Burger nation: Readers offer their take on traditional favorite

People sure take a lot of liberties with food.

Take the good ol' all-American hamburger, the nation's most popular chow. Like the melting pot we are, many hands also are in the mix of the modern-day burger. There's barbecue sauce, blue cheese and even — is this a joke? — boiled peanuts.

Its lineage is sketchy, but our hamburger likely was inspired by a similar beef sausage in northern Germany and reinvented by German immigrants when they came to in the United States. It was far from an instant hit, sold mostly at fairs or from food carts.

The launch of the White Castle restaurant chain in the 1920s and intensive marketing changed the tempo considerably. By the end of the decade, Americans had adopted the hamburger wholeheartedly as their own. Our burger nation was born.

We asked readers for their interpretations of the hamburger with the July Fourth holiday in mind. It's a sure bet that millions of Americans will be celebrating their freedom this weekend, with hamburger in hand — having it their way.

Big Red Inside Out Burger

For 2-4 people

1 Vidalia onion, chopped

Butter or vegetable oil for sauteing

6 strips bacon

1 cup honey barbecue sauce

Red pepper flakes to taste

Garlic salt to taste

1 pound ground beef, 80/20 lean-fat ratio

Char Broil seasoning

Colby/cheddar jack cheese cubes

In a small frying pan, saute onion in small amount of butter or vegetable oil. Cut bacon into small square pieces. Throw in with onions, cook until done but not crispy. Add honey barbecue sauce, red pepper flakes and garlic salt.

Take ground beef and form into twice as many patties as the number of people you will serve, 2- to 3-inch patties. Indent middle of one and put a dollop of onion/barbecue sauce and some cheese into the indention. Take another patty of meat and put on top. Crease around edges so that onion/barbecue sauce and cheese mixture is being held between the two patties. Lightly salt both sides of burger with Char Broil seasoning. Repeat process with remaining patties. Cook on medium to medium-high heat on grill for 15 minutes. Melt more cheese cubes over patty if desired and top with more onion/barbecue sauce. Serve on a large hamburger bun.

Christian Adams

Hanahan

Grilled Mexi-Burgers

Makes 6 burgers

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

3/4 cup salsa

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cumin, to taste

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

2 to 3 sliced green onions (scallions)

Mix beef with other ingredients lightly but well. Form into 6 patties and grill. Serve on buttered and toasted rolls with additional cheese, salsa and a dollop of guacamole if you like.

Note: Have plenty of napkins handy as these are juicy burgers!

Maggie Fernald

Charleston

Great burgers are easy to make … if you know what you're doing. I suggested the Smoke'd Burger to Bobby Flay after his burger demonstration at the (Charleston) Food + Wine Festival. His response was that he didn't know it was possible, but he would try it out.

Smoke'd Burger

Hickory wood chips

Ground chuck

Egg: Approximately 1 egg per pound of hamburger meat

Salt and pepper to taste: Be generous

Worcestershire sauce: 5 or so dashes per pound of meat

Publix bakery hamburger rolls

Toppings of your choice: onion and/or mushrooms (grilled, sauteed or raw), cheese, bacon, mustard, ketchup, mayo etc. … (Add toppings on top of your cooked burger, not directly into the meat.)

Soak small hickory wood chips in water for 20-ish minutes. Mix ground chuck with egg, salt and pepper and Worcestershire sauce.

Light your grill on high and let it sit until it is nice and hot. Add the hickory wood directly on top of the coals or underneath the grate for a gas grill. Wait 3-4 minutes or so until the wood starts to smoke. Once you have a good smoke going, place the burgers on the grate directly on top of the smoking wood chips. Leave the lid open and let the burgers cook on medium-high for 4-6 minutes on each side, depending on your preferred burger temperature. A little bit of flame-up is a good thing as you want those bad boys to char up a bit. Toast your buns, add your toppings and there you go. The smoke will impart a sweetness into the meat and you will be in burger heaven.

That's all you need to make the perfect burger!

Craig Delk

Charleston

Simple, but so good burgers ... 12 ounces pimiento cheese (Palmetto Cheese brand preferred) and 12 dinner rolls (Original Recipe from Publix Bakery). Cut rolls in half with bread knife. Ground chuck (2 pounds, 80/20 lean-fat ratio) and make into 12 patties. Salt and pepper the patties to taste. The last ingredient is ketchup. Grill patties 4 minutes on each side on medium heat. After patties are cooked, let stand 5 minutes. Put dinner rolls in microwave for 5-10 seconds to soften. On bottom part of dinner roll put the ketchup. On top part of dinner roll put pimiento cheese. Then put cooked patties in dinner rolls. Enjoy.

