Burgers With Blue Cheese Mayonnaise

Over the past few years, Jeff and I have tried to cook really good hamburgers and steaks in our kitchen, and nearly every time we have smoked up the entire house and screwed up pans in search of a restaurant-quality burger. Today we decided to try something different: a complete change of venue. Jeff (who was really into this blue cheese burger idea) put together a basket of the recipe's main players, and after picking up a few extra picnic items at the store, we drove to nearby Homer Lake for a late afternoon of grilling, eating, and library book time.

We found a secluded table next to a grill and "pavilion petit" (which is what Jeff thinks it should be called) that we used as our prep area.

We unloaded our supplies...

...and Jeff started a fire, feeling very manly indeed.

We engaged in some iPhone goofiness while we waited for the charcoal to turn ashy, including this picture that I hate of myself but love of Jeff, who wanted to become a cornerseal-caliber photo bomb. His eyes are full of boyish mischief while my entire face is full of crazy.

Below: the aforementioned cornerseal.

Below: what it would look like if you had four cornerseals.

Soon the burgers and two slices of Vidalia onions were on the grill. Jeff put a piece of foil down to protect our food from the blackened public health crisis that was undoubtedly coating the grill. Everybody seems to prefer to eat their burgers with a side of ash and carbon, but I've never enjoyed it, and this foil idea cooked the meat perfectly without burning it.

After the onions had grilled for a while, we put them in a plastic bag to steam and soften with some olive oil and white wine vinegar. We have no idea what that little red thing is.

Jeff had made the spicy mayonnaise in advance. I spread some on my burger's bun before Jeff added a heaping helping of blue cheese to his. I just can't get into blue cheese, and while I probably should feel bad about this, it's comforting to know that there's a fattening food out there that I somehow do not enjoy.

The burgers were incredible and perfectly cooked, including the onions. We ate them with some watermelon and more than a few M&M's for dessert. That's a thing we've been doing lately: enjoying M&M's when we visit the lake.

Book time!

(Recipe from The Bitten Word.)

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
• 1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
• 1 pound lean ground sirloin
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices Vidalia or other sweet onion
• Cooking spray
• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
• 4 (1 1/2-ounce) whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted
• 2 cups loosely packed arugula

DIRECTIONS

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Combine 1/2 cup blue cheese, mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon thyme, and hot pepper sauce in a small bowl; stir well.

Divide beef into 4 equal portions, shaping each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Sprinkle beef evenly with 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and salt.

Brush oil evenly over both sides of onion slices; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place the patties and onions on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill for 3 minutes on each side. Set patties aside; keep warm. Place onion slices in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 5 minutes; toss with remaining 1 teaspoon thyme and vinegar.

Spread cut sides of buns evenly with mayonnaise mixture. Arrange 1/2 cup arugula on bottom half of each bun; top with 1 patty, 1 onion slice, and bun top.

Comments

[Tobin]

Ok-I've seen pics of your house. Invest in a bbq!! It's time! Makes a house a home.;) You look great!

[Kelly]

We have one but find it a pain in the ass. :)

[Jim Rhino]

Great looking burger! Is the red spot, on the onion bag, perhaps a speck of hamburger?

[Tobin]

I am lol-ing. We felt the same way. All I can say is practice makes perfect. We now can't live without it. I just grilled nectarines for dessert. Added Giada's mascarpone creme on top with toasted hazelnuts.