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

2 Comments

  1. odi February 25, 2014 at 8:24 am - Reply

    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

  2. Bill Guarniere January 16, 2014 at 2:39 pm - Reply

    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

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