Baker’s Dozen with Danny P. – Toke Time with the “Top Notch HAMBJRGER”

The hamburger, much like lasagne and pizza, has a long history of disputed origin. With the wildly popular notion that the hamburger did in fact hail from Hamburg, many Americans thrown their hats in as the true inventors. Despite the tiring arguments between the Germans and the Americans (have you not settled this by now?) the burger, ultimately comes off as a classic American Icon. Through movies like American Graffiti and Dazed & Confused, to the monster burger chains like McDonald’s or In & Out, the yanks have let the world know that they have claimed it as their own.

But the question remains, what MAKES a good burger? Classic mustard and ketchup? A fancy aioli? Some weird Californian avocado nonsense? The answer to that, is there is no answer. Many places try different variations and are wildly successful, In & Out have beyond perfected the flat top seared burger, while others prefer the char-grilled flavor. And, in my years of research, I have discovered that fat content is the true key to unlocking the perfect burger. Have you ever wondered why your burgers are dry-as-shit when you smack some regular old ground beef on the grill? Fat! While some may be against this, adding 20% of the total weight with ground pork fat will set you well on your way.

If ya do it right, your “Top Notch HAMBJRGER” will leave you perfectly Dazed & Confused.

With the burger today, I’ve added what I call “Tastee Sauce”. It’s infused, it’s a distant memory of when McDonald’s cared about you, and the double “E” is a reminder of those fat-cat advertisers from the ‘70s who brought families together. The base of it is from an infused Aioli, so it opens many doors on how you want to dress your burger. The dosage here is a bit lower than normal, so feel free to up it, but the reason behind this is to help you enjoy not only the BBQ you are throwing, but the plethora of other treats you have on the table there.

So, light it up! Enjoy the BBQ, crank some tunes and let the neighbours hate you.

Settle the burger debate anytime you want, but for now, stream these tunes!

INGREDIENTS:

Aioli:
– 1 Egg Yolk
– 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
– 2 Cloves Garlic
– 1 Lemon, Juiced
– 1/2 Cup CannaOil
– ½ Olive Oil

Tastee Sauce:
– ½ Cup Aioli
– 2 Tbsp French Dressing
– 1 Tsp White Vinegar
– Season to Taste

Burger:
– 1 lb Lean Ground Beef
– 3 Ounces Ground Pork Fat (Note: If you cannot come across pork fat, medium ground pork will do just fine, aim for a higher fat ground. The idea is to have 20% fat to the total weight of ground beef. So, adjust accordingly to how many burgers you need. Substitute with your favourite vegetarian burger here if you choose. My patio welcomes everyone!)
– 1 Small Onion, Chopped Finely
– 4 Slices Mild Cheddar
– 4 Brioche Buns

SUGGESTED STRAIN:

– Super Silver Haze. A 3-time Cannabis Cup winner, this Sativa crossbreed offers a fantastic, deep wooded flavour. I can’t think of a better way to pair a nicely grilled piece of meat. Get more information via Leafly.com here.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Step 1: Turn on that grill and set to medium high.

Step 2: Place egg yolk, garlic, mustard, and lemon juice in blender and blend into a smooth paste. Turn the blender to medium and add oils slowly. The trick here is to keep a slow steady stream to keep the aioli from splitting. If you feel the aioli is splitting, add a splash of COLD water to keep it together. When the oil is all incorporated, season to taste and place in fridge to cool down.

Step 3:With the aioli in a bowl, fold in your french dressing, vinegar to make your tastee sauce. Season to taste and set aside.

Step 4: Mix the ground beef and pork fat and form mixture into 4 ounce patties.

Step 5: Season patties well and place on a hot grill. Flipping every 3 minutes and cook to an internal temperature of 160 degrees (about 9 minutes).

Step 6: When cooked, place cheese on burger and let melt.

Step 7:Smear a decent amount of tastee sauce on the bottom half of your bun (toasted or untoasted, you decide) and then the burger. Top with diced onions and serve immediately.

Check out this rare video of Paul McCartney & Wings rehearsing the song “Jet”.

Suggested Baker’s Dozen “Top Notch HAMBJRGER” Playlist:

01. Royal Thunder – “Sleeping Witch”
02. Wings – “Jet”
03. Zior – “Strange Kind of Magic”
04. The Chamber Brothers – “Time Has Come Today”
05. Fvzz Popvli – “Hashish”
06. Haunt – “No Master”
07. The Death Wheelers – “R.I.P XXXLast RideXXX”
08. Jane’s Addiction – “Idiot’s Rule”
09. Blind Melon – “2×4”
10. The Rolling Stone – “Monkey Man”
11. Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats – “I’m Here to Kill You”
12. 1968 – “The Hunted”
13. Steve Young – “Gonna Find Me a Bluebird”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

– Danny P. is a Toronto, Canada-based chef with a love for music, food and baking (both kinds). He may be stuck in the ‘70s, but he is definitely not stuck in his ways. In this series Dan will bring you some of his favourite recipes for absolutely tasty bake-worthy goods. If you have any comments, suggestions or other inquiries, hit him up on Instagram at @bakersdozenrocks.

OTHER YUMMY RECIPES

– An Introduction: Butter and Oils and Why We Use Them (The Boring Stuff)
– Baker’s Dozen with Danny P. – The “Ritchie Blackmore” Spiced Walnut Brownie