lettuce
Big Daddy Burger
It’s not too late to grab some ground beef and make Dad a Big Daddy Burger for Father’s Day! I have some tips and tricks that make the burger better than ever and a special 4-ingredient sauce that could rival any of your favorite fast food burger stops. We always like to think Dad wants to grill something on Father’s Day. So beat him to it, fire up the grill (or an indoor grill pan) and let him dive into deliciousness! The first tip is to buy ground beef that has a little fat because fat equals flavor. An 80-20 blend is great; that’s 80 percent lean beef to 20 percent fat. Also, you can cook up some nice, crispy bacon and chop it up into bacon bits. Then, dice a sweet yellow onion, sauté it in a little of the bacon fat and when the bacon and onion are cooled, add it to the ground beef. It adds flavor and moisture. The only other ingredients you need for a tasty burger is salt, pepper and maybe some garlic powder. Now, you may have heard of the ice method of cooking up a burger to keep it moist. It actually works! Form your beef patty, make a shallow indentation with your fingers in the middle of the burger and place an ice cube in the divot. (The ice cube should only be about an inch in diameter. Place the patty on the grill, and as the burger heats up, the ice cube will melt into the ground beef. The divot helps keep the burger flat and the ice adds moisture. Don’t keep flipping the burger. Once on each side should do it. Then there’s the sauce. It’s a simple, 4-ingredient sauce that’ll make this Big Daddy Burger a Father’s Day favorite!
Steak Sandwich
Grilled Shrimp Tacos with a Zesty Cream Sauce
The Story
It’s like a south-of-the-border summer vacation of a platter. Plump, fresh shrimp seasoned in a spicy, citrusy marinade, char-grilled, and then tucked into a soft tortilla with a drizzle of zesty cream sauce on top. It says, “summer.” It screams, “more, please!” This was a recipe that was served at a pool party that I attended a few years ago. The tortillas were flour and street-taco sized. The tacos were served on a giant warm griddle with plenty of lime wedges, and the cream sauce was offered in plastic squirt bottles chilling in a tray of ice. I left that party purring contentedly with the recipe in my purse.
The marinade, my host had mentioned, was an adaptation from a spicy shrimp recipe in the iconic Silver Palate Cookbook. She had replaced the chopped dill with cilantro for a more southwestern flavor. The kicked-up marinade and zesty finishing sauce makes this dish perfect party fare or a satisfying supper anytime, especially during grilling season. Just remember to make it fresh, and don’t skimp on the shrimp!
