It’s the end of a long work day where as much as you tried, you just couldn’t seem to get out from under the pile of work on your desk. You spent hours answering emails and finally started to make a bit of headway when your coworker inevitably pops in with a question. Once the work day is finally over and you walk through your door and change into comfortable clothes, you want a meal that is easy to make. Sure, you could order a pizza, but the quality of the nearest pizzeria seems to be on a pretty steady decline and you know you’ll regret that decision.
So what’s a tired lady or fellow to do? Fire up the grill and make yourself a burger, of course!
“But I don’t have all of the fancy fixings on hand,” you say. Not to worry, friend. Chances are that you can make yourself a pretty killer burger with the things you have tucked away in your pantry at this very moment. There are a number of little things you can do that will add up to a truly massive flavor without much effort on your part. As a matter of fact, as long as you can throw a few ingredients together, throw some flip flops on, and light a grill, you’ll be eating in no time at all.
Step One: Check Your Pantry
You don’t have to get all Chris Traeger on your burger and make an Asian fusion dish that’s made with organic turkey, taleggio cheese crisps, papaya chutney, black truffle aioli, and micro greens on a gluten free brioche bun. In fact, we’ll be taking more of a Ron Swanson approach to this burger, and while it won’t be a hamburger made out of meat on a bun with nothing on top, it will be just as simple.
Here’s what you’ll be looking for in your pantry:
- Garlic
- Worcestershire sauce
- Onion powder
- Bread crumbs
- 80/20 ground beef
- Your favorite bun
- Your cheese of choice
Step Two: Preheat Your Grill
Luckily for you, you decided to buy a propane tank last week and now is the time to pop outside and fire it up. (Quick sidebar: wondering where to buy a propane tank? We have locations all across the country and we’re always right around the corner.) Heat your grill to medium high heat and head back inside to tackle step three. You’re practically almost done already!
Step Three: Assemble the Ingredients
Next up all you have to do is mix everything together. Combine your ground beef with one clove of minced garlic per patty you’re making and add a dash of worcestershire sauce, about ¼ cup bread crumbs, and a sprinkling of onion powder and you are off to the races.
Make sure that everything is nicely combined, but don’t overwork the beef. Next, form your patties to be about an inch or so thick and make a nice dimple in the middle to ensure that all of the juices in your burger can distribute themselves evenly. The end result, of course, will be a perfectly flat burger that’s easy to toss on your bun and chow down on. You’ll want to give your grill about 15 minutes to preheat, so set your burgers aside and let the clock run down a bit. Now is a good time to check the mail.
One side note. You may have read that it’s a good idea to let your ground beef come to room temperature before cooking it. While letting your meat rest is something we generally advocate for, the purpose of this meal is to get things done with minimal effort and we can safely say that you likely won’t notice a huge difference between fifteen and thirty minutes of letting the meat rest.
Step Four: Mind the Grill
You’re almost done now, so don’t give up yet, friend! Cook your burgers according to how well done you prefer them to be, keeping your handy meat thermometer nearby to ensure that you can pull them off of the grill when the time is right. In the last few minutes of grilling, toss your bun on the top rack to get it nice and toasty and throw your favorite cheese on your burger. Be sure to close the grill at this point to let the cheese melt up nicely.
You’re in the home stretch now! Pull your burgers off the grill and let them rest for a few minutes to ensure the juice is all evenly distributed and they have finished cooking. The added benefit, of course, is that you allow them to cool down just a bit, providing you with the perfect amount of time to grab yourself a cold beverage.
Step Five: Eat, Watch Some Netflix, Take it Easy, Etc.
The final step, of course, is to dig in! Enjoy the fruits of your labor and be glad that you decided to forego the pizza and make a burger because we can safely say that a good burger is one of the best ways to end a tough day. It didn’t take much time to make and your spirits have improved greatly. All thanks to a burger. How about that!
Now dedicate the rest of your night to binge watching a new Netflix show and laying on the couch. Or just watch a few reruns of The Office. You deserve the downtime.
