I Am No Foodie ..
Nor am I a typical food blogger, but I couldn't resist documenting my process of making one of my favorite go to meals, Old Fashioned Hamburgers. Why do I call them that? No clue.. nothing much old fashioned about them. I really should of called them mini meatloaf's or something else. But, this is what we have always referred to them as, so i'll stick with it. It's just my wife and I (and my two pups Molly and Pepper) that I typically cook for. I try not to get to carried away with our meal selections and keep them relatively simple. By the time I get home and showered, It is already on the later side and we are already very hungry, to say the least. You may ask why my wife, who arrives home a few hours before me, doesn't cook. First of all she doesn't like to, secondly I do, and lastly (and she will tell you herself) she's not so good at it.. hehehe. Good thing I like to cook!
Items & Ingredients Needed ..
- Medium sized bowl
- 1 pound of ground beef (I prefer 90% lean)
- 2 slices of bread
- 1 Egg
- 3 tablespoons chopped sweet onion
- 1 teaspoon of salted butter (or more if you like butter!)
- 1/2 tablespoon diced garlic
- 2 tablespoons Ketchup
- 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Adobo seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
I Am Ready ..
Now that I have all of the ingredients that I want to use. This recipe is pretty loose, so be creative if you like and add other things. So I line up my items and get them ready to use..
These wet and dry ingredients..
My medium sized bowl or bigger if your a messy worker..
The small white bowl is for the puppies. I always make them a mini meal of what we are having, but without the harmful ingredients like onion.
I get out a larger frying style pan that will fit about 10 small burger patties..
I start by dicing my sweet white onion, and slowly, and on low heat, cooking it with a tad bit of salted butter. I get this started now so when I am done all of the other prep, the onion is translucent, lightly browned and ready to be added to the mix. Keep an eye on it though.. you don't want burnt onions (or maybe you do, your choice! haha).
I then turn my attention to my lonely, and waiting, two slices of white bread. I dice it into small cubes using a sharp bread knife..
Place the diced/cubed bread into the bowl and season with salt and black pepper ..
Now that the bread is in the bowl and seasoned to perfection, I add in my pound of ground beef. I forgot to take a picture of the meat in the bowl before other ingredients were added, but did not forget to take a picture of the thawed meat in a freezer bag. haha.. What can I say? It happens sometimes :-)
I did however remember to to take a photo of the puppies little hamburger in the bowl!!
Next, and now that the hamburger and bread are in the bowl together, I add all of remaining ingredients except the egg and onion.. OH CRAP!!!! CHECK THE ONIONS!!! No worries, they look good. I give them a quick stir and turn the heat off.
I take the one egg and beat it in a small bowl. I add about 1/2 to 2/3 of it only to the bowl and discard the rest. I took the other bit and added it to the mixture I am preparing for my pups. I also add those cooked and slightly cooled onions at this time.
I mix everything well with my hands, making sure all ingredients and blended well. I also make sure the mixture is solid enough to form patties. If it is not, and too moist, you may have to add another one to one half piece of bread.
I make sure not to forget to mix the puppy batch too..
Now I am ready to form patties with the mixture. Make them however big or small you would like. I prefer smaller ones. The mix, including what I took out for the dogs, made 10 burger patties.
Doggies Pattie!
Now.. most months out of the year, I would be heading out to the grill to finish this story. Today I will be staying indoors and cook these on the stove top. Its raining out tonight and not the most ideal weather for grilling. So, that being stated, I throw those patties in a pan and get the ball rolling. Like I said we are ALL hungry :-P
I start them out on high heat then turn it down to medium/medium low after they start sizzling.
Now that they've cooked well enough for my taste on one side, I turn them to the other.
Like I said .. we are ALL hungry!!
Especially poor little Molly girl. She's been in the kitchen with me from the start.
The hamburgers are done and I begin to transfer them to a plate lined with a paper towel or two. This step helps soak up any leftover grease, but the step is not necessary.
After a minute, I plate them up with a vegetable or two of choice. We are ready to eat folks!
And Now I Am Finished..
That's All She Wrote..
I mean he wrote.. haha. Oh Wait! The Dogs!!! They are waiting patiently for there specially made burger.
I break up the burger a little as they wait motionless.
Soon Molly is swatting and Pepper is licking his lips. I slowly lower my hand with the dreadfully delicious tidbits, and just about loose a finger or two! They were hungrier than I anticipated. It's a good thing their Dad and Mom love them so very much. A special treat for special doggos!
Pepper's eyes are ready to pop out of his head (sorry for the blurry pics)
Molly's head is half the size of my hand, but she is determined to swallow all my fingers with the piece of burger.
Well This Concludes My Food Post!
Like I said at the beginning, I don't write posts like this very often, but was looking to post about something different this time. Something other than art or artistic photography. I hope you enjoyed the post, even though I can not send you a burger to try. I probably could, but It may not taste very good by the time it got to your doorstep.
Let me know if you try making these. I want to know if the recipe sucks.. lol.
Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day (or evening)!
All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.
About Me ~ The Artist
My art work incorporates a wide variety of subject matter, including landscape, seascape, cityscape, and still life images. My works are the product of a continuing process of exploration through which I seek to portray personal and visionary interpretations of my surroundings. My paintings are impressions of places and events from everyday life, an interpretation of my imagination, and personal responses to what I see and feel on a daily basis. More recently I have invested generous amounts of time into my landscape painting. I am surrounded by natural and man made beauty, which inherently presents itself in the tri-state area, and almost demands that I paint it.
Not everything is art. Art is not everything, but it comes close. Art is everywhere and all the time. Art makes you experience the beauty of the world, the people in it, and the places we call home. Art itself is so influential that it can tell stories, show feelings, and express passion or fury. Art exists in addition to language; expression of sensations and thoughts, revealing a way of thinking too subtle and delicate for words.
For me art requires love, honesty and perseverance. In return, it reveals some personal, non-analyzable, and creative untamed passion. For the public, art with its magnificent beauty, improves mood and health and builds better human beings and communities. It engages the intellect, softens the heart, strengthens the soul and frees the spirit.
