A twist on the hamburger

Today I’m breaking all my own guidelines for recipes for this weekly blog. The recipe I offer is neither easy nor quick; you cannot cook it on your hot plate and doing it in the toaster oven will require some adjustments. And no, it’s not something I just cooked. I haven’t fixed it for years but looking for a particular recipe—barbecue for Mother’s Day—I came across several old friends, recipes that I fixed for my kids, years ago, and now want to make again. This is one of them.

My sister-in-law, Amy Alter, sent me this. At the time she lived in an apartment in the Bronx and did not have a grill. So she cooked it in her oven. Now she has a lovely house and probably can grill outdoors. My copy of the recipe, a bit battered and stained, is in her handwriting on a 5x8 notecard which makes it a treasure. We call it Aunt Amy’s Giant Hamburger.

Just to point out how old it is: it calls for a small can of sliced mushrooms. I don’t know about you, but it’s been years since I bought mushrooms in any form except fresh. Here they are optional, and I will omit them—we have a non-mushroom person in the family. It’s that texture thing again. I have also omitted margarine as a possible substitute for butter.

Aunt Amy’s Stuffed Hamburger (six servings)

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. butter

1-1/4 c. herbed stuffing mix, crushed (3/4 cup)

1 egg, beaten

1 3-oz. can chopped mushrooms, drained (1/4 cup)

1/3 c. beef broth

¼ c. sliced green onions

¼ c. chopped almonds, optional

¼ c. snipped parsley, optional

1 tsp. lemon juice

2 lbs. ground beef

1 tsp. salt

Directions:

Melt butter in medium saucepan and remove from the heat. Add stuffing mix, egg, mushrooms, beef broth, onions, almonds, parsley, and lemon juice. Mix well.

Separately season beef with salt and divide in half. On sheets of waxed paper or aluminum foil, pat each half into an 8” circle.

Spoon stuffing mix over one circle of meat to within one inch of the edge. Top with second half of the meat. This is best done by keeping it on the paper or foil, flipping it into place, and then peeling off the covering. Use your fingers to seal the edges of the meat.

The easiest way to do this is to invert the patty, bottom sheet of covering still in place, and flip it into a grilling basket. Peel off the remaining paper or foil and grill over medium coals about 10 or 12 minutes on each side or until done. Let it sit to “collect” itself and then cut into wedges. (At least one member of this household will want ketchup, which is fine. Aunt Amy suggests warming it.)

No grill? The grilling basket will not fit in your toaster oven, but all is not lost. I hope you have a jellyroll pan for your oven—like a cookie sheet with a rim. Instead of a circle, make your two patties to fit your pan. (This may take a little figuring.) Broil each side until done. (You will have to watch it and cook longer, as I’ve found my toaster oven does not broil things very fast.)

A bit of trouble, yes, but this is so good. Serve it with a green salad, and you’ve got a meal. Enjoy, and drink a toast to Aunt Amy.

 

Aunt Amy’s Giant Stuffed Hamburger

Aunt Amy is a beloved relative in New York--the Bronx to be specific--and we don't see nearly enough of her. But several of her recipes have become legendary in the family. One is a layered ice cream pie that you make in so many stages that you must start days ahead of time. Then there's one for stuffed shells and another for chicken burgers--she may not even remember some of these.
Recently I fixed Christian a birthday dinner--one of several that he enjoyed. Because he's a meat and potatoes man, I fixed Aunt Amy's Giant Stuffed Hamburger.

Aunt Amy’s Giant Stuffed Hamburger

2 Tbsp. butter

1¼ c. herbed, seasoned stuffing mix, crushed (makes about ¾ cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 3-oz. can mushrooms, drained (You could use sautéed fresh, which would be good; I omit them these days because Christian, Brandon, and Melanie think mushrooms are poison.)
⅓ c. beef broth
¼ c. sliced green onion
¼ c. toasted almonds (I put them in but didn't care for the crunch in the meat)
¼ c. snipped parsley (optional, but a nice touch)
1 tsp. lemon juice--or a little more
2 lbs. ground beef
1 tsp. salt--or more to taste
Black pepper and Worcestershire to taste

Melt butter in saucepan and remove from heat. Add stuffing mix, egg, mushrooms, beef broth, onion, almonds, parsley, and lemon juice. (It’s remarkable what adding lemon or lime juice does to a variety of recipes!) Mix well and set aside.

Combine beef with salt, pepper and Worcestershire. Mix thoroughly and divide in half. On sheets of waxed paper (I have one of the few old-fashioned kitchens where there is still a roll of waxed paper), spread meat out into 8-inch circles. Spoon stuffing over one circle of meat to within 1 inch of edge. Top with second circle of meat and peel off waxed paper. Seal around edges and invert into a well-greased flat grilling basket--the kind designed for fish. Grill over medium heat about 10-12 minutes per side. Cut into wedges and serve. Makes six servings.

Don’t have a grill or it’s too cold outside? Broil it in the oven—it still tastes great. Just don’t overcook it and get it dry. And if you don't have a basket, I'm not sure what you'd do about flipping it. Me? I'd call for help.

 

For a side, I fixed Christians green beans. Brown three or four pieces of bacon until quite crisp; set aside. Sauté sliced scallions in bacon grease (I know, I know--it's bad for you but once in a while won't hurt). Drain and dump in a large can of green beans (about 28 oz.). Shake in cider vinegar to taste. Crumble bacon over and serve warm. This is based on my mom's wilted lettuce--I should make that soon.