Old Burgers are New Again.

“Don't throw the past away.

You might need it some rainy day.

Dreams can come true again.

When everything old is new again.”

Everything Old Is New Again

Song by Peter Allen ‧ 1974

Another “new” trend seems to have hit the culinary world, smashed burgers.  Sorry to burst the bubbles of those who love to follow trends, but smashed burgers are nothing new.  Growing up during the 60s and 70s, of the 1900s, a large thin burger on a toasted bun was the norm at any diner, restaurant or hole in the wall, quick bite to eat place.  Condiments and other toppings could be added on which created a double fisted filling meal; no forks and knives around as that was too hoity toity.

While many a restaurant, in various states, claim to have created the smashed burger, it is the Dairy Cheer, a diner in Ashland, Kentucky, located in the Appalachian Mountains, which gets the full recognition.  The story, traced back to the 1950s, is that a cook, for some unknown reason, decided to use a can of beans to smash out a burger patty while cooking on a grill.  Basically, the smashing process creates more surface area for the Maillard reaction, which results in a caramelized, crispy exterior and intense flavor. It was a huge success, and became a new standard for cooking burgers.

Around the 1980s, when life seemed to have become easier and financially sound, people wanted more than the usual standards.  Bigger was better, and that included simple items like the hamburger.  Instead of thin burgers, restaurants began to create thick burgers, sometimes putting ingredients, like cheese, into the burger’s middle.  Now here’s where the joke was on everyone, those thick burgers were actually smaller than the smashed burgers.

Alright, for the math impaired, 1/3 is larger than ¼, but1/3 is smaller than ½; now stay with me here.  Smashed burgers are larger in diameter, but smaller in thickness; perfect example is the Whopper at Burger King.  Typically, a smashed burger is 1/3 of a pound of meat, however, those thick burgers that cost more were typically only ¼ of a pound.  So, folks were eating less for more money; wow, what a bargain…not!

In the 2000s, a new chain restaurant began in Denver, Colorado, Smashburger.  The old way of cooking burgers was being reintroduced to diners, and folks were loving it.  This has become a popular trend, and even fast-food places, like Sonic Drive-In are riding this train.  However, how the smashed burger is created, and cooked, makes a huge difference in texture and taste.

 

To make a delicious, full of juice and flavor, burger, make sure to use 80/20 ground beef.  It will have enough fat to help cook the burger, but not make the burger overly greasy.  For a 1/3 lb. burger, measure out 2/3s cup of meat, packed loosely.  Place either on a sheet of plastic wrap, or, when I make them, a plastic plate, with another sheet of plastic, or plastic plate on top.  Using the heel of one hand, start in the center of the meat and begin pushing it outward in a circular motion.  When it feels even, slowly lift off the top plastic; use fingertips to pat the edges of the patty into a circle; the diameter should be about five inches.

Using a long thin spatula (5”x2”, known as an omelet spatula) carefully lift the smashed patty to place on a sheet of wax paper.  Continue until all the ground beef has been used up; 2 lbs. of 80/20 will give six burgers.  Place the burgers in a plastic freezer bag, place in freezer for 30 minutes to one hour to firm them up before cooking.

Why smash the ground beef patties before cooking?  Excellent question.  Now that the meat is thin, it will not only cook more quickly, but the Maillard reaction, mentioned before, will immediately begin to take effect.  If the patty is thick, cooked on one side, flipped and then smashed, all the flavorful juices will ooze out, and you will end up with a dry burger.

 

Can you add spices to the ground beef before-hand?  Of course, but we do not as we want the full flavor of the beef to be tasted after adding condiments, or fixings like cheese, lettuce, pickles, sliced tomatoes, or oven fried onion rings. Also, make sure to use a good flavored bun, and I highly recommend Sara Lee’s Artesano brand.

 

 

 

 

Lunch is Served!

