A Few Burgers to Sink Your Teeth In

Three Incarnations of the Great American Burger

The dawn of grilling season is here, which can mean only one thing: burgers. While steaks and shrimp have their appeal, there's something about burgers on the grill that feels right.

There are countless ways to make a burger, each person has their version of perfection. I'm usually all for celebrating burger individuality, but one instance caught me off guard.

At first glance, this burger seemed like any other, adorned with the usual suspects: lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, etc. The only thing setting it apart is that it was homemade, and gifted to me by my neighbor. He said that if restaurants got ahold of his creation, they'd pay him $10,000 for the recipe, though he was uncertain how to market it.

Though his story had more than a few holes in it, he was a friendly guy who brought food to me when I was hungry, so no complaints there. He dropped off the burger and left. After he was gone I took my first eager bite, I was taken aback.

What was this flavor?

The burger appeared ordinary, but the meat was anything but. It was surprisingly tasty, maybe not $10,000-worthy, but certainly decent. Hungry as I was, I devoured it and saved my questions for later.

When I next encountered my neighbor, I had to ask what that patty was made of. Turns out, it was a blend of 50% bison, 25% ground beef, and 25% Italian sausage.

That was the kicker—the Italian sausage added a mysterious flavor to the mix, enhancing the overall experience. Had I tasted just the meat alone, I might have figured it out, but together, they formed something truly unique, culinary synergy.

I've never encountered such a combination since, nor have I attempted to replicate this peculiar burger, but I certainly admire the creativity behind it.

I shared that story to illustrate how simple yet complex a burger can be. Here are three of my favorites.

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The John Wayne Burger

What a fitting name for a burger that is complex enough in flavor to please a burger connoisseur, yet simple enough for the average burger consumer. If you’ve never had a John Wayne burger here’s how the ingredients stack up.

• Bun, This is obvious but make it a good bun. Brioche is good, let’s go with that.

• 1/3 lb or 0.15 Kg beef patty, homemade if possible

• Sauce - BBQ Aioli and housemade bourbon BBQ sauce. 50/50 Sweet Baby Rays and Jack Daniels.

• Toppings - aged cheddar & Swiss cheese, 3 onion rings, 3 strips of bacon, 1 over-easy egg, and lettuce, tomato, red onion, and pickles to finish it all off.

We served this at a restaurant I had worked at a few years ago, and it was one of the most popular burgers on our menu. Here’s the actual burger that we served!

John Wayne Burger: NYP Bar and Grill

The Porky

This burger is half beef burger, and half pulled pork sandwich, it truly captures the complexities of the relationship between cow and pig, or maybe it’s just an awesome burger, either way here’s the breakdown.

• Bun

• Sauce - bacon horseradish aioli (Oh Yeah!)

• 1/3 lb beef patty

• 2 slices Canadian Bacon

• 3 strips of American bacon

• 4 Oz. pulled pork

• Caramelized onions

• 1 slice of smoked cheddar cheese

Most other Porky burgers that I have come across are made with a pork patty which I don’t object to but I think this one is enough of a heart attack for me already.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Spicy Black and Bleu

This burger is a take on the classic bleu cheese bacon burger that can be found on burger menus across the world, but this one gets an upgrade, here’s how this burger comes together.

• Pretzel Bun

• Sauce - chunky bleu cheese dressing and whole grain mustard

• 1/3 lb bison patty blackend Cajun style

• Toppings - More bleu cheese, bacon and red onion jam, pickled jalapenos, and stout onions

This is the kind of burger that doesn’t look like a monster but it packs a ton of flavor. This one will send almost anyone into a food coma in no time, it’s such a rich taste you better be hungry.

Photo by Loes Klinker on Unsplash