burgers Archives - The Franklin Shopper

Want to bring your A-game to tailgating season? For a winning strategy, you’re going to need the right grill and great recipes.

Choosing the Grill

Ninety-five percent of all tailgaters prepare their food at the stadium, according to a Tailgating Institute research study, which also found that 46 percent of respondents tailgate at least six to 10 times a season. That’s a lot of set-up and breakdown, so check out grill options built for tailgating.

“A lot of tailgating rookies and even some old-timers make the mistake of bringing a flimsy grill that can’t handle the load, or one that requires too much set-up,” says Robert Hawkins, product manager for Char-Broil. “The right tailgating grill should be both portable and durable, and have features that make cooking on game day hassle-free.”

One such grill to consider is the Char-Broil TRU-Infrared Portable X200 Gas Grill. The Char-Broil TRU-Infrared cooking technology prevents flare ups, so you won’t have to worry about fumbling the game day spread, and its push button ignition and lid-mounted temperature gauge will help you win every tailgate, while still getting to enjoy the party.

Winning Over the Crowd

While standbys like burgers and dogs will always hit the spot with a crowd, why not try some new twists on old classics? This recipe for Cherry Cola Sliders straight from the Char-Broil playbook will help you kick your tailgate up a notch:

Ingredients:

For the sliders

• 1 pound ground beef

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• 8 slices American cheese

• 8 slider buns

• 8 slices of bacon

For the sauce

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1/2 cup sliced onions

• 2 tablespoons cherry cola

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar

• l tablespoon ketchup

Directions:

1. Preheat one side of your grill to 450 degrees F, leaving the other side off for indirect grilling.

Place bacon slices on the cooler side of the grill for indirect heat and cook for 20 minutes at 300 degrees F.

2. While the bacon cooks, caramelize the onions with butter in a saucepan until golden brown. Then, add cherry cola, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt, pepper, vinegar and ketchup. Simmer for 10 minutes on the side burner.

3. Combine ground beef with Worcestershire sauce and form 8 slider patties.

4. Place beef patties on the hotter side of the grill for direct heat. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side. When the sliders are almost done, place a cheese slice on each one. Set the slider buns on the warming rack. Close the lid and grill for another 30 seconds to melt the cheese and toast the buns.

5. Remove the patties and bacon slices from the grill. Top each slider with caramelized onions in cherry cola BBQ sauce, a slice of bacon and serve.

More tailgating recipe ideas can be found at: https://www.charbroil.com/collections/tailgating-favorites.

Hamburgers are a staple at backyard barbecues. Though burgers are a relatively simple food, mastering the technique to grill burgers is no small feat, as there is more to great grilled burgers than simply firing up the grill and dropping down a patty.

· Choose fresh ground beef that has a decent percentage of fat. The fat-to-lean meat ratio should be around 20 percent fat to 80 percent meat. Spend a little more to get freshly ground meat that has not been previously frozen.

· Don’t overwork the burgers with a lot of handling. This will warm up the fat in the burger, which causes it to emulsify and could make the meat rubbery.

· Reconsider adding a lot of herbs, spices or add-ins to the burgers, as such items can detract from the flavor of the meat. Extra herbs and spices also may require extra mixing, which can lead overhandling.

· Push a dimple into the top of the burger, which will help prevent the burger from expanding upward and out while cooking and rounding out in the process. The dimple will keep the top of the burger flat, which facilitates easy topping.

· Make sure the grill is hot. Burgers do well with high heat and will cook relatively quickly.

· Resist the urge to push down on the patty with your spatula. This will cause the juices to spill out and may result in a dry, tough burger.

· Let burgers rest before serving. This lets the juices redistribute throughout and makes for a moist and tasty first bite.

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