 

Perfectly Cooked All the Way Through.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which is better, stove top nonstick griddle or outdoor barbecue grill?  Both methods work just as well. For the griddle, set the stove temperature to medium-high, 350F.  Place burgers on griddle and let cook for three minutes; let them sit, no poking!  After three minutes, flip them over and let cook for another three minutes.  If you want melted cheese on them before serving, flip the burgers once again, place two slices of cheese on top, and let it melt for one minute before removing to serving platter.  The shrinkage of the burgers will be about 3/4s of an inch around, so a 5-inch diameter will go down to a 4 and ¼-inch diameter.  Sounds like a lot, but that means that all the juicy flavor has been trapped inside the meat itself.

 

 

Smashed Burgers Made on Stove Top Grill

 

 

For the barbecue grill, oil the cooking surface with non-stick spray as you do not want your burgers to stick.  Fire it up and get the temperature to 400F, place burgers down and cook one side for two minutes; do not bring the top down on the barbecue, leave it open to the air.  Flip the burgers, cook another two minutes.  Melted cheese before-hand, follow the same direction as for the stove top griddle.  Remove to serving platter.

Smashed Burgers Made on Barbecue Grill

 

Smashed Burgers Made Two Ways

Now you have perfectly cooked smashed burgers that can be made at home, and you know exactly what is in them, and the cooking method used.  Just in case my directions were not clear, photos of each step will be on the food blog.  Smash’em up and enjoy good eating!

Mary Cokenour 

Celebrating Korean Cuisine.

According to another “National Food Days” calendar I found, January 13^th is National Korean-American Day.  Which, of course, got me to thinking about my experiences with Korean cuisine, and how few they were.  It was not till the middle to later 2000s that Korean food began to make an appearance in the food truck scene.  Korean “tacos” became all the rage, and suddenly restaurants began opening offering Korean style “barbecue”. 

Korean barbecue is called Bulgogi which translates to “fire meat”, and, originally, it was only a beef dish.  Pork and chicken are now included as folks wanted more of a variety.  The marinade used for beef is also used for pork, and chicken has a more subtle type. Let’s take a step backwards, in time, and see how this recipe originated.

A quote, from an article in Smithsonian Magazine, about Bulgogi, sums up its historical background, “According to the peer-reviewed Korea Journal, the dish’s origins stretch back to the Goguryeo era (37 B.C. to 668 A.D.), the evolution of a kabob-like skewered meat preparation called maekjeok. Over time, maekjeok became seoryamyeok, a brothy dish of marinated beef soaked in cold water, which by the early 20th century gave way to neobiani, a luxurious dish of thinly-sliced, marinated and charbroiled beef favored by Korean royalty.”  In other words, the recipe began with grilling, turned into a sort of soup, and then returned to being grilled.

 

               Kimchi, Savory Korean Pancakes with Grilled Salmon and Chopped Vegetables.

Bulgogi Beef, Bulgogi Inside Egg Roll Wraps and Deep Fried, Bulgogi Chicken Lettuce Wraps, 

 

I have tried all three meats, in various forms, which gives a variety of taste, texture and scent.  Beef wrapped in egg roll wrappers and deep fried adds crunch to the tender beef while an explosion of sauce bursts forth.  Thinly sliced pork plus the addition of thinly sliced raw, and crunchy, vegetables, wrapped in lettuce leaves has a fresher flavor combination.  Pieces of marinated and grilled chicken, topped over steamed rice, has more of a comfort food aura surrounding it.  If doing the lettuce wrap sounds enticing, use a type of butter lettuce such as Bibb or Boston.  The leaves are smaller than iceberg or romaine, sweeter in taste and more pliable for wrapping around ingredients.

There are various methods to making Bulgogi:

Grills

Tabletop grill or small barbecue is the traditional method.

Wood chip barbecue grill gives a smokier flavor addition to the meats.

Charcoal grill: The marinade, juices, and fats drip onto the coals, burn, and then come back to “smoke” the meats.

Pans

Cast iron pan: Retains heat well which allows for even cooking and a better sear.

