Wow

[mrdutton]

Well the basic recipe says 8 oz chuck, 8 ounces sirloin and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

So when I actually made the things, I got a 2.25 lb hunk of chuck and a 2.45 lb hunk of sirloin, trimmed off the sliver skin and the big chunks of fat. Then I ground the meat and added 4 tsp of salt.

Nothing really precise there........ I then mixed the meat by hand, and tried not to overwork it. There was enough fat present, still, that no fillers were required.

The mix was then formed into patties. My patties turned out to be about 6 ounces instead of 5, but who was measuring. I grabbed enough ground meat to form a small snowball that fit inside my cupped hands. Formed a ball of meat and then patted it down into a round patty about 1/2 inch thick.

Sides and flavorings included buttered and garlic coated rolls, on the inside. They were made from whole wheat and coated, on the outside, with poppy and sesame seeds.

Also included were room temperature Brie, Saga Blue and Goat Cheese, along with chips of panchetta, sauteed to crisp them; green leaf lettuce; mayo; sliced onions; catsup; mustard; and dill pickle slices.

I think I turned out a pretty darn good hamburger and left the flavoring and seasoning - other than the basic BEEF - to my guests.

The Jean Descombes Morgon was a darn good match.

Four minutes on a side turned them out medium rare.

[This message has been edited by mrdutton (edited 05-30-2000).]