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Friday, May 31, 2013

Easy Blue Cheese Burgers and Interview with Myron Mixon


The new season of BBQ Pitmasters fires up this Sunday, June 2nd on the Destination America channel at 9pm Eastern time (8pm cst).  I had the opportunity to interview world champion pitmaster, author, and restauranteur Myron Mixon about the show and his new book, Everyday Barbecue.

I made these easy blue cheese stuffed burger inspired by the spirit of Everyday Barbecue.  Grilling and BBQ isn't magic or voodoo.  It does not have to be hard and you should be able to enjoy it during the week too.  This another entry of mine for Destination America's Red, White, and Food during their Meat Week.



Myron Mixon is the "winningest man in BBQ and the baddest pitmaster there is".   In Season 1 Myron was a competitor but since then he has been one of the show's judges, holding the pitmasters to a high standard....his own.   Here's the interview with video courtesy of Destination America.


I'm glad that I was able to make it through the interview without "chapping his ass" as Myron has been known to say.

Hmmm guest judges, who could they be?  The judges and contestants are bound by confidentiality agreements so Memphis in May was fun with people that I KNOW are going to be on this season playing coy and doing the "I can neither confirm nor deny" drill. 

So - about those burgers.

Easy Blue Cheese Stuffed Burgers

by www.nibblemethis.com
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 15 min

Ingredients (3 thick burgers)
  • 1 lb ground chuck
  • 2 tsp burger seasoning
  • 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
  • 3 hamburger buns, toasted
  • desired garnishes (I used tomato, red onion, and shredded red leaf lettuce)
Instructions
  1. Preheat a charcoal grill to 450f. Clean the grates as needed. Chances are...it's needed.
  2. Season the ground chuck (see tip). You can use a commercially available burger seasoning or make your own. I like to use 3/4 tsp kosher salt, 3/4 tsp black pepper, and 1/2 tsp granulated garlic for a simple yet tasty seasoning.
  3. Divide the burger meat into 6 equal portions. Form each into a thin 4" patty.
  4. Top 3 of the patties with about 1 Tbsp each of blue cheese. Top with the three remaining patties. Work around the edges of each set of patties, kneeding and sealing them together.
  5. Lightly oil your grill grates. Grill the burgers until they reach an internal temperature of 160f, about 4-5 minutes per side.
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My pack of ground beef was slightly over 1 pound so it worked out to 2.8 oz per patty.

Use as much blue cheese as you like.  Or switch it out for another cheese.  It's your burger.

I find wearing gloves not only is food safe, but it makes handling the burgers easier too.
So why cook to 160f and not medium or medium rare?  I only cook less than 160f if I ground the meat myself.

I like to use a resting rack instead of a plate when taking the patties off. 


This burger rocked and was just the ticket for a mid-week meal.  

Who will win on BBQ Pitmasters this Sunday and move on to the next round?  Tune in at 9pm Eastern and check it out! 

Links:
Jacks Old South - to order the book Everyday Barbecue, rubs, sauces or other products by Myron