Mystery Ingredient Monday #4

Last week Anne's MI was: Jalapenos   

Now, we always have a jar of jalapenos in the fridge along with a bottle of Franks' Red Hot and a shelf dedicated to an assortment of cheeses and another just for an assortment of mustards. Why do you ask? Because it was placed in our verbal Nuptial agreement. And because Robert likes all things SPIIIICCCCYYYY and tangy and interesting. That's why he married me. The rest of The Clan are not spicy food eaters and the girls think anything they don't like is called spicy. So we hear A. Lot. Of. "This is spicy". Code for: "I don't like it an I'm not gonna eat it". In short, I was perplexed. What was I going to make that wouldn't go to waste?

Behold: 

The Ultimate Steakhouse Burger (adapted. cuz that's how we haf'da roll)

Cooks Country June/July 2005

We like this burger recipe because it eliminates the dry-crumbliness from a home grilled burger and replaces it with a juicy cohesive burger. What helps make this burger so much better than just meat thrown on a grill is bacon grease (of course!), bread, and milk...surprise. OH, and Jalapenos, but only in a few burgers.  

Finished: Jalapeno burger

Ultimate Steakhouse burger Ingredients:

8 Strips of bacon

3 TBS bacon fat

1-2 slices white sandwich bread, crust removed and discarded, remaining bread cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 1C)

1/4 C milk

1 1/2 LBS ground beef (you want 85-90% lean with the added fat from the bacon, 80% will be too greasy)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

*(recipe calls for 2 large garlic gloves mined, we don't add- the favor didn't jive well for us. Feel free to do what you want)

** (Our additions) 1 Jalapenos diced 

(We have added chunks of cheddar in the past. You can be creative and add different cheeses)

Directions:

1. Fry bacon in large skillet until crisp, place on paper towel lined plate,  Spoon 3TBS of fat into bowl and reserve

2. Place bread in small bowl (we divided these ingredients into 2 bowls so one was spice and the other was plain) add milk and let mixture sit until saturated, about 5 min. Using fork, mash bread and milk until it forms a smooth paste. Break up beef into. Season with salt and pepper (here is where you add garlic if you want) and reserved bacon fat. Using hands, lightly knead together so that ingredients are well incorporated. Divide meat and make patties. 

3. Oil cooking grates and grill burgers over very hot flame. 

We have found lining a bowl with foil is easier and less messy clean up and disregard of grease once its congealed 

Mommy's helper

Fry up some chopped Jalapenos

Added all the ingredients to bowl for mixing

We couldn't allow the extra Jalapeño to go to waste, so Robert made these fine dishes:

Green Chili Sourdough Omelet

(From the cookbook: At Home with the Range Cafe)

Breakfast for a crowd of O'Brien brothers!

Chimichurri Sauce

Flat Iron steak with Chimichurri sauce, cheese rissoto, and green beens

Looking forward to seeing what you all cooked up with your Jalapenos or as one of my BIL's would say; (Ja - lap - enos) because say'n it out loud like that helps him remember how to spell it. - The little things. (If you want to play along but don't have a blog, instagram or tweet it #mysteryingredient, or tag us in a facebook post about your dish so we can marvel your creativity.) 

Head over to Jessica to see how Jalapenos spiced up her life and look for this weeks Mystery Ingredient.

I hope Anne was able to stomach her Jalapeno choice. Let's go see. While you are there, join me and Congratulate  her and Mark on their fantastic news. Spread their story, it's triumphant!
As Alway, Go forth and be inspired!
See you next week.
Email or comment if you would like the Chimichurri sauce or the breakfast omelet recipes.