Griddle: Can be used on the stovetop or on a grill

Skillet: Can be used to cook thin slices of meat 

 

Bulgogi Beef and Deep Fried Inside Egg Roll Wrappers

 

Now for the marinades, for beef and pork (using 2 lbs. of meat), the ingredients are:

6 Tbsp. soy sauce (low salt is fine too)  

3 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. Japanese rice wine aka Mirin

1 cup of peeled and diced red apple, Asian pear or pineapple.

¼ cup diced onion

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. minced ginger

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

 

Bulgogi Chicken Lettuce Wraps

The marinade ingredients for chicken (using 1 lb.) are:

3 Tbsp. soy sauce (low salt is fine too)

1 and ½ Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. Japanese rice wine aka Mirin

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. minced ginger

1 tsp. sesame oil

Pinch of ground black pepper

Preparation is similar for all meats:

Thinly slice beef or pork; cut up, into 1-inch pieces, the chicken; place in sealable container. 

Place all ingredients for marinade into blender and blend until smooth.  Pour over meat in container, mix to coat, seal and refrigerate for four hours.  Remove meat from marinade and grill on medium-high heat.

The excess marinade can be put into a small pan, high heat, and reduce to a thicker sauce for the grilled meat.

 

Kimchi

 

A traditional Korean side dish is Kimchi which is a salted and fermented vegetable, usually Napa cabbage or Koran radish.  The seasonings added are Korean chili powder, spring onions, garlic, ginger, and jeotgal (a salted seafood).  Korean chili powder is called gochutgaru which has a vibrant red color, the texture may vary from fine powder to flakes, and the heat level from mildly hot to very hot.  In Northern Korean, kimchi is on the milder side of hot, while in Southern Korean, they like it hot-hot-hot.  Kimchi is eaten on a global scale, and can often be found at Asian restaurants offering a buffet menu.  Kimchi is similar to sauerkraut, since they both are typically made within ceramic containers.  However, the kimchi process is shorter in time and is spicy in nature, while sauerkraut is sour.

 

 

Savory Korean Pancakes with Grilled Salmon and Chopped Vegetables.

Leftover bulgogi, if there is any, and kimchi can be used to make Korean pancakes.  These pancakes are of a more savory nature than the typical breakfast pancake we eat in the USA.

A batter of flour and egg is pan-fried with chopped vegetables, meats and seasonings having been added to the batter, and is similar to a fritter.  The dipping sauce for the pancakes is a combination of soy sauce, Japanese rice wine and red pepper flakes.

Pancake Batter with Added Ingredients

 

Fry One Side.

Flip and Fry Other Side

If you are lucky, and happen to live in an area which has Korean restaurants or food trucks, and stores to buy ingredients, do yourself the favor and try this cuisine.  If not, online shopping will provide the ingredients, and making it at home can be a great experience in learning something new.

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

Canyon Smokehouse Serves Utah Style Barbecue.

Canyon Smokehouse

281 Main Street

Bluff, UT, 84512

Phone: (435) 269-0400

Website: canyonsmokehouse.com

Hour of Operation:

Thurs – Mon: 2 to 9pm

Tues & Wed: Closed

 

What happens when you take one culinary school trained chef, add fifteen years of experience, and a graduating thesis centered on smoking and barbecue?  The answer to all this can be found at the newest of Bluff’s restaurants, Canyon Smokehouse.  The chef is Jacob Nelson, born on the west coast, schooled on the east coast, and traveler of barbecue joints throughout the USA.  Now another question is, how did he end up in Bluff, Utah, on his quest to create great barbecue?   That is where his wife, Erin, takes the stage as director.  Originally from Colorado, she moved to Bluff in 2019, and met future husband, Jacob, online (yes, online relationships do work out!).  She convinced him to move back to Bluff, with her, as business potential was full of positive vibes there.  

Finding a location, the site of the former San Juan Kitchen, was available; working with the landlord, and much help from Elaine Gizler of San Juan County Economic Development & Visitor Services, got the ball rolling strong.  Redecorating was not a prime issue, as the restaurant already had an open-air seating plan, plus a good view of the kitchen prep area as well.

