It’s hard to comprehend the shear mass appeal of burgers in the US. Fast food chains have created empires with burgers as thier foundations, fine dining restaurants serve upscale “burgers” made of a variety of ingredients including Kobe beef, foie gras, and truffles. Some restaurants pride themselves on offering countless varieties of burgers, while other places vie for the title of “World’s Largest Burger.”

Part of the reason for this mass appeal is the burger’s adaptability. The burger lends itself to experimentation. From the meat used, to the seasonings mixed into the meat, to the toppings used to garnish them, the variations are endless. Unfortunately so are the number of crappy burgers and ill concieved toppings. Just because you can put it on a burger doesn’t mean you should. I also don’t believe in the adage that more is better, at least not in most cases. 3-4 well chosen toppings slipped into the bun, along with the burger is more than enough. More than that, and more often then not, you end up with all these conflicting flavors that mask the burger, which should be the star of the show. I am also not a big fan of mixing too many things into the burger meat. I have eaten too many burgers that taste and have the consistency of meatloaf. Sorry that is not a good burger. Typically, I leave all seasonings out of my burger meat and season only after the patty has been made. There are exceptions of course, one of those being when you combine 2 different meats to create your burger mix. The recipe below is one of those exceptions.

I am a huge burger fan, and although I prefer my burgers simple – topped with ketchup, mustard, onion, and pickle – most of the time, I do also like to experiment with numerous variations. That being the case, I imagine that burgers will make regular appearances here at “Wayward Chef” as I refine some of my favorite recipes.

Southwestern Chorizo Burgers

CORIANDER-CILANTRO MAYO
1/4 bunch Cilantro, stems removed
2 tsp. Coriander Seed, freshly ground
1 cup Mayo

Finely chop the cilantro and mix with the coriander and mayo. Make this a few hours ahead, or the night before to allow the flavors to develop.

PICKLED RED ONIONS
1/2 cup Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
1 1/2 each Red onion

Peel the onions and cut into a julienne 1/4 inch thick. Meanwhile combine the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Add the onions, return to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow onions to cool in the liquid. When cooled to room temperature store in the refrigerator. This is best made a day or 2 before

BURGERS AND ASSEMBLY
12 oz. Burger Meat 80/20 (the lean to fat ration, most stores now show this on the label
12 oz. Mexican Chorizo
2 each Tomatoes, cored and sliced
4 each Burger Buns
Cilantro-Coriander Mayo
Pickled Red Onions

Light charcoal and allow to burn down until covered with white ash, or pre heat gas grill, on high. Gently but thoroughly combine the burger meat and the chorizo. The key is to not over work the meats, but to gently combine the 2. Form into 4 patties.
Season one side lightly with salt and pepper. Don’t go too heavy as the chorizo is well spiced. Grill over high heat until medium well. This is more done than I usually like my burgers, but with the added chorizo the texture of these burgers cooked less than that is a little soft. Besides the high fat content of the chorizo will keep these burgers plenty moist.

When done allow the burger to drain briefly on paper towel. Place burger on bottom half of bun top with tomato slices, and some of the pickled red onion. Spread a thick portion of the coriander-cilantro mayo over the top half of the bun and place on top.

One thing I’ve learned, living here in Wisconsin, is that this state is obsessed with Bratwursts. It’s a passion that seems on the verge of mania. If you think I exaggerate I invite any of you to drive through any number of towns on any given weekend and you will see plenty of evidence. On any weekend from May through October you would be hard pressed to find a town that doesn’t have at least one “Brat Fry” going on, and oftentimes larger towns will have 2, 3, 4 or more going on simultaneously. These are usually fundraisers for community or high school groups from the Lions, to Rotary, to Band Boosters. The obsession doesn’t stop there either. Ask most people what is on the menu for their summer celebration and I bet brats are included somewhere on that list. On nice weekends throughout the summer it almost becomes impossible to escape the sweet smell of brats sizzling over an outdoor grill. I can almost envision the entire state being blanketed by a giant cloud of smoke from all the grills frying up the thousands upon thousands of brats required to satiate this state’s collective hunger for these humble sausages.

Brat making in Wisconsin is a local affair. Sure there are a number of companies mass producing brats for nationwide distribution and you’ll find these same brands in any of the large grocery stores in any town in Wisconsin, but Wisconsin is still one area where local butchers still flourish and most of these butchers produce their own brats. These handcrafted sausages are flavorful and complex, easily rivaling any of the great fresh sausages of Europe. Brats make a great addition to a traditional Choucroute and bring a wonderful flavor to any recipe calling for sausage, but grilling is where the brat really shines. There are 3 basic philosophies to grilling brats: 1. is to gently grill the brats over medium heat. Cook them too quickly or at too high a heat and they burst open spilling their flavorful juices and fat all over the grill, 2. is to first poach the brats in a mixture of beer and onions until cooked all the way through and finishing them on the grill, and finally, 3. is to first grill the brats quickly then finish them in the beer and onion poaching liquid. I prefer the straight grilling method though if I am not serving them directly off of the grill I do place them in a warm bath of beer and onions to keep them warm.

Most local grocery stores sell “brat buns” which are basically a larger version of a hot dog bun. That’s one of things I hated about living in Chicago and trying to make Italian Sausage Sandwiches; you either had the choice of hot dog buns which were too small or sub rolls, which were too large and, oftentimes, too hard. These brat buns perfectly fit the larger sausage. As far as toppings are concerned, brats should be topped with mustard, onions and sauerkraut, in my opinion. Forget the ketchup, it has no place on top of a brat. Use it for your burger and fries. One word about sauerkraut; sauerkraut should always be rinsed before using whether you are serving it cold or hot. Most people miss this step and end up serving a product that is so overpowering it obscures most of the other flavors in the dish.

The Beer Braised Onion recipe I offer below is a great accompaniment to a brat. This recipe was created with brats in mind. It would also make a great topping for burgers or other grilled sandwiches though if not planning on serving it over brats you might want to consider substituting other flavors for the cinnamon and nutmeg.

Beer Braised Onions

2 Tbsp. Butter
1 large Onion, peeled and cut into a julienne
8 oz. Beer, preferably something a little sweet and malty
2 tsp. Sugar
½ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Black Pepper
1 pinch Cinnamon
½ pinch Nutmeg

Melt the butter in s sauté pan and add the onions. Season with the salt and pepper and cook until wilted and just starting to brown. Add the beer and simmer uncovered until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and continue to cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated, stirring regularly to prevent the mixture from burning. Remove from the heat, taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.