When summer rolls around, all I want to do is eat hamburgers and drink frozen margaritas. But in the back of my head, there is always that annoying voice saying "Don't do it! It's summer! Go to the gym! Work on your flabby arms!" So instead of munching away on a juicy, medium rare hamburgers topped with lettuce, tomatoes, american cheese and lots and lots of ketchup sandwiched in between a doughy, toasted bun studded with sesame seeds, I stick to the salads and shrimp cocktails cursing bathing suits and sleeveless tops. But since we are still stuck in the depths of this long, cold, endless winter (seriously Winter, isn't it about time you head down to the Southern Hemisphere?), I will eat all of the burgers I want. And there is no better burger to chow down on than this burger created by the famous Jean Georges. Food and Wine Magazine sums it up best when they say that "superchef Jean Georges Vongerichten gives his phenomenal burgers fun Asian touches, like a Russian dressing flavored with miso and the zippy hot sauce Sriracha, and crunchy pickles made with a rice vinegar brine."I mean, seriously. They used the word zippy. ZIPPY. I need to find a way to use that word. These burgers are incredible. They are a drip-down-the-side-of-your-hand, can't-take-big-enough-bites type of burger. Divine. Delicious. Incredible. And totally worth all of the calories. Jean Georges Grilled Burgers with Asian Pickles adapted from Food and Wine MagazineINGREDIENTSPICKLES 1/2 cup rice vinegar3 tablespoons sugar1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt1 Thai green chile, halved
lengthwise1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime
juice1 small seedless cucumber, peeled
and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick (1 cup) RUSSIAN DRESSING 1/2 cup ketchup1/3 cup mayonnaise2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped
cornichons1 tablespoon finely chopped
shallots1 tablespoon red wine vinegar1 tablespoon white miso paste1 teaspoon Sriracha chile sauceSalt BURGERS 2 pounds ground beef sirloin,
formed into four 1 1/2-inch-thick pattiesSalt and freshly ground black
pepper4 kaiser rolls, toasted4 large Boston lettuce leaves4 slices of beefsteak tomato Make the Pickles: In a saucepan,
bring the vinegar, sugar, salt and chile to a boil. Remove from the heat and
let cool. Add the limejuice and pour the brine over the cucumber slices. Press
the cucumber slices down into the liquid with a small plate and place a can on
the plate; let stand at room temperature for 4 hours. Make the Russian Dressing: In a
bowl, combine the ketchup with the mayonnaise, cornichons, shallots, vinegar,
miso and Sriracha and season with salt. Make the Burgers: Light a grill.
Season the patties with salt and black pepper and grill over high heat, turning
once, until the burgers are charred outside and medium-rare within, about 6
minutes. Spread the Russian dressing on
the rolls and cover with the lettuce and tomatoes. Top with the burgers and
pickles; serve.