Stephen Deal

Ladson

Tom's Burgers

Makes 2 burgers

1 pound ground chuck

1 egg

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon A-1 steak sauce

For serving:

Horseradish sauce, cheddar cheese slices, poppy seed rolls, cooked smoked bacon, romaine lettuce, beefsteak tomato, Vidalia onion slices, ketchup and mayonnaise

Mix ground chuck, egg, garlic salt, ground pepper and steak sauce thoroughly, then form two thick burger patties. In a skillet on medium heat cook to a slight char on both sides. Do not overly flip the burgers as they may crumble under impatient hands. When burgers reach the desired temperature (medium rare to medium for me) place a dollop of horseradish sauce on the burger and cover in a thick slice of sharp cheddar cheese and place under a broiler. After cheese melts over sides of burgers, place them on a lightly buttered and toasted poppy seed roll. Top your creation with crisp smoked bacon strips and garnish with a cold leaf of romaine lettuce, a slice of beefsteak tomato, and a few rings of sweet Vidalia onion. Add a touch of ketchup and mayo and enjoy.

Tom Stearns

Jamestown

Rusty Burgers

Makes 5 large burgers

1 pound of hamburger meat (quality and fat content per taste and budget. My preference is ground beef, 90 percent lean).

1/2 pound of ground "hot" sausage (store brand is fine).

1/4 cup onion (red or yellow)

1 clove garlic, minced

Worcestershire sauce to taste

Mix the hamburger meat with ground sausage adding the other ingredients a bit at a time to ensure an even blend. Add Worcestershire sauce to taste.(Depending on you or your guests' preference some ingredients can be left out, like onion. Can always add onion to the burger.)

Make balls of the mixture per number of patties desired. Flatten balls to make patties; use your palm to indent the patty, which will make a better-shaped cooked burger. Grill to desired doneness.

Russell Read

Mount Pleasant

If I can give one piece of advice, it would be grind your own meat. I have a grinder I bought for around 100 bucks years ago and have enjoyed the results many times over the investment. I buy sirloin or chuck roasts on sale and trim and grind them up myself. I like my burgers medium rare and never worry about E. coli or that mysterious crunch of gristle. The taste and richness of the burger is beyond comparison to store-ground meat. I know exactly what is in my burger and it's all good!

Brent Patterson

James Island

I saw the article looking for burger recipes and tips. It made me think of a wonderful burger we used to make when we lived in the wine country (Napa Valley) of California.

TOP (Turkey, Onion and Port) Burger

Serves 4 people

For onion compote:

1 Vidalia or other sweet onion

1 red onion

1/2 cup rich ruby port (or other)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Salt and pepper to taste

For burger:

1 pound freshly ground turkey

2 tablespoons rich ruby port (or other Zinfindel Port or Syrah Port)

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3/4 cup feta cheese with basil and sundried tomato

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

For the compote, slice the onions and place in a sealable plastic bag with the remaining ingredients for about 1 hour. Place mixture on a hot vegetable grill rack and grill until the onions are soft and turning brown (approximately 15 minutes, turning as needed).

For the burgers, place turkey in bowl and sprinkle the port evenly over the meat. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Divide into four portions and mold into burgers. Place over well-heated grill (or coals) and cook approximately 4 minutes on each side. (Olive oil nonstick cooking spray may be used to prevent sticking.)

Serve burgers on favorite rolls. Top burgers with onion compote.

Laurie Seese

Charleston

Bryan Thompson's Boiled Peanut Hamburgers

Serves 6

2 pounds ground chuck

1 tablespoon of garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 pound of shelled, salt-boiled peanuts (recipe below)

Mix the ground chuck and other spices together thoroughly. Once mixed, fold the boiled peanuts into the burger mixture gently and form into patties (approximately six burgers) and throw on the grill about 6 minutes per side (do not overcook the burger). Serve on a Kaiser bun or hamburger bun of choice. Suggested cheese and garnish: Swiss and pickled okra spears.

Salt-Boiled Peanuts

5 tablespoons salt

3 pounds green peanuts

7 cups water

Add salt and peanuts to water in a pot. Boil softly, covered, for about 3 hours. Add more water if needed as the peanuts should float.

Bryan Thompson

Charleston

For my burgers, I get a pound of ground sirloin from Piggly Wiggly. I make my burgers pretty thick, so this will make two thick ones and the leftover will make a mini burger. I put the meat in a mixing bowl and add some meat tenderizer and some Dale's seasoning and mix them up. Then I form the patties, making them about an inch thick. I grill them for about 5 minutes a side on low heat on my outdoor grill. I like mine more on the rare side but obviously some people prefer more done so you must leave them on longer. The key is to cook low and slow. Then I use Kraft American singles and put those on for the last few seconds they are on the grill. For buns, I use Derst Kaiser buns because they are thick and tasty. Some people in my family like bacon and sauteed mushrooms, some like onions — raw and/or cooked. We always end up cooking hot dogs or brats with the burgers, so onions and even sauerkraut come in handy. Of course, you can then also add tomatoes or just tomato ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, pickles, etc. These are sure to please any time!"

