Aloha Deliciousness

Autumn in Ann Arbor is synonymous with traffic jams and tailgating; courtesy of the Big House which sits half a mile from my apartment. It will soon be too cold to fire up the grill, but before that happened I wanted one last hoorah with the Webber. For some reason I was really in the mood for a teriyaki burger. Maybe it's the refrigerator full of Asian sauces I inherited or nostalgia over Sunday evening post-UPC trips to Red Robin with my sister's family; who knows. Regardless, give this a try before you pack away the grill for the season.

Teriyaki Burger with Grilled Pineapple

It's OK if you buy pre-ground beef to make these burgers...but if you've never had home-ground beef, you don't know what you're missing! The texture and flavor of the burger is orders of magnitude better than the stuff you buy. All you need to grind your own beef is a food processor. Alton Brown can walk you through the process (skip to 5:45 for the really relevant demonstration) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_Lj-ZSVvWI&feature=related.

Ingredients

8 oz. chuck steak, trimmed, cut into 1.5 inch cubes

8 oz. sirloin, trimmed, cut into 1.5 inch cubes

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 c. chopped green onions

1 tbsp teriyaki sauce or soy sauce

1 tsp peeled fresh ginger, grated (a microplane works well)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 28 oz. can pineapple rings, drained well

Hamburger buns

Lettuce

Mayo

vegetable oil

Serves 3

1. Place trimmed and cut beef on parchment paper in freezer (DON'T FORGET ABOUT IT, LEST YOU END UP WITH BEEF-SICLES).

2. Remove beef from freezer (should be stiff but still pliable). Pulse approximately 1/3 of the meat in a food processor (1 second pulse, 10 times) and transfer to mixing bowl. Return any excessively large pieces to the processor and process with next batch of beef. Repeat until all meat has been processed. Pick out any gristle.

Omit steps 1-2 if using preground beef (wimp).

3. Combine beef through garlic, mixing well with hand. Form meat into 5 oz patties, making a depression in the center with your thumb (this will help prevent the burger from puffing up during cooking).

4. Place pineapple rings on paper towel and blot off any excess liquid. Transfer to plate and use 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil to lightly coat the rings.

5. Cook burger on grill, flipping once, to desired degree of wellness. Transfer to plate, cover with foil and let rest 5-10 minutes.

6. Sear pineapple rings on grill, 1-3 minutes per side. Toast buns on grill, apply mayo, assemble burger and devour.

Transforming Brunch Leftovers

I love a good leisurely weekend brunch. When faced with what to make, I usually go for either blueberry buttermilk pancakes or french toast. Well it just so happens that this past weekend I had the opportunity to cook on two different mornings. The first morning I satisfied my pancake/french toast craving and was left to consider what to make on the second. Surveying my kitchen I found half a loaf of challah bread (left over from the french toast), eggs, cheese and a sage plant (courtesy of some friends). The sage made me think savory and got me digging through my freezer. A few chilled fingers later, my hands emerged having located some ground pork. It was decided; this morning called for a skillet strata.

Skillet Strata with Sausage and Herbs

For a vegetarian alternative, use your favorite textured soy substitute in place of pork. Gruyére is also good in place of Cheddar. Don't trim the crust from the bread or the strata will be dense and eggy. A 10-inch skillet is also critical for obtaining the right thickness and texture.

6 large eggs

1 1/2 c. milk

1 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dry thyme)

1 tbsp fresh sage, minced (or 1 tsp dry)

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 medium onion, minced

8 oz raw pork

1/2 tsp salt

5-7 thick slices of day old bread (preferrably challah) cut into 1 inch cubes

Adjust oven rack to middle positon and heat to 425. Whisk the eggs, milk, thyme, sage and pepper together. Stir in cheese and set aside.

Melt butter in a 10-inch ovensafe and non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and salt and cook till softened 3-5 minutes. Add crumbled pork and cook till lightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Add the bread and using a spatula carefully fold the bread into the sausage/onion mixture until its evenly coated. Cook an additional 3-5 minutes till bread is lightly toasted.

Off the heat, add the egg mixture until well combined with the bread--make sure that cheese is evenly distributed! Gently press on the strata to help the bread soak up the egg mixture and bake till the edges and center are puffed and the edges have pulled away from the pan, about 12 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.