Allen and I decided to mark the demise of our less-than-desirable backyard landscape by grilling burgers one la
st time before the landscape crew arrived and the rehabilitation chaos ensued. Allen has his own secret blend of spices for hamburgers, but we decided to give J-Burger Chipotle & Onion Seasoning a try. The first key to juicy burgers is choosing the right meat, so pass up the ground sirloin, ground round, and super-lean ground beef. The best burgers are made from freshly ground beef with at least 20% fat. Avoid previously frozen ground beef if you can. Adding the J-Burger Seasoning could not have been easier. We gently mixed about three tablespoons of the seasoning sauce with one pound of ground beef. Don’t overwork the meat, and form it lightly into patties. Press a small indention in the center of each patty with your thumb so the outside edges are slightly thicker than the center. Grill to an internal temperature of at least 160° F, or more as you like.
Our burgers were outstanding. The smoky warmth of the chipotle peppers was nicely balanced with sweet onion, and the burgers were very moist and tender. A slice of pepper jack cheese was the perfect finishing touch. J-Burger Seasonings were created in a home kitchen by burger lovers who were weary of dry spices. Like many artisans who create something spectacular, they found themselves making burgers for friends and family, and sending them home with jars of the seasoning sauce. The next logical step was to make the seasoning available commercially. J-Burger Seasonings are produced by August Kitchens in Armonk, New York. Their website has a complete list of retail and online sources for their products.
We found J-Burger Chipotle & Onion Seasoning fantastic in meat loaf, too. Instead of pulling a half-dozen spices out of the pantry, I used a quarter-cup of the seasoning sauce and about one-third cup of seasoned dry bread crumbs to a pound of lean ground beef. The meat loaf was formed and in the oven in less than 5 minutes. What a time-saver! After about 55 minutes in a 350° F oven, I added grated cheddar cheese on top and baked another 5 minutes. It tasted amazing!
Foods We Love 