The creativity was flowing on this day and I had a bunch of fresh local blueberries and a block of tamarind paste in the refrigerator.
It all started with a sauce and then the burger and slaw came into being. If using tamarind, you will need to pair it with sweetness since it is a bit sour (similar to lemon).
The meat, slaw and sauce pair perfectly on a warm summer night. The piece that takes this dish over the edge is the finishing salts because they give that added element that brings all the ingredients together on the plate.
Ingredients:
1) 2 lbs of ground beef of your choice
2) 1/2 head of organic green or purple cabbage
3) 1 cup of organic blueberries
4) 1 tablespoon of tamarind paste (or to taste)
5) 1 tablespoon of raw organic honey
6) 1 large onion grated
7) 1 bunch of cilantro chopped
8) 1/2 cup olive oil
9) 3-4 cloves of garlic minced
10) plain sea salt, Thai Ginger sea salt, Ghost Pepper sea salt
Directions:
Prepare your ground beef by adding the beef, grated onions, chopped cilantro, olive oil, minced garlic and about a teaspoon of plain sea salt into a large mixing bowl.
Incorporate all the ingredients well and let rest anywhere between 2-24 hours. The longer the beef rest in a covered bowl in the refrigerator the more flavorful your burgers will be.
Prepare the sauce by adding the tamarind and blueberries to a small saute pan. Gently heat the mixture and add the honey and two pinches of Thai Ginger sea salt. If you have an immersion blender use this in a deep bowl to blend all ingredients smoothly. Add a bit of water to get your desired thickness. I used a Nutribullet and it worked perfectly.
Next, make a simple slaw and by simple I mean just shred your cabbage and dress it lightly with olive oil, a little mayonnaise and a touch of vinegar.
I cooked the burgers on an outdoor grill and plated it on top of about two tablespoons of the blueberry tamarind sauce.
Then I topped the burger with a simple slaw and added a pinch of Ghost Pepper to add a bit of heat to this layered stack of goodness!
Keeping it Real, Keeping it Simple!
It's grilling time again! Wait, has it ever stopped? Not at our house. We grill in all sorts of weather.
However, I had been in the kitchen for so many days and it seemed the right time to get outdoors, open the grill and chill outside while the children played.
I had picked up two fresh pineapples the other day and grilling them sounded like a fantastic thing to do...then came to mind a grilled seasoned hamburger on top of this would be even better!
Hamburger Ingredients:
1) 2 lbs ground round. If I can purchase grass fed, I do...if I can't find that I will ask the butcher to freshly grind a piece of round. That way I am assured it came from only one cow.
2) 1 medium onion finely grated, I used a food processor to get this job done with less tears
3) 1 bunch of chopped parsley
4) 2 cloves of garlic minced
5) 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
6) 1 teaspoon of sea salt
Directions:
Marinade the meat for a minimum of 3 hours, longer is always better. Get your grill hot and grill the burgers to sear all sides and then turn down to low-medium.
While they are simmering on one side of your grill, get ready to grill some pineapple rings! Slice your pineapple in 1/2 inch rings. Place rings on a hot grill and cook until soft and lightly brown char is achieved. If your pineapple is not as ripe, you may have to add a little bit of coconut oil to the rings prior to grilling. This will help with the cooking process and allow the pineapple to cook without burning.
To plate, place a piece of grilled pineapple on the plate and glaze with balsamic (optional) and dust with Smoked Serrano sea salt (this salt pairs extremely well with pineapple). Next, top your burger on the pineapple and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and another sprinkle of Smoked Serrano sea salt!
The flavor combinations go so well together! Enjoy!
