What actually enhances a burger? Recently there has been a rash of Black Angus Burgers, hand fed massaged beef Kobe style cows that actually asked specifically for the chance to become a thirty dollar burger. As my Great Uncle Cowboy Bruce says, you can't tell a red angus from a black angus. its all about the age of the beast and the feed.
Worried about organic? They say you are what you eat, then cows are grass and grain therefor we are also grass and grains? Well, coming from North Dakota, most beef cattle coming from those areas and I would have to assume the entire Midwest and Southwest had never had more than rudimentary and regulatory vaccines, the costs of feed and transportation to market leaves very little room for all these scary P.E.T.A. claims of super cows and designer steroids that all but make a Hercules out of the tasty critters. Most organic ranchers are the same as there heathen brethren with the exception that they PAY to have their cattle certified organic. The costs do not come cheap, and they are past down to the consumers. Trust me a cow from field "A" with a cert of organicness is just the same as the more modest heifer in the adjoining field, it just costs 5 buck more a pound at market.
Freshness with beef is the key. I say skip the local supermarket when possible and go to a meat packing plant factory store if possible. Huisnik's Meat Market is my personal favorite in South St Paul http://www.husnikmeat.com/. They give great service much better prices and the freshest ground beef available, you probally saw Bessie on the drive in! Plus they have dry aged steaks that would make anyone rave! If you can't get it from the source, have your local butcher or the grocer's butcher grind your beef fresh. it won't cost you more, in fact with some sales you may get it for less.
Save the American Farmer by buying American Beef!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Juicy Lucy at the 5-8
The other night I had the privilege to go to my beautiful better half's birthday party at the 5-8 Club in Maplewood MN, Home to the "Original Juicy Lucy". While I am not usually a fan of the Juicy Lucy, the atmosphere and the festive occasion seduced me into taking part of a local favorite.
For those of you that do not know what a Juicy Lucy is I will tell you! In my opinion it is a great burger and a trip to the E.R. for 3rd degree burns of the mouth, chin and probably fingers! A J.L. is two hand formed patties with a chunk of American Cheese placed in the middle. Down South I saw them as stuffed sliders but in order to not create a massive protest lets just call them Lucy's.
Normally the American cheese comes out with the consistency of Cheese Whiz, but I decided to have the Pepperjack Lucy. After the mandatory hour cooling off period, which I believe is more important than current hand gun waiting laws, the inners were a solid recognizable form. The cheese came out like eating mozzerella sticks all gooey and great! The burger itself was well done, there are no medium or rare Lucys. The outside was nice and crisp with extra gristle that only comes from a well seasoned grill.
The fries were solid with nothing special. JoJos were also available, since I had no clue what they were, potato wedges, I didn't want to show my lack of cultural sophistication by asking! Coleslaw and pickles were also served with the order. Beware, the pickle is hidden under the top of the bun!
All and all a good time was had by all! the 5-8 Club while being in a slightly run down area of town is well worth the adventure. The bar is fully stocked, the prices are extremely reasonable. Really cool T-shirts are available but buy them early since in our case the manager left with the only key so they lost out on atleast 3 shirts! The staff was as friendly as possible and while we were in the bar area the other side seemed quite family friendly. As an added bonus, my girlfriend was given a huge slice of chocolate cake with vanillas ice cream and lots of whip cream. Even though I had eaten a bit that day, I was thoroughly stuffed as a Juicy Lucy when finished. And thanks Burger Baroness's Dad for picking up the tab!
www.5-8club.com
For those of you that do not know what a Juicy Lucy is I will tell you! In my opinion it is a great burger and a trip to the E.R. for 3rd degree burns of the mouth, chin and probably fingers! A J.L. is two hand formed patties with a chunk of American Cheese placed in the middle. Down South I saw them as stuffed sliders but in order to not create a massive protest lets just call them Lucy's.
Normally the American cheese comes out with the consistency of Cheese Whiz, but I decided to have the Pepperjack Lucy. After the mandatory hour cooling off period, which I believe is more important than current hand gun waiting laws, the inners were a solid recognizable form. The cheese came out like eating mozzerella sticks all gooey and great! The burger itself was well done, there are no medium or rare Lucys. The outside was nice and crisp with extra gristle that only comes from a well seasoned grill.
The fries were solid with nothing special. JoJos were also available, since I had no clue what they were, potato wedges, I didn't want to show my lack of cultural sophistication by asking! Coleslaw and pickles were also served with the order. Beware, the pickle is hidden under the top of the bun!
All and all a good time was had by all! the 5-8 Club while being in a slightly run down area of town is well worth the adventure. The bar is fully stocked, the prices are extremely reasonable. Really cool T-shirts are available but buy them early since in our case the manager left with the only key so they lost out on atleast 3 shirts! The staff was as friendly as possible and while we were in the bar area the other side seemed quite family friendly. As an added bonus, my girlfriend was given a huge slice of chocolate cake with vanillas ice cream and lots of whip cream. Even though I had eaten a bit that day, I was thoroughly stuffed as a Juicy Lucy when finished. And thanks Burger Baroness's Dad for picking up the tab!
www.5-8club.com
Monday, April 6, 2009
Casino Royal Burger. Prairie Nights Casino
On vacation, well, just running to North Dakota to spend some time with my family. Nothing much else to do on a Sunday so my Mom, Uncle Grandma and I decide to go to the Casino. After loosing 3 bucks on the slots I decided to grab a bite to eat.
The Burger was made of ground sirloin. The Bacon was absolutely fabulous, made from Cloverdale Smoked Bacon, from my home town of Mandan ND. The bun was nothing too special but it provide an essential place between my fingers and the burger, its ability to absorb the juices from the medium rare burger was perfect. The burger was cooked to perfection with a nice outer charred crust and a nice pink interior. The cheddar cheese could have been a bit more sharp, it was almost an American cheese vice sharp cheddar but didn't take away from over-all taste.
Skip the fries, old grease and freezer burnt, not really needed though, the burger was probably close to 3/4 of a pound. The cost? Since we were at a casino, $8.00 is quite modest for what was served.
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