 

 

 

Opening on March 25, 2023, the menu, unfortunately, had to be quickly revised due to a delay, of delivery, of an important piece of equipment.  What to serve that would not openly compete with the established restaurants in town?  Being able to work under pressure, a limited time menu of Mexican cuisine was the answer.  However, once that equipment arrived, barbecue was a go!  April became the grand opening of “Utah Style Barbecue”, and now you are all wondering whatever could that entail. 

Barbecue lovers know their barbecue; the wood used for smoking, the perfect temperatures and timing; the quality of homemade rubs and sauces.  Whether in Texas, St. Louis, the Carolinas, or many another Southern state, styles and tastes differed.  Now as I mentioned before, Jacob did his thesis on this culinary genre, but he wanted more, he wanted to create!  The emphasis of the food served is: Cooked low and slow, and once ordered, get the food out to the customers Fast and Fresh!  Portions served are on the generous side, so make sure to come hungry.  Then again, enjoying the leftovers, the next day, is a pretty sweet deal too.

So, the food at Canyon Smokehouse is a mixture of barbecue styles and tastes, all geared to make each diner’s tastebuds sing their own song.  Sweet maple to tangy vinegar, smoky richness to “holy smokes, someone get me a fire extinguisher!”.  Brisket, ribs, chicken, pork and sausage are the main meats, but hush now vegetarians, there are items on the menu just for you.  Sides galore can be as is, or are added to meats to create their own main dish.  Desserts, Kid’s menu, a variety of beers and microbrews, and non-alcoholic beverages as well. 

Curious meter going up?  How about a few descriptions to get those mouth juices flowing?  Now please be aware that the evaluations are based on the taste testing of four individuals, who happen to love barbecue.  The brisket is so tender, you could eat it with a spoon (as one friend described it).  Whether eaten alone, or in a sandwich, you simply cannot get enough of this full flavor meat; it is craveable.  The pork ribs, at first, fall off the bones, but then there is that little bit that sticks.  Oh heck yeah, you want to gnaw those bones clean!  The chicken is tender and juicy, only getting moister closer to the bone, but it is thoroughly cooked throughout. 

 

BBQ Sandwich with Fries

The Single

Sausage Combo

The Double

Beef Brisket and Pork Ribs

Side dishes ordered and passed around for taste testing were the brisket baked beans, cornbread and French fries.  Brisket baked beans was a thick mixture of baked, with a slight firmness to, beans, and chunks of luscious brisket mixed in, plus a tangy taste of barbecue sauce.   The cornbread’s flavor was more savory than sweet; tasting more of corn and cornmeal; dense, yet crumbly; we knew this was homemade immediately!  The French fries, only one of a couple of items purchased frozen, were crispy on the outside, but delectably creamy on the inside; did not need ketchup, nor any other condiment to enhance them.

 

Brisket Baked Beans

Dessert was either a homemade chocolate chip cookie bar, or a chocolate chip ice cream sandwich.  Either choice was a perfect finale for the meal we all enjoyed immensely.

As I mentioned, only a couple of items are purchased frozen; all other menu items, including sauces made-in-house.  Canyon Smokehouse has four sauces to choose from: House (smoky and rich), Maple (sweet), Carolina (tangy and vinegar sharp), and Mango Habanero (a kick that will wake you from death).

Dining is eat-in, or take-out; large parties or bus groups can be accommodated (please call and make arrangements); and plans are in the works to create an outdoor dining area.

 

The Menu

Overall, our party of four had the most fun, not just laughing, but sharing the food, and enjoying the friendly, welcoming atmosphere.  That attests to the personalities of both Jacob and Erin Nelson; a very happy couple, full of excitement, energy, the love of good food, and the enjoyment of offering it to the public.  Get down to Bluff and get some Utah style barbecue in your bellies, now!

Mary Cokenour