State of Superior Cuisine

State of Superior Cuisine: Yooper Food

Yooper Food

Hamburger Recipes

When you think of hamburger, you might be thinking of a piece of brown ground beef served between two halves of a hamburger bun, oozing with ketchup, mustard, onions, and pickles.

Or you might be thinking of the same thing, but served with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise

To be sure, these are hamburgers, but there’s a lot more that can be done with hamburger meat. Those of us in the UP who didn’t grow up rich learned to do a lot of things with this inexpensive but nutritious meat staple.

In the raw stage, there are different kinds of hamburger meat. Usually, it comes with less than 25% fat or suet, and supermarket meat is generally labeled as to its fat content.

Otherwise, you can usually tell some things about it by its appearance. If the meat is a light pink, with lots of white flecks showing, the fat content is probably high.

For the best taste, hamburger should contain no more than 25% fat. Depending on the dish that you intend to prepare, you may not necessarily want the more expensive hamburger with the lowest fat content as, without any fat content, hamburger is dry and flavorless. Look for something with at least 12% but no more than 25% fat.

Hamburger should be red and rich, slightly flecked with white. Good hamburger is ground from flank, brisket, or portions of the shanks. Most hamburger is a medium coarse grind. Too finely ground, hamburger can lose much of its flavor.

Some supermarkets color their hamburger and, when it comes prepackaged, you may not be able to tell until you get it home.

A reputable butcher never grinds the meat too long before he sells it. Good hamburger can retain its freshness and flavor for two or three days, but not much longer.

However, hamburger is one of the few meats that you can remove from the freezer stone hard and immediately start sautéing without it losing its flavor. When freezing hamburger, remove it from the store bag and place it into an airtight plastic container.

Hamburger can be thought of as America’s meat. I hope you enjoy our recipes, and I welcome you to add your own to our collection.

Anderson’s Hamburger Goulash

  • 2 lbs. hamburger
  • 1 cup onions, sliced
  • 1 can tomatoes (#2 can)
  • 1 can corn (#2 can)
  • 2 cups wide noodles, precooked
  • 1 tbsp. dehydrated parsley
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • ½ tsp. paprika

Place the hamburger in a heavy skillet, and brown the meat until it loses its reddish color. Add the onions, and cook until they are transparent. Stir in the remainder of the ingredients, cover, and let simmer for about 40 minutes.

Bacon-Burger Surprise

  • Batter
    • 2 eggs
    • ¾ cup milk
    • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 tbsp. dry yeast
    • ¼ tsp. salt
  • Filling
    • 1 lb. hamburger
    • 10 slices bacon
    • 1 egg
    • ¼ cup soft bread crumbs
    • 1 tsp, minced onion
    • 1/8 tsp. thyme
    • 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
    • ½ tsp. salt
    • ¼ tsp. pepper
    • cooking oil

Beat the eggs until golden yellow. Alternately add the milk and flour, while continuing to beat. Add the yeast, dissolved in ¼ cup lukewarm water. Add the salt. Continue to beat for 3 minutes longer, then set aside. Thoroughly mix the hamburger and the remaining ingredients, except for the bacon and the cooking oil. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, then remove and form into finger-shaped sausages. Wrap each sausage in a slice of bacon, starting at the top and winding in a barber-pole fashion. Place on a piece of waxed paper and return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Dip each chilled sausage wrapped in bacon in the batter, and then drop into hot cooking fat until golden brown. Serve hot.

Hamburger Bake

  • 2 lbs. ground chuck
  • 4 medium onions, sliced ¼-inch thick
  • 1 lemon, cut into thin slices
  • 2 tbsp. butter or margarine
  • ½ cup catsup
  • 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp. dehydrated parsley
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. pepper

Form the meat into a large patty about 2-inches thick. Place it on a piece of aluminum foil large enough to wrap the patty tightly. Melt the butter in a skillet and brown the onions in it. Place the buttered onions on top of the ground meat. Mix the catsup, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Bring up the sides of the foil to form a border around the meat. Pour the catsup mixture over the meat and onions. Place the lemon slices on top. Tightly seal the foil, and place the meat in a 350 F oven for 40 minutes. Just before removing it from the oven, roll back the foil to form a dishlike arrangement, move the onions and lemon off to the sides, and put the dish under the broiler for five minutes.

Hamburger Goulash

  • 2 lbs. hamburger
  • 1 cup onions, sliced
  • 2 cups wide noodles, precooked
  • 1 can tomatoes (#2 can)
  • 1 can corn (#2 can)
  • 1 tbsp. parsley, dehydrated
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. pepper
  • ½ tsp. paprika

Place the hamburger in a heavy skillet with a tight-fitting cover, and brown the meat until it loses its reddish color. Add the onions and cook until they are transparent. Stir the remainder of the ingredients in, and let simmer for about 40 minutes. Keep tightly covered while cooking.

Hamburger, Herbs, and Rice

  • 1 lb. hamburger
  • 2 cups precooked rice
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 1 can chicken broth (#2 can)
  • 2 tbsp. dehydrated onion
  • ½ cup celery, chopped
  • ¼ cup parsley, chopped
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. pepper
  • ¼ tsp. oregano
  • 1 pinch thyme
  • 1 pinch rosemary
  • 1 pinch marjoram

Sauté the hamburger in the butter until it is well separated and slightly browned. Add the onion, celery, and parsley, and cook for five minutes longer. Add the salt, pepper, and chicken broth. Stir in the rice and herbs. Cook, over very low heat, covered, for 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Serve garnished with a little additional parsley.