Claire Freeman

Mount Pleasant

I take a slice of onion. I put it in between two hamburger patties. Press it together (make sure that you can't see the onion). The onion will be cooked very nicely.

Richard Fowler

Charleston

Alamo Burger

For 1 burger

8 ounces lean ground beef

Slice of pepperjack cheese

2 ounces salsa

1 ounce sliced jalapenos

2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Toasted Kaiser roll

Form burger and cook until 2 minutes left to your desired temperature. Place the pepperjack cheese slice on top to melt.

Put salsa and jalapenos on top of the melted pepperjack. Top with the shredded cheddar cheese and melt together. Place burger on toasted Kaiser roll and enjoy!

D.J. Rich and Planet Follywood

Folly Beach

Caesar Burger

Make a ground chuck burger and season with salt and pepper. While burger is cooking, chop romaine lettuce in small pieces. Slice an onion in thin, whole circles and then again in half. Separate slices, add to lettuce. Toss with 1/2 cup Caesar salad dressing (or to taste).

When burger is done, sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese. Put on bun and top with lettuce mix.

Tammy Reigle

Moncks Corner

No Beef About It Burger

1/2 pound ground turkey

1 package Lipton onion soup mix

2 tablespoons water

Salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste

Turkey bacon

Honey mustard

For serving: sauteed onions, buns of choice, romaine lettuce, tomato slices, pickles

Set oven to 350 degrees.

Mix first four ingredients and make patties. Place on pan in oven and cook until meat is done (165 degrees).

Place Louis Rich turkey bacon on a foil-lined pan and brush with a spicy honey mustard mix. Cook bacon until crispy in oven.

Assemble burgers on buns with cooked turkey bacon, sauteed onions, romaine lettuce, tomato and pickles. Serve sweet potato fries on the side.

Tanya Brown

2 Girls and A Guy

Ultimate Hamburger

(Serves 2 plus a bite for the pooch)

For burgers:

1-1 1/3 pounds chuck steak

Optional: Cheese of your choice: Saga Blue is our favorite

Garlic salt

Freshly ground pepper

Essential equipment:

Kitchen Aid Mix Master Meat Grinder Attachment

The Big Green Egg cooker with plain hardwood charcoal

Twice grind the chuck steak on coarse setting. Form into two patties and one small patty. Important: Do not overhandle the hamburger, gently form and press enough to get the hamburger to be formed about 1 inch thick, uniformly.

Half-hour before cooking, salt and pepper each side.

Cheese Option: Method one — form four patties and one small patty. Slice two generous hunks of cheese. Place a slice in each of two patties. Place remaining patties over the two patties with cheese. Method two — Create a slight depression in the single patty and cook that side first. Once flipped place cheese in the depression.

Preheat Green Egg to 450 degrees, don't make it 500 degrees or more ... too hot.

Cook 3-4 minutes a side for rare to medium rare. Place cheese on one half way through second side cooking.

Let rest five minutes. Voila!!

Jim Gearhart

Seabrook Island

Our Confederate Burger

Makes 4 burgers

1 pound ground chuck

4 ounces Clemson Blue Cheese

Salt and pepper

Mustard

Coleslaw

Form four (4-ounce) patties and flatten. Spread 1 ounce of blue cheese over top of each. Roll and reform patties so the meat covers the cheese.

Cook over indirect heat (charcoal) for 5 minutes on each side for medium. Grill lid should be closed.

Serve on toasted seeded bun and dress with fresh coleslaw and mustard.

Gary A. Scheuch

Hilton Head

A good turkey burger

A classic burger should be rich and juicy with a big beefy flavor. Ground beef chuck sets the benchmark for a great burger, but it's also particularly high in saturated fat.

We knew that a leaner meat was needed for a healthy makeover, so we chose lean ground turkey; it's low-fat and easy to find.

The drawback to using ground turkey is that you have to cook the burger all the way through and there's not a lot of fat to keep the burger moist. We tried adding yogurt, ricotta, miso and cottage cheese to compensate for the lost fat, but none of these substitutions resulted in the rich flavor we craved; the turkey burgers were too tart, cheesy or too much like meatloaf.

We finally succeeded with the following adjustments:

--Adding a small proportion of lean beef sirloin to restore the meaty flavor and moisture.

--Adding a little balsamic vinegar for sweetness and Worcestershire sauce for flavor.

--Serving it on a whole-wheat bun topped with caramelized onions.

Teresa Taylor is the food editor. Reach her at food@postandcourier.com or 937-4886.