Skillet Hamburger with Bourbon Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms
“There are really no new recipes, only millions of variations sparked by somebody’s imagination and desire to be a little bit creative and different.” James Beard’s collection of essays, Beard on Food, published in 1974, is filled with delightful stories, recipes and tales of culinary travel. Below is a plate based on his Favorite Hamburger recipe.
- 2 Lbs ground wagyu or ground beef tenderloin trim
- 3 tbs finely grated raw sweet onion and juice (use a zester)
- 1 tbs heavy cream
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp thyme
- 3 tsp basil – 2 tsb minced, 1 tsb chiffonade
- 1TBS avocado seed oil
- 1 TBS salted butter
- White Mushrooms – cleaned and diced
- 1 sweet onion – half grated and half thin sliced
- 2 tbs bourbon
Using a fork, loosely combine ground beef, herbs, grated onion, salt and pepper and heavy cream and form into patties. Coat patties with coarse ground pepper.
In a cast iron skillet, heat oil and butter on medium high heat. Cook hamburgers on each side 4-5 minutes until a nice crush forms, and finish with a sprinkling of salt. Remove the burgers and place them in a warming oven.
In the skillet, sauté onion slices until golden and caramelized. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, adding more butter if needed. Add bourbon, ignite, and shake the skillet until the flames die out.
Remove and reserve the onions and mushroom and place them in a warming oven.
Add 1 cup of heavy cream to the skillet and reduce to thicken. Add basil.
These skillet hamburgers put out quite a bit of grease, so make sure to clean your hood vent afterward. I prefer to cook these outside.
Serve with buttered parmesan gluten free (Jovial egg tagliatelle) pasta and tomato cucumber salad or blistered asparagus. Garnish with parsley.
Buttered parmesan noodles
- 1 box Jovial GF egg tagliatelle
- Butter
- lemon
- parsley
- parmesan cheese
Prepare noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
In a sauce pan, heat 6 tbs of butter and brown over medium heat.
Off the heat add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a tbs of chopped parsley.
Toss cooked pasta in the sauce and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Lifting a serving of noodles onto a meat fork and straighten out. Using the side of the pan, gently roll the noodles around the fork to create a nest. Transfer to the plate.
Serve with extra grated parmesan and chopped parsley.
Cucumber Tomato Salad
- 1 English cucumber – seeded and diced
- 12 oz grape tomatoes
- 1/2 shallot – thin sliced
- 1 tsp herbs – basil/parsley
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 1 TBS good red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper – enough
Seed and dice cucumber. Cut grape tomatoes in half.
Put red wine vinegar in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil until emulsified. Add in herbs. Add in tomato and cucumber. Refrigerate.
