When we were apartment hunting two summers ago, there was one thing on T's must-have list and that was a patio. At the time, I didn't really care, but I must admit that it is great to have a little outdoor space or at least be able to throw the door open to get some fresh air. Our patio is severely under-used already because of a certain neighbour who smokes CONSTANTLY and our patios make an L shape facing each other. I mean CON...STANT. It makes it hard to sit out in the evenings because we would literally just be sitting there looking at one another and, after living here for almost two years and not acknowledging the other person, I think we're past the point of striking up conversation. Although we have been shushed a couple of times when we're outside late at night, Smoking Lady doesn't seem to be that big of a ruiner (her lungs may have a different opinion). She puts up with poker nights, games nights, football Sundays and birthday celebrations without complaint.
One of the reasons we were excited about our patio was to be able to BBQ. We asked our landlord about it and she said, as long as no one complains about the smoke, we are good to go. We bought one of those table top grills and went to cooking. Everything was great for a few weeks. Then... you know it... we got a knock on our door from a RUINER. Although she doesn't live that close to us, she noticed T was out BBQ'ing and wanted to come have a chat. She didn't want to rustle any feathers but informed T that she had received a complaint about her BBQ. T explained that we had checked with the landlord and she explained that she was no longer able to cook outside so we shouldn't be either. What... a... ruiner.
Since then, I've been trying to come up with a really yummy burger on our electric skillet and, after two years or mixing, adding, tasting, hmmm'ing and haaaa'ing, I've done it! The secret- keep the meat super simple and then make one or two really delicious toppings to enhance the flavour.
Here's what you'll need:
1 lb ground beef
1 egg (beaten)
1/4 cup of plain oatmeal
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of ground pepper (or to taste)
Preheat electric skillet to 375 degrees. Mix up all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Form the mixture into 4-5 patties. Toss the patties on the skillet for 4 minutes before flipping. Try not to press them down or move them around. 4 minutes will put a good sear on the meat. Flip the burgers and leave them for another 4-5 minutes. If the meat isn't cooked all the way through, just keep them on a bit longer. Try not to overcook the burgers as you will end up with a dense meatloaf patty instead of a juicy burger. When patties are cooked through, through some grated Monterey Jack to melt. I typically grill some onions while the burgers are cooking as it brings out the sweetness a bit more. Toast buttered buns for 5 minutes on 350 degrees in the oven before serving.
Now for my new found favorite homemade topping- Garlic Aioli. I searched online and stumbled upon this really simply but incredibly yummy recipe from All Recipes.com. It went so well with the meat and gave the burgers a more restaurant/gourmet feel than the usual backyard style ketchup/mustard/mayonaise.
Thinly chop some lettuce and throw on a slice of tomato and you have yourself a delicious grown up style burger for the effort and cost of a quick weekday meal. Enjoy!
Comments or suggestions? I'd love to hear from you below or tweet me @darbyvt.
