BURGER RECIPES

By: Chef Mike

If you’re like us and have officially had enough solo time and will be firing up your grill for backyard soirees with your nearest and dearest all summer long, we have a slew of succulent burger recipes you’re gonna need. These are our top-secret, never-before-shared, TapRoom recipes for dialing a regular burger up to atomic levels of awesomeness.

First thing’s first, your burger is only as good as the meat it’s made of, and we make ours from local, organic, grass-fed beef. Turns out, what’s best for the cows is best for the planet is best for your taste buds. Literally everyone wins here. Every one of our burgers begins with two ¼ lb. Angus beef patties, grilled to perfection (i.e., medium-rare, but you do you if you’re into burnt burgers), and served on a locally baked brioche bun. The bun matters people. It is the cornerstone of your burger construction. Why brioche? One word: butter (and also eggs and milk and just a hint of sugar). All these ingredients contribute to that rich, golden color and fluffy, soft interior just perfect for soaking up sauce. And as we all know, when it comes to burgers, the sauce makes the sandwich.

Read on for the delicious deets on how to assemble every single one of our Bay Area-famous burgers. We’ve even got our vegetarian friends covered.

THE BREWGER

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ¼ lb. burger patties
• 2 slices Hobb’s bacon, pan-fried
• 2 slices tomato
• Green leaf lettuce
• 2 slices Petaluma Creamery cheddar
• 2 oz. caramelized onion (see below for recipe)
• IPA ketchup (see below for recipe)

Caramelized Onions

• 2 yellow onions, julienned
• ½ TB. Fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 TB. Italian parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Put a small amount of oil in a pan, and heat over medium high heat. You want the pan to be hot enough that the sugar in the onions begins to caramelize into fragrant, golden goodness when you add them. When the oil JUST starts to smoke add onions, and turn heat down to medium. Don’t stir the onions until the edges start to brown (seriously don’t…have some patience). When that starts to happen, stir the onions, making sure to scrape any brown bits that stick to pan. Remember you want the onions to caramelize, not burn. Adjust heat as needed, stirring occasionally to keep onions from burning, until the onions turn a gorgeous golden-brown color. When caramelized to your liking, remove from heat and season, folding in thyme and parsley.

IPA Ketchup

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 TB Worcestershire sauce
• 2 TB brown sugar
• ¼ cup Lagunitas IPA

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Yep, that’s it. Those are all the instructions.

Slather that bun with IPA ketchup and stack high with burger patties, bacon, caramelized onions, cheddar, tomato, and lettuce.

THE SPICY MILLIE

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ¼ lb. burger patties
• 2 slices of Petaluma Creamery pepper jack cheese
• ½ Avocado sliced
• 2 oz. Jalapeno relish (recipe below)
• Serrano aioli (recipe below)

Roasted Jalapeno Relish

• 4 jalapenos grilled, peeled, and deseeded
• 2 yellow onion slices, grilled

Carefully place jalapenos on the grill (do NOT touch your eyes at any point after making physical contact with the jalapenos – iykyk). Turn peppers by quarter turns until every side is black and blistered. Once peppers are completely black, remove from the grill and allow to rest in an airtight container to cool (yep, even peppers need a nap sometimes). This will also help make handling and peeling later less of a hassle. When cool enough to touch, run peppers under running water, rubbing off the charred skin. Remove stems and rinse out seeds. Note: while the jalapenos are charring, would be a good time to simul-grill your onions. The process is quite simple. Put your onions on the grill and flip them when they have grill marks. When both sides are cooked to your liking, remove them from the grill and allow them to cool. Mince jalapenos and onions together (feel free to use a food processor if your chopping hand is tied up holding an IPA).

Serrano Aioli

• 1 egg yolk
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• ½ tsp. Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 3 TB olive oil
• 1 serrano pepper minced and deseeded (leave the seeds if you like it HOT)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk egg yolk, garlic, and mustard in a bowl. Premix vegetable and olive oil, and slowly start to drizzle the oil mix into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Continue adding until all the oil has been incorporated and emulsified. If the mixture breaks while adding the oil, stop adding oil and whisk briskly until the aioli comes back together. Mix in the serrano peppers. Season with salt and pepper.

Slather a toasted brioche bun with serrano aioli and jalapeno relish and stack high with burger patties, pepper jack cheese, and avocado slices. Get your tissues ready, because this one is going to clear out your sinuses.

THE VEGGIEBURG

• 1 veggie patty (we’re partial to Beyond Burger patties, but use your favorite, and prepare according to package instructions)
• 1 slice swiss cheese (feel free to use vegan cheese here to make these burgs vegan-friendly – we like local-to-Petaluma Miyoko’s Vegan Creamery slices)
• Fresh baby arugula (“rocket” for our friends across the pond)
• 2 oz. Sauteed chef’s mushroom medley (recipe below)
• IPA Ketchup (recipe below)

Chef’s Mushroom Medley

• ½ cup each of cremini and oyster mushrooms
• 1 TB garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 TB Italian parsley, chopped

Heat a pan on medium-high heat with a tablespoon of oil. When the pan starts to smoke, add the mushrooms. Be sure to pat your mushrooms dry, if you washed the dirt off prior to cooking (wet mushrooms equal mushy mushrooms, and no one likes mushy mushrooms), and make sure you use a large enough pan that your mushrooms aren’t crowded (they get claustrophobic and appreciate their personal space). Like the onions, you want the mushrooms to sear when they hit the pan. If the pan is not hot enough or you crowd the pan, you will end up with steamed mushrooms (again, mushy is not the lewk we’re going for here). Leave heat at medium high, stirring only once mushrooms start to brown (patience, patience…). Stir only occasionally until mushrooms soften, then add the garlic. Cook for another minute to cook garlic and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper, and fold in herbs. Drain excess liquid if needed.

IPA Ketchup

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 TB Worcestershire sauce
• 2 TB brown sugar
• ¼ cup Lagunitas IPA

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Yep, that’s it. Those are all the instructions.