The best burger ever!

My good friend Steve and I sometimes have to run meetings at work.  Because we're friends we of course have to compete on everything from golf to work we often compete to run "the best meeting ever".  Truthfully, I don't think that either of us could ever say we have ran the best meetings but it is fun to say anyway and at least we feel like we're doing a good job.  But that of course is a corporate meeting.  Big difference from making a cheeseburger.  One of the many great things about the DC area is that Fall lasts one hell of a lot longer than it did during my 12 years in New England (which has been pummeled by rain for the past week I might add) and way longer than my growing up in Buffalo.  Because of that, I can grill pretty much all year round and that is a good thing.  While the grill is not good for everything, making a cheeseburger is one of those things that a grill is a must for.

So now the best burger ever:  1 1/2 lb 85 / 15 ground beef, 1/2 cup water and 1 packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix.  Mix all 3 (yes 3 ) ingredients together, shape into patties and Grill.

You are probably thinking what I was when I first started making these 10 years ago, too good to be true.  I have made many a Cheeseburger in my day.  I have played around with ingredients, cheeses, meats, food processors, beer but after many attempts, I still always go back to good old Lipton Burgers (by the way the same recipe is on the onion soup mix box).  Perhaps part of why they are so good is because they are so simple.  Of course you can experiment with cheeses.  I personally like Sharp Cheddars or some sort of sharp aged Gouda.  I have tried Blue cheeses although I feel they make the burgers really rich but of course that is an opinion and I love blue cheese so take that suggestion with a grain of salt.

Anyway, to go with it I made sweet potato fries.  Fun stuff.  Nothing like cutting up a sweet potato into stips and then deep frying them in oil. 

So yes, tonight for dinner we had the "best burger ever" and it only took 3 ingredients, 5 minutes to prepare and a few good beers!  I'd like to see Steve top that.

About

At one point in my life I was highly involved in the hotel business in which I gained my appreciation for wine, food and cooking. As time has gone on since then, new careers (with more time off!), family, friends and a new baby my professional affiliation in food and wine has become less and less while my personal passion has gained. The DC area is a great place for restaurants, farmers' markets and most importantly a wide mix of people with many cultural and food related backgrounds. My goal of this is to give my friends', families' and my opinion to many of the great food and wine experiences available to in the DC area. Finally, I love to cook! I am sure that my friends, family and most importantly my wife will all assist me in providing recipe's, ideas and yes, opinions! Enjoy!