Smash Burgers, a Method, Not a Restaurant

Granted, I liked Smash Burger-- the restaurant. The food was great, the plates were cool, but I just didn't get enough to eat. It is like that some times for us in the low carb world. Sure, we can order the bunless burger.  It tastes great. Often, though, we are left just a tad bit hungry. That can lead to "hangry" in just a little while. When we start feeling deprived, we know  a cheat looms ahead. Either that or we behave just plain nasty to those around us with full tummies. Surely my family is not the only one to succumb to the hangries?

This is rather, a method of cooking burgers. We all know the tried and true advice. Never press down on a burger on the grill. You press all the juices out. That may be true. But that is assuming that you are going for a thick, tender and juicy burger. Not being an aficionado of rare burgers, that is seldom what I am aiming for. Don't get defensive. There is room for all of us. Let's hear it for burger diversity. I, and some others like me, prefer the really browned edges of the burger. Little tastes of charred goodness. That special something that the searing brings. That is what this method of burger cooking is all about.

The idea here is to make really thin burger patties. I mean it when I say thin. Then brown them up on a really hot grill. Make the patties extra thin by literally smashing them in the pan. Sorry, this simply will not work for grill grates. We need a flat surface here-- and a good spatula. (Great for quick meals when you don't want to wait for charcoal or when you don't want to mess cleaning the big gas grill.)  Smash that little burger. And I mean little too. Just a couple of ounces. Smash it and get the edges nice and dark. Flip it over a couple of times. No need to check the thermometer. We are going for the burn. The unami will be there!

Now slap some nice melty cheese. American slices are the best melters in my opinion, but use what you love. Now the best part. You get three of these thin little burgers. You still get a nice beefy meal, but with all that browned goodness. Three times more of it than in your boring old burger of the past. Now, I get it that you are thinking those tiny gray little patties in the small burgers at McDonalds. Size, yes. Flavor, no! Go for the brown. Add some salt and pepper and it will be a totally different food group. Sure, these don't stay perfectly round either. I am serious about the smashing part!

So smash them. Stack them. Top them. Oh yeah, and eat them too.

This is one of the recipes I am featuring in the July issue of the Diner News.  Be sure to order yours.

http://www.247lowcarbdiner.com/html/newsletter.html

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Longganisa Sausages

This is something really unique. Somehow, it still seems somewhat meant to be. Just the name. Almost sounds like me. My maiden name, you see, is Long. Add that to my first name, and these Filipino sausages sound almost like a tribute. Maybe I should call them Longgalisa instead. In addition to that, my boss is half Filipino and I had a chance to meet her sweet mama not too long ago. So many cultures to learn about. Yes, I am a teacher, and I am still a big nerd when it comes to learning. It is a lifelong thing for me.

Now that I run with a crowd from the Philippines, I will have to ask if they eat these sausages. My hubby was a convert. From my research I found that there are several regional varieties. I chose to make the one that is very garlicky. We love our garlic. I am no authority, but from what I can tell, most of the varieties are sweet. That makes them a natural breakfast sausage. We had them for dinner, but in a breakfasty sort of way--with eggs and fried caulirice. Almost true island style.

I am busy making all sorts of recipes featuring ground meats for the July Diner News. This is one you will find in there. I have lots of fun ideas still to try. I am experimenting with some burger hacks too. So far, our trial with a smashburger turned out well. You will have to wait for the Diner News to get all that information.

Today I was not too bright. I decided to try my mom's really old meat grinder. Ground pork is a little harder to find at my grocery store. I usually have to go to Sprouts to get a good deal on it. I wasn't going that direction, so I picked up a small pork shoulder roast. Oh my, that was so not worth the effort and the mess! Don't do what I did. Buy pre-ground pork or use a food processor. Lesson learned. The grinder is all retro and cute, but it was such a mess. I will stick with the modern conveniences. I was hoping to get a coarse grind, but it was pretty much the same as my Ninja or food processor method. Back to electric for this girl. Good to know since I still have about 5 pounds of chicken to grind.

Without further ado, here is the recipe for these Filipino sausages, Marshall style.

Longganisa Sausages

1/2 lb ground pork

2 tbsp erythritol / stevia blend

2 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

2 ts0 Palm oil or coconut oil for frying

Combine pork, sweetener, garlic powder, pepper, vinegar and salt. Chill for several hours for flavor to permeate the meat. Shape into 8 small logs. Heat oil in a skillet and fry until cooked through.

per sausage:   88  calories and 1 g carb

Most of the photos I saw online had the sausages in a casing. No way was I doing that! These are good. Never would I personally have put so much garlic in with sweetener. The combo does work though. I used many different recipes as resources to come up with my own. Although I am not a native, I think they are quite good. Especially if you let someone else do the grinding.

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Lemon Dilly Turkey Burgers

I love lemon. Not so much turkey. To me, it needs a little help. Like lots of flavor infused into the meat. For summer, lemon and dill to the rescue!  These are the perfect light and tasty summery burgers. Fresh herbs, citrus, spinach and goat cheese. Totally forget they are turkey. Delightful flavor! I started out to go with a Greek burger theme. That's what I was thinking when I bought the goat cheese. But then, I started thinking lemon. And more lemon.

