Hello and welcome to the December edition of the smoking-meat.com monthly newsletter. This month we are going to be making Hard Chargin' Blue Cheese Stampede Burgers.
Grilling With Smoke
In this edition I would like to turn your attention to the grill.. not just the ordinary grill but a smoking grill. Anytime you have hot coals beneath your food, consider it your human obligation to throw on some smoking chunks or chips for flavor. I like to make a pouch from a 10 inch x 10 inch piece of foil filled with my favorite soaked wood chips. I will then place this pouch down deep into the coals and let it smoke as my food is grilling and the flavor is out of this world.
The Hard-Chargin' Blue Cheese Stampede Burger
I am going to share a burger recipe below that is out of this world as well… I am particularly fond of good burgers, especially my own (if I can say that without sounding too braggadocios). You can always make ordinary burgers better with a little smoke.
I originally found this recipe in a "guy" cookbook and it is one that will be used for many years to come around my house.
Hard-Chargin' Blue Cheese Stampede
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 3 TBS Tabasco sauce
- 2 TBS honey
- 1 TBS garlic salt
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp course ground black pepper
- 6 ounces blue cheese cut into 6 pieces
- 6 hamburger buns, toasted
- Roasted red peppers from jar
- 6 portabello mushroooms, grilled
Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Combine ground beef, onion, Tabasco sauce, honey, garlic salt, red pepper flakes and pepper in a large bowl; mix well. Divide into 6 portions; form into patties around pieces of blue cheese. Grill 8 to 10 minutes or until done. Place burger on bun and top with roasted red peppers and portabella mushrooms.
Makes 6 servings.
Throw some mesquite on the coals when grilling the recipe above for an experience that is beyond words. I hope you are able to try some of these burgers soon… they are especially good at superbowl parties and such.
Everyone have a superb holiday season on me and remember to celebrate the real reason for the season
Not sure if I can ask a question here or not but here goes.
I want to do some beef burgers today and was wondering how long to smoke
and cook in my Bradley 4 rack digital. If I make the burgers about an inch thick.
thanks odi
Hi Jeff:
Down here in Houston, TX a meat market is now cold smoking beef patties and then freezing them for distribution. From what they have explained to me, they cold smoke the patties below 40 degrees F for a few hours. (The smoke chamber is chilled to 40 degrees F) and after 3 or 4 hours they remove the patties from the smoker and freeze them. Public comments about the taste are very positive and so far no one has reported any health related issues.
I searched your site and did not find any "cold smoking" references. I have read about food safety issues if the cold smoking takes place above 40 degrees. Looks like there might be some equipment marketing possibilities associated with this process.
I have enjoyed your rubs and sauces for a few years now.
Sincerely,
Bill Guarniere