Recipe: The Schlow Burger

The Schlow Burger
with Cheddar, Crispy Onions, and Horseradish Sauce

Makes 2 "fat boy" burgers

I really never thought I would be writing down this recipe, but everyone with an opinion and a say-so said, "You gotta put it in the book." So here goes—try this burger once and see if it doesn't make you change the way you order your burgers. Someday, maybe I'll open a burger joint and feature this colossal, monster of a sandwich on the menu, but for now I'll stick to making it in my own backyard.

Note: The sauce can be made up to three days ahead; the onions can be prepared early on the day they will be served.

18 ounces ground beef
(Ask the butcher for 80 percent lean. Do not change this part, please!)
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons prepared white horseradish
Juice of half a lemon
2 thick slices good quality Vermont or English cheddar cheese
2 hamburger buns, split in half
(buy the best ones you can get; I like brioche buns)
Crispy Onions
Fresh ground pepper

Combine the ground beef with the olive oil, salt, and plenty of black pepper.

Divide the meat into two 9-ounce patties and refrigerate until the grill is ready. (Don't do this more than an hour in advance.)

Combine mayonnaise, horseradish, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl and season with black pepper. (You can do this ahead of time and store it in the fridge.)

Heat the grill to high.

Take the hamburgers out of the refrigerator 5 to 7 minutes before you are ready to grill them.

Place the burgers on the preheated grill and cook 1-1/2 minutes (for rare).

Give the burgers a quarter-turn to "mark" them, and cook 1-1/2 more minutes.

Flip the burgers over and cook 1-1/2 minutes.

Rotate a quarter-turn to "mark" and cook 1-1/2 more minutes.

Transfer the burgers to the grill's top shelf or to a cooler section of the grill and cover each one with a slice of cheese.

Turn the grill off and shut the lid.

After 4 minutes, open the lid. The cheese will be melted and the burgers cooked rare to medium-rare. Toast the buns, if desired, and place a burger on each.

Spread plenty of the horseradish sauce on each burger; it should drip down the sides.

Top with Crispy Onions and season with freshly ground black pepper.

Slather more sauce on the other half of the bun and place it on top of the burger.

Grab a cold beer or iced tea and get ready to make a mess. This is not a dainty meal!

Buy the Book!

from:
It's About Time
Great Recipes For Everyday Life
by Michael Schlow
Foreword by Mario Batali
Random House
$35.00; Hardcover, 248 pages
ISBN: 1-58642-087-9
Recipe reprinted by permission.