Memorial Day is a United States holiday that comes annually on the last Monday in May. It is a day set aside to honor those who have passed during military service and additionally marks the unofficial start of the summer grilling season. Cookouts and barbecues with patriotic themes are popular, so we have prepared a menu centered around grilling your guests will be sure to enjoy. The all-American burger is highlighted, but we have included some variations as well. In our next post, we will feature side dishes that are perfect for your own gathering, but also make great side dishes if you are headed to someone else’s potluck this Memorial Day weekend.
Test Kitchen Tip: When forming burger patties, handle the meat as little as possible to preserve a juicy and tender texture; overhandling the meat creates a denser burger. To prevent your patties from puffing up into meatballs while grilling, create a depression in the center of each patty with your thumb before placing on the grill.
Basic Burgers
Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine the ground chuck, salt, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly, using your hands. Shape the mixture into four patties, each 3/4-inch thick in the center and at the edges. (Even thickness ensures even cooking and prevents the edges from the drying out before the center is cooked).
- Place the patties on the grill. Grill for 7 to 10 minutes per side, turning once. (According to the US Dept. of Agriculture, all ground meat should be cooked to at least medium doneness – 160 degrees – or until the center of the patty is no longer pink.) Make a small incision in the center of the each patty to determine doneness.
- Toast the buns by placing them, split side down, on the edges of the grill grid for about 1 minute until lightly browned.
- Remove the burgers from the grill and serve on toasted hamburger buns.
– Visit www.foodsafety.gov for more information.
Notes
Hamburgers are the ultimate cookout favorite. Here, we offer you the basic recipe. To dress up the traditional burger, add cheese, lettuce, tomato, and your favorite condiments, or get creative and try a variety of toppings such as onion rings, blue cheese, cucumbers, and jalapeños.
For variations on the Basic Burger, including the Italian Burger and Asian Spiced Burger, click here.
Grilled Greek Burgers with Cucumber Sauce
Ingredients
Instructions
- For Cucumber Sauce: Stir yogurt, cucumber, dill, 1 Tablespoon chopped onion and mint in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Preheat grill to MEDIUM-HIGH heat or GRILL ZONE (ORANGE).
- Place turkey, feta cheese, 1/2 cup chopped onion, oregano, pepper and salt; form mixture into 4 burgers.
- Grill burgers covered 5 minutes on each side, until juices run clear and meat is no longer pink.
- Serve burgers in a pita pocket with Cucumber Sauce, lettuce and sliced tomato.
Notes
We took a nod from the Greeks when creating this delicious burger recipe. Instead of a hamburger bun, we opted for pita bread. Instead of ketchup and mustard, we were inspired by traditional tzatziki sauce, made from thick Greek yogurt, cucumber, mint and dill. If you crave a burger and it’s not ideal to grill outdoors, try our indoor Searing Grill.
Mexican Burgers
Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine ground chuck, salt, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Shape the mixture into four patties, each 3/4-inch thick in the center and at the edges. (Even thickness ensures even cooking and prevents the edges from the drying out before the center is cooked).
- Place the patties on the grill. Grill for 7 to 10 minutes per side, turning once. Make a small incision in the center of the each patty to determine doneness.
- Toast the buns by placing them, split side down, on the edges of the grill grid for about 1 minute until lightly browned.
- Remove the burgers from the grill. Serve on toasted buns with salsa and slices of ripe avocado.
Notes
Beef burgers are spiced up with cumin and jalapenos to create a Mexican spin on the traditional burger. We cooked these on our GrillStation™ 5 Burner Gas Grill and served them in baskets for easy handling at cookouts and parties; tortilla chips make a great side.
More cookout ideas:
https://blog.hamiltonbeach.com/memorial-day-grill-menu-sides/
https://blog.hamiltonbeach.com/barbecue-recipes-for-fourth-of-july/
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