - about 110 calories - about $0.25
a mushroom - negligible
some onion - negligible
.5 oz goat cheese - 35 calories - $0.25
seasoning - negligible - about $0.10
7 paper towels - about $0.10
Total: about 800 calories, about $5.70 not including utilities or equipment.
2010-01-14
Beef Stew
I tried something new, and it didn't come out perfectly because of my weak searing and dredging skills, but it is okay. Roasts were on sale. Don't stress about exact amounts. This will take refining.
Serves four people at about 650 calories and $2.00 each, but takes about 6 hours to make (you don't have to do anything for 5 of those hours).
1.7 lbs chuck roast - @ $2.39/lb = $4
1 cup all-purpose flour - @ $3/5lbs = ~$0.17
1/2 lb carrots - @ $1/lb = $0.50
3 stalks celery - @ $1.50/head = ~$0.50
6 red potatoes - @ $3/5lbs bag = ~$1.80
2 onions, regular - @ $1/lb = ~$0.50
1 tbsp garlic, minced - 1/42 of a jar @ $3/jar = $0.07
2 tbsp vegetable oil - @ $4/96tbsp bottle = $0.08
1 tsp oregano - @ $1/bottle = ~$0.05
2 tbsp red wine vinegar - @ $2/25tbsp bottle = $0.08
1/4 cup red wine - @ $15/5L box (Almadine Cabernet Sauvignon) = $0.19
splash of Worcestershire sauce - ?
2 paper towels - @ ~$1.00/roll = ~$0.03
Prep: Cut the beef into chunks 2-3" on each side. Take this opportunity to cut off the chunks of fat from the beef, and discard them. Slice up the carrots, celery, and onions. Dry the beef chunks on paper towels.
Cooking: Heat the oil in a skillet or pot. Brown the dried beef chunks for 3 minutes on each side (this may take 2-3 shifts as all the beef won't fit in the skillet at once). Dredge the beef in flour to coat, then return to the skillet for a couple more minutes to cook the flour on. Put the beef in your slow cooker or dutch oven. Put the sliced carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and oregano in the skillet. Stir fry the veggies together for a few minutes, then dump them on top of the beef. Mix your wine, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce together in the skillet to deglaze it, then pour the liquid on top of the veggies. Add the potatoes, cover, and set to cook at low temperature for 5 hours, 325 F if using an oven.
Notes: I would absolutely use more wine. That was just all I had. Almadine boxed wine is surprisingly good for the price, and keeps well. Smaller potatoes will cook through and be soft, but larger potatoes will still be firm. I inadequately seared and dredged my beef, and some of the chunks were dried out after cooking. Water will cook out of the vegetables and meat. You may option to pour out all the liquids after cooking, and mix in a little flour or corn starch to form a gravy, but I do not have good instructions for that.
EDIT:
After some research, I believe that my trouble browning the beef was related to my use of a low quality non-stick skillet. I think this has caused several problems with my cooking over the years, and I am just now finding out about the benefits of aluminum-core stainless steel cookware and cast iron. Unfortunately, great cookware from All Clad or even Cuisinart is expensive beyond the theme of this blog. Perhaps the Salvation Army or similar facilities can provide low-cost decent-quality cookware. Lodge sells a very highly reviewed 12" cast iron skillet for $19, as well as other relatively inexpensive cast iron cookware, but these require careful use and maintenance. I will return to this topic in the future.
Serves four people at about 650 calories and $2.00 each, but takes about 6 hours to make (you don't have to do anything for 5 of those hours).
1.7 lbs chuck roast - @ $2.39/lb = $4
1 cup all-purpose flour - @ $3/5lbs = ~$0.17
1/2 lb carrots - @ $1/lb = $0.50
3 stalks celery - @ $1.50/head = ~$0.50
6 red potatoes - @ $3/5lbs bag = ~$1.80
2 onions, regular - @ $1/lb = ~$0.50
1 tbsp garlic, minced - 1/42 of a jar @ $3/jar = $0.07
2 tbsp vegetable oil - @ $4/96tbsp bottle = $0.08
1 tsp oregano - @ $1/bottle = ~$0.05
2 tbsp red wine vinegar - @ $2/25tbsp bottle = $0.08
1/4 cup red wine - @ $15/5L box (Almadine Cabernet Sauvignon) = $0.19
splash of Worcestershire sauce - ?
2 paper towels - @ ~$1.00/roll = ~$0.03
Prep: Cut the beef into chunks 2-3" on each side. Take this opportunity to cut off the chunks of fat from the beef, and discard them. Slice up the carrots, celery, and onions. Dry the beef chunks on paper towels.
Cooking: Heat the oil in a skillet or pot. Brown the dried beef chunks for 3 minutes on each side (this may take 2-3 shifts as all the beef won't fit in the skillet at once). Dredge the beef in flour to coat, then return to the skillet for a couple more minutes to cook the flour on. Put the beef in your slow cooker or dutch oven. Put the sliced carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and oregano in the skillet. Stir fry the veggies together for a few minutes, then dump them on top of the beef. Mix your wine, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce together in the skillet to deglaze it, then pour the liquid on top of the veggies. Add the potatoes, cover, and set to cook at low temperature for 5 hours, 325 F if using an oven.
Notes: I would absolutely use more wine. That was just all I had. Almadine boxed wine is surprisingly good for the price, and keeps well. Smaller potatoes will cook through and be soft, but larger potatoes will still be firm. I inadequately seared and dredged my beef, and some of the chunks were dried out after cooking. Water will cook out of the vegetables and meat. You may option to pour out all the liquids after cooking, and mix in a little flour or corn starch to form a gravy, but I do not have good instructions for that.
EDIT:
After some research, I believe that my trouble browning the beef was related to my use of a low quality non-stick skillet. I think this has caused several problems with my cooking over the years, and I am just now finding out about the benefits of aluminum-core stainless steel cookware and cast iron. Unfortunately, great cookware from All Clad or even Cuisinart is expensive beyond the theme of this blog. Perhaps the Salvation Army or similar facilities can provide low-cost decent-quality cookware. Lodge sells a very highly reviewed 12" cast iron skillet for $19, as well as other relatively inexpensive cast iron cookware, but these require careful use and maintenance. I will return to this topic in the future.
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