Our Recipes

Adapted from West Coast Prime Meats Cooks © 2015

Burger Assembly

Ingredients

• Four 7-ounce burger patties*
• Four brioche-style Burger Buns, cut in half (see recipe)
• One recipe Hook Burger Sauce
• Two Pickles (see recipe), sliced 1/8-inch thick
• One recipe Caramelized Onions
• One head iceberg lettuce, cored and quartered
• Half-pound Hook 4-year-aged Cheddar, cut in four 1/8-inch slices

*We use a proprietary beef blend for our patties. To get similar results at home, choose ground beef with no less than 20 percent fat content.

Instructions

1. Preheat the grill. We recommend grilling the patties over white oak.
2. While the coals are heating, wash and drain the iceberg lettuce, tear into burger-sized chunks and hold refrigerated until ready to use.
3. When the coals are ready, place the patties on the grill and cook four minutes per side for medium rare, or longer for desired doneness.
4. After you flip the patties, place the buns cut side down on the grill and toast until lightly browned. Remove buns from heat.
5. Thinly spread the sauce on the top and bottom halves of the bun.
6. Layer half the pickle slices on the bottom buns.
7. While the patties finish cooking, layer them with the remainder of the pickles, the caramelized onions and a slice of cheese. Cover the patties with a large lid to melt the cheese.
8. Remove the patties from the grill and place each one on a bun bottom. Top with iceberg lettuce and the top of the bun and serve.

Pickles

Ingredients

• Five pounds Kirby (pickling) cucumbers
• Five teaspoons dill seed
• Third-cup (one bunch) chopped fresh dill
• Half-cup kosher salt
• Quarter-cup plus one tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• Two and a half quarts water
• Five cloves garlic, peeled
• Half a habañero chile
• Half a jalapeño chile
• One teaspoon chile flakes
• Three teaspoons pickling spice

Instructions

1. Wash cucumbers and trim 1/16-inch from the blossom end of each one.
2. Place garlic, chiles and half of the dill seed, dill weed and pickling spice in the bottom of a large, gallon-sized, food-safe, clean bucket. Add the cucumbers, standing upright if possible, the remaining dill and pickling spice.
3. Dissolve the salt in the vinegar and water and pour the mix over the cucumbers.
4. Place a sanitary weight (such as a heavy, shatterproof plate) over the cucumbers, making sure to keep them submerged in the brine.
5. Cover the container and store the brining pickles in an area that is 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. After three days, the brine will become cloudy. That is okay. Skim the surface of the brine to remove any scum that forms. Fermentation is complete when the cloudiness settles and the brine becomes clear. This will typically take two to four weeks.
7. Once the fermentation is complete, place the pickles in smaller jars and strain the brine through a coffee filter over the top. Now they can be refrigerated.
8. Slice the finished pickles about 1/8-inch thick for the burger.

Chef’s Tip: House-made pickles are one item that sets this burger apart. You will need to make them up to a month in advance.

Caramelized Onions

Ingredients

• One medium yellow onion, peeled and cut in half from the root end
• Half-cup extra virgin olive oil
• One teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Cut the onion in 1/8-inch slices.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over low flame. Add the onions and the salt and cook slowly, stirring every few minutes, until tender and browned. Be careful not to scorch the onions or they will become bitter. The sweetness and color comes from the sugars in the onions slowly caramelizing, so be patient.
3. Remove from the heat, transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Hook Burger Sauce

Ingredients

• Half-cup mayonnaise
• Half-cup ketchup
• Two tablespoons sour cream
• Two rounded tablespoons chopped pickles
• One teaspoon lemon juice
• Dash of Tabasco Sauce
• Two teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• Pinch of ground cayenne pepper
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Burger Buns

Ingredients

• Two and three-quarters cups plus one tablespoon all-purpose flour plus extra for rolling
• One and one-quarter tablespoons sugar
• One and one-half tablespoons milk powder
• Heaping teaspoon salt
• One teaspoon dry-active yeast
• Two ounces butter, unsalted, room temperature
• One cup minus one tablespoon lukewarm water
• One egg
• Two tablespoons whole milk, half and half or cream
• Two tablespoons sesame seeds

Instructions

1. In a stand mixer, whisk the yeast into the water to activate. Let rest for a few minutes.
2. Pour in the dry ingredients except for the extra flour for rolling and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on medium speed for five minutes. Then increase speed to high and mix for one more minute.
3. Pour into a lightly greased bowl and set aside in a warm, draft-free spot to proof for 30 minutes. Dough should be almost double. Fold dough over itself a couple of times and proof for an additional 60 minutes. Then refrigerate for at least one hour.
4. Remove from the refrigerator and prepare a rolling pin and cutting board with a light dusting of flour. Roll out the dough to about 1 1/4-inches thick.
5. Using a flour-dusted, 4-inch ring mold, punch out circles and lay them on a baking sheet. Allow room for expansion between the bun circles.
6. Place the baking sheet in a warm, draft free area, cover with a towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
7. While buns are rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
8. In a small bowl, whisk the egg until blended, then whisk in the milk to make an egg wash. Brush egg wash on bun tops and sprinkle them with sesame seeds.
9. Place a sheet pan in the center rack of the oven and bake for eight minutes, rotate the tray 180 degrees and bake for an additional seven minutes.
10. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a baking rack before serving.

Bacon Lover’s Note: For the Bacon Hook Burger, cook eight slices of Nueske’s Apple Wood Smoked Bacon until crisp, then place two slices per burger on top of the cheese.

Copyright © 2015 by Amy and Craig Nickoloff and West Coast Prime Meats
Recipes reprinted with permission of the owners.