How to Grill the Perfect Burger

You might have tried it and you might have failed in your quest to grill a delicious, juicy burger that makes everyone who tries them want more. Sometimes, if you aren't careful, the burger you grill will easily turn into shoe leather. Not to worry, there is a secret that guarantees an incredibly juicy hamburger...actually several secrets. They come courtesy of Lauren Thomas, who wrote the cookbook, The Modern Hippie Table. She stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about a section of the book called Girls Can Grill. In it, she says there are several keys to making a juicy burger on the grill. The first, don't grill over medium-well. It should be no more than medium really. The second, chop an onion in the ground beef mix, along with everything bagel seasoning. And third (and most surprising), take a bun, tear it up and put it into the mix (much like you would do with Thanksgiving stuffing). The bread in the mix will really help would the moisture of the burger in! It really works.

It's the Better Peanut Butter...Or Even Mayo

 

It's called Sesame Tahani...and Chef George Duran who's ABC's Good Morning America Food Contributor says if you give it a chance, it can also be your new mayonnaise, with practically none of the nutritional issues the venerable condiment currently has. Chef George stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about how great Sesame Tahani actually is. He puts on burgers, spreads it on toast and uses it in place of where you put peanut butter or mayo. The reason he can do that, he told Tonia, is because Sesame Tahani offers a creamy texture with something of a Mediterranean flavor profile that really sings with ground beef. And it still offers a somewhat nutty texture as well. Chef George says when put it on a burger, those who have not had it yet will really be surprised at how good it is!

This Next Recipe's Garbage

That's literally its name. The Rochester Style Garbage Plate. It comes to us, indirectly, by way of Rochester, NY where it's something of a grand tradition, especially amongst the college set. Jessica Formicola, with SavoryExperiments.com stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk garbage, and specifically her recipe for it. She told Tonia its hamburger based and there's a lot of things going on here. Macaroni salad, potatoes, cheese. Everything! So why do they call it a garbage plate? According to Visit Rochester, there's legend that restaurant owner Nick Tahou invented the plate late one night when some college students came in and wanted a plate with “all the garbage on it”. The owner then made his new variation of the plate. Over time it grew into a local favorite

Ingredients

• 6 cups classic macaroni salad click for recipe
• 2 cups crispy home fries click for recipe
• 4 cups Rochester hot sauce click for recipe
• 12 frozen hamburger patties
• 12 slices American cheese
• 12 slices white bread
• butter softened, for buttering the bread

CONDIMENTS:

• ketchup
• yellow mustard
• raw onions , chopped

Instructions

• Fire up the grill to high heat. Grill each hamburger patty 5 minutes on each side for a medium burger. Top with cheese and allow to melt for 1 minute, remove.
• Now you are ready to build your magnificent Rochester Style Garbage Plate! Take a large scoop of home fries, place on one side of the plate. Next, take a large scoop of macaroni salad and place on the other side of the plate. Top with 1-2 cheeseburgers, then raw onions and Rochester hot sauce. Finish with any desired condiments and serve with a slice of buttered bread. Enjoy your Rochester Style Garbage Plate!