Happy Sunday and welcome back to R&R š«¶Ā
While summer feels like the wrong time to start a new show - Iād much rather be out enjoying some sun - I simply cannot fall behind on The Bear. Iāve heard mixed reviews about season 3 but weāre only a couple episodes in, so please no spoilers!
Aside from Jeremy Allen White being pretty easy on the eyes š„µ , this show gives me a lot of feels. Never have I had such a conflicting desire to want to do something and not want to do something at the same time: open a restaurant. Iāve worked in restaurants but never back of house/in the kitchen. It always intrigued me but truthfully the money was better serving and bartending and I enjoy treating myself a bit too much to give that up š.
While The Bear scares the shit out of me, itās also incredibly inspiring. It gives me a much deeper appreciation for food and the hospitality industry. It makes me want to be better, so you can thank The Bear for my recipe inspo for the next little bit.
Anyways I guess this was just a really longwinded way of me sharing my dream of opening a restaurantā¦ one day. So if thereās anyone out there looking to invest, Iām here š.
Life updates
As I mentioned last R&R I was in Edmonton to cater my momās retirement party, and it went swimmingly š¤© ! I made a compilation video of almost all the things I cooked (as it turns out itās difficult to cook and serve a bunch of food and remember to film everything - props to those who do it well).
Otherwise, life has been pretty slow the last few weeks and I am here for it. Iām playing a bit of catchup from my time in Edmonton and Iām really just focused on food and chasing the sun and thereās nothing Iād rather be doing.
ICYMI: Recipes from the week
Herby Rice Noodle Salad
Feta B'egg'el in a Hole
Loaded Smashed Tater Bites
Watermelon Feta Bites
Micro Chopped Pita
Recipe deep dive
The thing I hate about grilling is just as youāre starting to nail it, boom summer is over and you delete all that knowledge out of your head to make room for Halloween songs and Christmas lists š. A similar feeling I have towards cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving or a big roast on Christmas.
So in the spirit of The Bear and being better, I wanted to dig in a little more on the āwhyā behind my recent turkey burger recipe. Sharing all my knowledge so you can do it all on your own, no recipe required, and wow your friends with your grill skills š .
How to grill the perfect turkey burger šÆĀ
Start with a good base.
Mayo helps add fat that ground poultry is missing in comparison to a beef burger.
Eggs, cheese and bread crumbs act as binders, all to help keep the burger intact.
Grated onion with its juices, mustard, cheese, smoked paprika and charred jalapenos, all help aid in umami and pack a nice punch so no one will be missing their beef patties.
Chill before you grill. Chilling your patties helps them cook more uniformly. Chill for at least 20 minutes, up to overnight. However, do NOT cook from frozen.
Clean your grill. Make sure your grill is incredibly clean and smooth. Try and use a nylon brush (this oxo one is my current fave) as wire bristles have been found to be dangerous.
Preheat your grill. Your BBQ needs to preheat just like your oven or pan. I like to crank it to high heat and give about 7-10 minutes for the grates to heat up fully. Then turn down to medium heat for poultry so it has a chance to cook through before charring too much on the outside.
Oil your grill! Many people donāt realize you need to oil your BBQ. Best way is to take spray a paper towel with cooking spray (canola, avocado or grapeseed - you need a high smoke point). The spray spreads more evenly than trying to pour on oil from a bottle but if you donāt have spray just wet the paper towel with a bit of oil. When the grill is hot, using tongs, rub the oiled towel on the grates - swiftly so it doesnāt catch a flame. Place burgers on immediately.
Oil your patties. Not 100% necessary but if you are nervous and want some insurance that you wonāt eff things up, rub the patties with a little bit of that same smoke-point oil right before throwing them on the grill.
Be patient. A turkey burger should really only be flipped once. For one, the grill marks look cooler š. But if you try to flip before the meat has cooked on one side, it will stick to the grill. Check at 3 minutes and if it feels like itās sticking, wait another minute and try again. And whatever you do, DO NOT PRESS ON THE PATTIES. You will lose all that juiciness we added in.
Use a good spatula. You must use a metal spatula and move quickly.
Use a meat thermometer. Worth every penny. This is my current fave, but if you want to splurge I recommend checking out Meater. Cook to an internal temp of 165F and youāre golden. No need to cut into each patty to see if itās pink inside.
Get to know your grill. Like any stove or oven, your grill will have different hot spots. So donāt expect when one patty hits the right temp that they will all be done. Once you know your grill and which spots are hotter, youāll know which ones to remove first and which ones need another minute or two based on placement.
Let it rest. Now you just spent all that time getting the best burger, let it rest for a few minutes so we donāt lose all those juices.
NOW GET GRILLING!!!
Frequently requested links from the week
Grill brush: I linked it above but ICYMI. I recently learned metal brushes can be quite dangerous so nylon is the way to go.
Meat thermometer: Also linked above but ICYMI. I use this every time I cook meat. No more overcooked meat!! šĀ šĀ š The one I linked is a great affordable option. If youāre looking to splurge I highly recommend the Meater, it also makes a great gift for anyone who loves to cook meat.
Peelers: this 3-pack has a veggie peeler, a serrated peeler for things like tomatoes, and most importantly a julienne peeler for quickly julienning things like carrots or cucumbers. So much faster than slicing.
Grill pan: if you donāt have a grill, this is a great alternative for getting the grilled feel on your burgers. Iāve had this pan forever and itās still in excellent condition.
Kitchen tweezers: I continuously get asked about these, so sharing them again as there are a lot of new faces here š These will make you feel like a kitchen pro, I use them daily.
**I do receive affiliate commissions from these links.
Thatās all for this week. I hope you enjoyed. As always, if thereās anything more youād love to see here, please drop me a note!
š Happy Cooking šĀ
With love from Reggie and her stick pic ā¤ļøĀ