Homemade Hamburger Buns – Oh, My, God. Becky, Look at Her Bun!

Finding high-quality hamburger meat at the market is a lot easier than it used to be, but the same cannot be said for the buns. They’re never the right dimensions for a decent sized patty; and they’re either made from some insipid white sponge with seventy-three ingredients, or from high-fiber, whole grains, which in many ways is even worse.

A proper bun should be nothing more than a light, buttery, airy delivery system for getting a hot, juicy hamburger into your mouth. Oats, spelt, and flax seeds have no business getting anywhere near this type of operation. That's what turkey sandwiches are for.

Above and beyond taste and texture, the bun needs to be the right diameter to fit a classic half-pound burger, and should be twice as thick as the patty. I guess you could drive all over town looking for these magic buns, but it would be a lot easier just to make them yourself.

They do take few hours, but most of that is rise time, and when you see and taste the results, I’m sure you’ll agree it was well worth the investment. By the way, don’t worry if your buns are slightly irregular in size. We’ll assume you’ll form your burgers with the same precision, so in the end they should match perfectly. I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy! 

Editorial Note: Today’s title will only make sense if you watch the video, and are familiar with Sir Mix-A-Lot’s "Baby Got Back."

Ingredients for 8 large hamburger buns:

1 package (2 1/2 tsp) dry active yeast (I used Fleischmann's “RapidRise” Yeast)

1 cup very warm water

1 large egg

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 pound all-purpose flour (about 3 1/2 cups)
Note: add a 1/2 cup of the flour to the yeast and water, and then the remainder before kneading
 

for the tops:

1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk

sesame seeds

*bake at 375 degrees F. for 15-17 minutes

View the complete recipe

Next Up: Burger Buns

Spicy Peach Coleslaw – An Apple Is an Excellent Thing – Until You’ve Tried a Peach

You may remember this peach coleslaw from such video recipes as, Grilled Coffee and Cola Skirt Steak. It was a beautiful match, and as I ate, I couldn’t help but wonder why you don’t see peaches used in these cold cabbage salads more often.

People have no problem loading up their ‘slaws with grated apple and diced pineapple, so it can’t be an anti-fruit bias. I think the real reason is that a perfectly ripe peach is such an incredible experience, that it seems almost criminal to consume it any other way.

I think George du Maurier put it best when he said, “An apple is an excellent thing – until you have tried a peach.” So, is that it? Just too good to not eat as is? That could explain some of it, but just in case the real reason is that you simply hadn’t thought of it before, I’m posting this. I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6-8 portions:

1 pound thinly sliced cabbage

2 diced peaches

1 tbsp thinly sliced chives

for the dressing (everything is “to taste”):

2 generous tablespoons mayo

1 rounded teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon sambal chili sauce

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon sugar

salt and cayenne to taste

View the complete recipe

Next Up: Peach 'Slaw

Grilled Coffee & Cola Skirt Steak – Two Great Drinks = One Fantastic Marinade

I’ve made hundreds of different marinades over the years, but for some reason, cola had not appeared in any of them. One reason is that I never drink soda, so it’s simply not around, but above and beyond that, it always sounded more like a gimmick to me, invented by some marketing guru at Coke. Boy, was I wrong.

This coffee and cola marinated skirt steak was the most delicious thing I’ve grilled all year. The cola provides a unique sweetness, which is balanced beautifully by the bitterness from the coffee and dark grill marks. The marinade (probably technically a brine) made the already uber-juicy skirt steak even more so, as well as absolutely fork tender.  There wasn’t anything I didn’t love about this recipe.

Speaking of fork tender, this is dependent on two key things – that you slice the meat against the grain, and you don’t cook it too rare. As you’ll see in the video, it will be very obvious which direction you need to slice, so that shouldn’t be an issue. As far as doneness goes, I really think that somewhere around medium produces the ultimate skirt steak texture.

I have no problem with rare meat, but rare skirt steak can be chewy, and you also want enough heat to melt the marvelously marbled meat’s fat. In fact, I’d take a medium-well piece over a rare piece any day, and I can’t think of another cut of beef where I’d say the same thing.

So, if you’re looking for something a little different at your next backyard barbecue, I really hope you give this grilled coffee and cola marinated skirt steak a try. It was amazing. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

1 whole beef skirt steak, about 1 1/4 pounds (no need to trim, except for any obvious large chunks of fat)

salt and cayenne to taste

For the marinade:

2-3 cloves minced garlic

2 tbsp ketchup

1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried rosemary (or 1 tbsp freshly minced)

1/4 tsp hot sauce, or to taste

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup strong, freshly brewed coffee

1 (12-oz) bottle cola

View the complete recipe

A Touching Video on Chicken Doneness

Although I’ve had many requests for it, I’ve not done a video on how to tell the doneness of steaks using the old “press test.” It does work once you get a feel for different cuts of meat and thicknesses, but these variables make it trickier than some chefs would have you believe.

However, when it comes to chicken breasts, it can be a reliable guide, especially when you don’t have an instant read thermometer handy. Hey, it’s a long way from the backyard grill to the kitchen drawer when you’re lugging around a full beer.

Anyway, my new YouTube buddy, Ariyele Ressler, just did a fun video on the subject, and since we're right in the middle of grilling season, I thought I’d share. Life is just way too short for dry chicken breasts, so check it out. Enjoy!

I've Been Alive for Exactly 50 Years!

I'm going to take a few days off for my birthday, so please pardon any delays in answering emails or comments. Now that I'm old, I have to pace myself. ;) Thank you!