BLT&E
To any real fan, a hamburger is never “just a burger.” A great burger is a work of art, passionately thought out and painstakingly executed. It’s the very extension of the grill master’s identity.
And, of course, determining what makes a burger great can stir as much passion as choosing our next president.
So with the smells of charcoal and propane beginning to perfume backyards across the country, we challenged L.A. Times burgermeisters everywhere to submit their recipes in our second annual Battle of the Burgers. The response was amazing. More than 140 recipes were submitted from all over the country, with readers across the nation voting to choose their favorites.
Thousands of votes were tallied to narrow the choices to the top 20 burgers. Top recipes were then put to task in the Los Angeles Times Test Kitchen. The burgers were then judged by Food section editors and staff. It was tough, but after days of testing, exhaustive judging (and maybe a little post-burger napping), we came up with five favorites.
In a large bowl, combine the ground rib-eye and sausage with the crumbled bacon and diced tomatoes. Add the maple syrup, beef broth, beer, ketchup and egg, along with the reserved bacon fat. Mix gently, so as not to overwork the meat. Add the pepper, salt, paprika, oregano, crushed red pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, celery salt, cayenne pepper and bread crumbs, mixing gently until all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Cover the mixture and rest it in the refrigerator.
In a large pan of gently simmering water, poach the quail eggs, careful not to break the yolks or overcook. Drain and set aside to cool.
Remove the meat mixture from the refrigerator and divide it into 12 even portions. Form each portion into a small round patty, adding an indentation to the center of 6 patties for the poached quail eggs to nest.
Place a poached egg in each of the 6 indented patties, then place another patty over it to form the top, gently crimping the edges together so as not to crush the egg and break the yolk. Repeat to form 6 stuffed patties.
Prepare the grill. Place the burgers, top-side down, on the grill. Cook 7 to 10 minutes. then gently flip. Cook the other side 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and set aside to rest.
While the burgers are resting, toast the muffin halves. When toasted, remove from heat and set aside to cool a minute.
To assemble the burgers, place a handful of arugula on the toasted bottoms of the 6 muffins. Place a burger on top of each mound, bottom-side down. Top each burger with the other toasted muffin half. If preferred, slice in half before serving, or simply eat whole. Serve immediately.
Ask your butcher to grind the rib-eye for you if you do not have a grinder at home. Quail eggs can be found at select gourmet and well-stocked markets.
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