1 pound ground beef , a little fattier
3/4 Lb hot Italian sausage
pancetta
4 Tbs cilantro
4 Tbs tarragon
Pick a pepper sauce to taste
Barbecue sauce of your choice to taste
Lemon pepper
Seasoning salt
Really anything goes. I love chopped Jalapeño in mine.
Cook the pancetta and throw all the ingredients in a bowl and mold your burgers. Make them ahead and store in refrigerator. It gives the burgers time to flavor up.
Makes about 10 1/2 Lb patties
This particular night I decided to caramelize onions and serve with crispy bacon and avocado.
It is really easy to caramelize onions. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week so make a lot because they are so good on everything.
Thinly slice 3 onions either with a mandolin or a cuisinart. Throw in a pan with 1/2 stick of butter and slowly cook until onions become soft almost translucent. Add 1/8 cup of brown sugar which will turn the onions brown, keep cooking until sugar melts and the flavors mix. Remove from heat and store in a tupperware. They are delicious served on sausages, pork chops, and omelets. Get creative.
Of course don’t forget everyones favorites. Thick crispy bacon and cheese of your choice.
The bun is the finishing touch. I like soft, squishy buns. What ever is your preference, make sure you butter them and heat them briefly in the oven. A cold bun and a hot burger just doesn’t cut it.
Jeff Harris’s Special Lentil Salad
1 package of steamed lentils
1 red bell pepper (chopped)
4 Persian cucumbers
2 cups grapes (1 cup red seedless and 1 cup green)
4-5 green onions finely chopped
4 oz slivered toasted almonds
3 sticks of celery (chopped)
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
Juice of 3 lemons, preferably Meyers
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
South African smoke, go easy on this one
Salt and Pepper to taste
Combine veggies, grapes, lemon juice into the olive oil and mix in a large measuring cup. Empty lentils into a large bowl and break up the brick of lentils to mix in. Combine lentils with veggies and grapes then mix in olive oil and lemon juice.
This salad gets better the longer it sits in the refrigerator because all the flavors blend together and it is so tasty.
Get creative, really anything goes.