It's Burger Time!

Almost everyone loves a good burger.

For my grandsons, I make mini burgers that fit into little brioche buns. Commonly referred to as “sliders,” these bite-sized sandwiches also make great hors d’oeuvres at cocktail parties. For a pleasing presentation, and ease of service, stick a cherry tomato on the end of a toothpick through the top of the bun.

The secret to juicy and tender hamburger is adding a small amount of ground pork to the lean sirloin. It tastes almost as if the burger was made with full-fat, flavorful ground chuck, like burgers used to taste! Another trick for holding lean ground meat together without bread crumbs is to chill the patties before cooking them.

For those who might want to lighten up, adding seasoned sautéed vegetables to ground turkey creates a heart-healthy tasty turkey burger. Serve with mango chutney, cranberry sauce, mustard, catsup, pickles or relish.

For a healthy side, purée of cauliflower seasoned with gently poached cloves of garlic is an excellent substitute for mashed potatoes. One large head of cauliflower usually yields enough purée for four people.

Because I ended up with two unanticipated extra people for dinner one evening, I added about one cup of broccoli purée to the cauliflower. The combo was delicious. Next time I’ll plan to make it that way from the start!

Bon appétit.

Turkey Burgers

(Makes 4 standard-sized burgers)

1 pound fresh turkey meat, preferably all breast meat

About 1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 large onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, with leaves, strings removed and minced

1/2 large red bell pepper, minced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

About 2 tablespoons chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 to 2 large fresh sage leaves, chopped

About 1 tablespoon chopped fresh spearmint

1 teaspoon chopped, fresh thyme

1 egg, beaten

Canola oil for sautéing

To prepare:

Place turkey in a mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

In a non-reactive skillet, coat the bottom with oil and cook over moderate heat.

Add onion, garlic and celery and sauté until nearly soft and translucent.

Add bell pepper and sauté until soft.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir fresh herbs into the vegetables and sauté about 1 minute.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 30 minutes.

Combine the herb mixture and beaten egg with turkey meat.

Blend well with fork or hands.

Using wet hands, form the mixture into patties (cook’s preference for regular or mini burgers) and flatten for even cooking.

Place the burgers on parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Cover and refrigerate.

Coat the bottom of a large skillet with a thin coat of canola oil and cook over moderate high heat.

Brown the burgers, cooking about 6 to 7 minutes per side. Cook less time if making mini burgers.

Serve on a bun or a lettuce leaf, topped with your favorite condiments.

Cauliflower Purée

(Serves 4 to 6)

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets, core removed

3 tablespoons garlic confit (cloves slowly cooked in oil until soft)

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 to 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

Optional: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 cup broccoli florets, cooked until soft and puréed

To prepare:

Add cauliflower to a large pot of boiling, salted water and cook until soft.

Transfer to a colander and drain well.

Transfer to a food processor.

Add garlic confit and purée, working in batches, slowly adding a few drops of oil through the feeding tube until the mixture is smooth.

Transfer puréed cauliflower to a bowl.

Add salt, pepper and paprika.

Taste and adjust seasonings, adding butter if a richer flavor is desired.

Not-So-Basic Burger

(Makes 4 or 5 standard-size burgers)

1¼ pound lean ground sirloin

1/4 pound lean ground pork

2/3 cup finely chopped onion

3 tablespoons chopped sun dried tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

Optional: 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped basil

To prepare:

Preheat the grill, broiler or non-stick heavy skillet over high heat.

If grilling, coat the grids with oil to prevent sticking.

For non-stick skillet, sprinkle coarse sea salt on the pan to prevent sticking.

Mix the sirloin, pork, chopped onion and sun dried tomatoes, parsley and basil, salt and pepper together in a large bowl.

Using your hands, shape the mixture into 4 patties for standard-size burgers, or smaller for mini burgers.

Cover and refrigerate approximately 20 minutes.

Sauté or grill until brown and the burger is cooked to your personal preference.

Transfer burgers to toasted sesame buns and serve at once.

Pass the condiments at the table.