best burger in atlanta?

And  we're back... Yeah it's been way too long, but what can I say. I got busy. Going to make an effort to post somewhat regularly again, so we'll see how it goes. So what finally prompted me to post again? A new toy for my kitchen of course!

This little stove-top smoker allows you to smoke food, and not your house/apartment. Clever huh? It works with just a small amount (~1tbs) of very small wood chips that smoke super easily (and no soaking necessary). Since the size of the smoker is small, you don't need much smoke to fill it and flavor your food, and so even though the smoke eventually releases into your kitchen, it's barely noticeable. Definitely less smoke than a fireplace would generate (and certainly less than properly searing a burger!) Not sure how well it'll work with a large shoulder of pork, but for smaller items, it works like a charm.

Over the weekend I tried it out with some shrimp and 1tbs of Alder wood chips. Result was fantastic. In just 15 minutes, the shrimp were perfectly cooked and deliciously smokey. Tonight, I decided to try it out on a burger - basically recreating that summertime grilled burger flavor...

Of course I love grilled burgers, but getting a nice sear on a burger really makes a huge difference, and you just don't get that on a grill - even with charcoal. A smoking hot skillet or griddle is really the best way to go, and how any good restaurant cooks your burger. Using butter to sear it doesn't hurt either :)

Once the burger was nicely seared on each side but completely raw in the middle, I popped it into the smoker with hickory wood chips for 15 minutes. The smoker is kept over medium heat on the stove, which according to the manual keeps the inside of the smoker around 375-400 degrees. After 15 minutes, I had a perfectly cooked burger with amazing smokehouse flavor. Seriously, did I mention the flavor? Honestly, no regular charcoal grill comes close.

Toppings make a burger, and eggs are the new bacon (I guarantee eggs will be on everything at TGIF in 1 year). In the meantime, a fried egg, a bun toasted in butter, a young melted Parmesan, Heinz ketchup, lettuce and tomato. Not the worst burger I've ever had :)

And to top it all off - Great Divide Smoked Baltic Porter. Seemed like a perfect match... and it was.

steak tartare

If someone placed 1/4 lb slab of raw beef in front of me and told me to eat it, I would probably cringe, take a couple bites, and push the rest away. So why do I love steak tartare?? Well for starters, it's so much more than just raw beef. When prepared correctly, it has a TON of flavor. It's kind of like those sushi rolls that are doused in various colorful sauces, covered in avocado and topped with bacon bits. Sure there's raw fish in there, but there's no way you'll ever taste it...

Tartare is the same. The beef is finely chopped until tender and then mixed with such an array of bold flavors, you really won't taste much "raw beefiness." I know it's a leap of faith, but trust me, if you buy good quality sirloin and keep the portion sizes reasonable, it's a pretty amazing dish. I followed Anthony Bourdain's recipe which seemed to get rave reviews throughout the internet and was very happy with the results. Just buy the best beef you can, and keep the whole thing very cold (including the plates!). And if you want to go super traditional, serve it next to a plate of fries.

Steak Tartare (Serves 3-4)

1 egg yolks
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 anchovy filets, finely chopped (if skipped, make sure to use salt. but don't skip!)
1 teaspoons ketchup
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco sauce, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbls oil
1/2 tbls Cognac (I used regular brandy)
1/2 small onion, finely diced (you can use shallots)
1 ounces capers, rinsed and chopped
1 ounces cornichons, finely chopped
2 tbls finely chopped flat parsley
3/4 pounds fresh sirloin (buy the leanest cut possible, and don't waste your money on tenderloin, sirloin works perfectly here and has a little more flavor)
Toasted or grilled crusty white bread to serve


Directions
Mix egg yolk, mustard, anchovy filets, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, tabasco, and pepper in a large bowl.
Drizzle the oil in slowly as you mix the whole thing
Fold in the cognac, onion, capers, cornichos, parsley
Trim all the excess fat and sinew off of the meat
Grind the beef in a meat grinder or better yet, chop it up by hand with a very sharp knife.
Mix the meat into the dressing and serve immediately with some toasted bread.

steak?

Enough with the Asian food for a while... I've been craving red meat lately and we really don't eat much of it at home anymore (though the same cannot be said when I dine out...) Anyway tonight: skirt steak cooked on a cast iron skillet, steamed Brussel Sprouts, and a cannellini bean and cremini mushroom ragout. Salty, beefy, mushroomy, and brussel sprouty?!? Good mix.

While I know most of you who read this use dried beans, the convenience of canned beans is hard to beat. dressed up with some herbs, mushrooms, butter, bacon, whatever... they really make a great super quick side dish.