These little patties taste wonderful and they are pretty too.  A dollop of mayo in the meat mix keeps the lower fat turkey nice and moist. It is also an excellent carrier for the lemon oil. You have your choice here. I used my Simply Organic Lemon Oil Flavoring. (You might choose to add a drop or two of lemon essential oil, if you are one who opts to use therapeutic grade oils with foods which contain fat.) If you can't find my brand at the health food store, go for the Frontier brand. You can order it in my Amazon Store and help us out a bit.The lemon flavor makes the dish. I often don't have fresh lemons, so I keep lemon flavoring handy. Concentrated flavor with so many uses!

I used fresh dill and basil from my herb pots. You can use dried if you like. The goat cheese is super creamy, making a nice contrast of texture. You could sub feta if you prefer. One word of warning. Don't try to shape these patties by hand. The mixture is a bit wet. Just use a spoon to mound the meat mixture on the skillet. The secret is to have a nice hot skillet and to not try to flip the patties over too soon. They will be a little crumbly, so use caution or you will have a scramble. A contact grill that cooks from both sides would be an excellent option too. I just used my non stick skillet.

Lemon Dilly Turkey Burgers

1 lb ground lean turkey

4 oz goat cheese crumbles with basil and sun dried tomatoes

1/2 cup diced fresh spinach leaves

1/4 cup diced red bell pepper

3 sprigs fresh dill weed or 1/4 tsp dried

4 basil leaves or 1/4 tsp dried

1 tsp lemon pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp mayonnaise

1/2 tsp lemon flavoring (or 2 drops oil)

1 tbsp refined coconut oil

In a medium bowl, combine turkey, goat cheese, spinach leaves, red bell pepper, dill, basil, garlic powder and lemon pepper. In a very small bowl, combine mayonnaise and lemon flavoring. Stir into meat mixture. Divide the mixture into 8 mounds.  Heat coconut oil in a nonstick skillet until hot. Use a scoop to  mound the meat mixture  on the surface of the skillet, pressing the patties into shape. Let brown for 4 minutes before carefully flipping. Cook the other side and additional 4 to 5 minutes or until cooked through.  Temperature should register 160 degrees.

Serves 4:  317 calories  2 net g carb (3)

This month, I am working on ground meat recipes for the Diner News. This one will be in there, but I have lots more coming too. Beef and chicken, pork and turkey. Having been out of town, I am running behind a bit. The hubby will be getting some good experiments the next couple of weeks. Hope they all work out. He had his all you can eat ribs for Father's Day today, so he should be ready for about anything! Or he may not eat again until mid week!

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Orange Power Juice

Sometimes I miss a small glass of OJ in the morning. Usually I have my coffee, but in my youth, I preferred orange juice. Over a year ago, I hacked this little concoction for the May `15 Diner News. The theme that month was low carb kitchen hacks.

 My Power Juice is better for you than orange juice, which, as a concentrated form of fruit, is high in sugar. I added some protein, turmeric and vitamin C powder. All very good for you. Then to thicken it a bit, I tried some beef gelatin. Funny thing happened. After I tried it with some ice, the gelatin separated a bit and formed little clumps very much like pulp in OJ! I loved that.  If you are the type that hates the texture, leave the gelatin out, or drink it at room temperature. Even better, use Collagen Hydrolysate, which dissolves but  doesn't do the gelling thing. This does separate a little upon sitting, so if you chill it, give it a quick blend with a stick blender before serving.  Ah, the fun of food chemistry!

Speaking of school subjects, I am going out of town all next week to a teacher's conference. Leaving the hubby all alone. We shall see. I am signed up on the gluten free menu at the conference, but I see lots of potatoes on the menu. Most meals are cafeteria style, so I should be fine. When the meals are free, I make do. I find that it is usually easier not to be too hard on myself. I am fortunate not to have many food allergies. I empathize with those of you who have to be so suspicious of any food served in public. I had to do that while my youngest was on SCD/GAPS and it is so desperately frustrating.  My tips: 

• Use a good quality unflavored protein isolate.
• I prefer Great Lakes Brand for the gelatin
• I order vitamin C powder online. Don't try to crush tablets. It is good to add to all sorts of drinks, so don't be afraid to try it. I have the NOW brand.
• True Orange is a little harder to find at the grocery than lemon or lime flavors. It is easy to add onto an order through most of the  online nutrition stores.

Orange Power Juice

2 1/2 pints of water (5 cups)

2 tbsp erythritol / stevia blend equal to sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp whey protein powder

1 tbsp beef gelatin or collagen hydrolysate

2 tsp Vitamin C powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp orange extract

1/4 tsp turmeric

2 packets True Orange

Blend all ingredients together with an immersion blender..

Serves 6:   22 calories   1 g carb   4 g protein

Once I return from the conference, I will be jumping right into summer school. That is busy, but a blessing since my husband is still without full time employment. Please keep him in your prayers! While I am away, I will try to check in nightly to send out newsletter orders and answer your questions. Don't give up on me. I seem to thrive on a busy schedule, but a girl can only promise so much!

Get more great recipes at the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook Page:               https://www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends

 Order any of our great cookbooks at  http://amongfriends.us/24-7-LCD.php

Order my original e-book or the latest version for couples and singles,  A Table for Two here