Hamburger-Macaroni Pie

  • Pastry
    • ½ cup vegetable shortening
    • 1 cup instant flour
    • 1 tsp. salt
    • 3 tbsp. water
  • Filling
    • 1 lb. hamburger
    • 2 eggs
    • 12 oz. elbow macaroni
    • 1 small can tomato paste
    • 4 tbsp. Parmesan-Romano cheese
    • ½ tsp. salt
    • ¼ tsp. pepper

Cut the shortening into the flour and salt mixture until it is the consistency of bread crumbs. Add the water and continue to cut and blend until you have a stiff dough. Divide into two portions and roll out until you have circles large enough to fill the bottom and top of your favorite pie dish. Cook the elbow macaroni until tender. Rinse in cold water, drain, and set aside. Brown the hamburger until it has separated into lumps about the size of large peas. Add the tomato paste, cook for a few seconds longer, then remove from the heat. Add the cheese, and stir in the macaroni. Add the salt and pepper, and stir again. Line your pie tin with the pastry. Be sure the outer edges are firmly in place. Pour into the pastry-lined tin the macaroni and meat mixture. Beat the two eggs until they are golden yellow. Pour the eggs over the macaroni-meat mixture. Cover with the remaining pastry, making sure that the edges are well sealed. Pierce with a sharp knife into several places. Place in a preheated 350 F oven, and bake for 35 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Serve hot. Not: You may substitute grated American cheese, Swiss cheese, or feta (Greek) cheese for the Parmesan-Romana cheese. You may also substitute broad noodles, rice, or thin spaghetti for the macaroni.
Google
 
Web kenanderson.net

 

Hamburger Patties in Horseradish & Sour Cream

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • ½ lb. ground pork
  • 1 large onion, grated or minced
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped fine
  • 2 shredded wheat biscuits, rolled fine
  • 2 tbsp. dehydrated parsley flakes
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup Parmesan-Romano cheese
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. pepper
  • Sauce
    • 2 tbsp. butter
    • 2 tbsp. horseradish, drained
    • 2 beef bouillon cubes
    • 1 cup warm water
    • 1 tbsp. corn starch
    • 2 tbsp. cider vinegar
    • 1 cup sour cream

Mix the beef, pork, onion, garlic, parsley flakes, and shredded wheat biscuits together. Add the egg, salt, pepper, and cheese. Mix thoroughly. Form into 3” round patties, and brown on both sides in butter. Remove the patties from the skillet and set aside. In the butter which remains in the skillet, brown the horseradish for a few seconds. Dissolve the bouillon cubes in the warm water, and then add the corn starch. Add this bouillon-corn starch mixture to the horseradish. Cook for 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened, and then add the vinegar. Remove from the heat and slowly stir in the sour cream. Put the hamburger patties in the sour cream-bouillon mixture, and cook very slowly for an additional 15 minutes.

Hamburger Rice

  • ½ lb. hamburger
  • 2 cups precooked rice
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp. dehydrated onion
  • 4 tbsp. butter
  • 2 cups beef bouillon
  • 1 pinch of saffron
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper

Place 3 tablespoons of butter in the bottom of a deep saucepan with a tight-fitting cover. Melt the butter and add the meat. Sauté until the meat is brown. Add the onion, and stir in the rice just as it comes from the package. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add the bouillon, saffron, salt, and pepper. Turn the heat to low and cook for another 5 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Put the rice and meat on a hot platter, dot with a little butter, and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Serve hot.

Kidney Bean Special

  • 1 lb. hamburger
  • 4 large potatoes, unpeeled, sliced to ¼-inch
  • 4 onions, sliced to ¼-inch
  • 1 cup precooked rice
  • 1 can peas, drained (#2 can)
  • 1 can red kidney beans, not drained (#2 can)
  • 1 cup crushed potato chips
  • 1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1 cup warm water
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Butter a casserole dish, and place the slices of potato on the bottom. Add a dash of salt and pepper, then a layer of onions. Next, add a layer of precooked rice, as it comes from the package. Then place the raw hamburger, broken into pieces, over the rice. Salt and pepper again. Next, add the peas, then the kidney beans. Mix the tomato sauce with the water, and pour over the top of the casserole. Sprinkle with the potato chips. Place in a 375 F oven for 1½ hours. Serve hot.

One-Dish Meal

  • 1 lb. hamburger
  • 2 onions, peeled & cut into thin slices
  • 3 large potatoes, peeled & diced into ½-inch pieces
  • 3 large carrots, peeled & diced into ½-inch pieces
  • 1 cup precooked rice
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. pepper
  • water, to cover

Brown the hamburger in a heavy skillet until it loses its reddish color. Add the onions, and continue to cook until the onions are glazed and transparent. Add the salt and pepper. in a greased casserole dish, place the potatoes first, followed by a layer of carrots, then a layer of rice. Last, add the sautéed meat and onion mixture. Pour on enough water to cover. Leave the casserole uncovered and place in a 350 F oven for one hour. Serve hot.

Stuffed Cabbage

  • 1 lb. hamburger
  • 1 medium-sized cabbage
  • 1 large onion, chopped fine
  • 1 cup rice, precooked
  • 1 tbsp. flour
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 1½ lbs. beef stock
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 lemon, juice only
  • 1 cup tomatoes, fresh chopped
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. pepper

Clean the cabbage by removing the tough outer leaves and rinsing under cold running water. Place the whole cabbage in a large kettle of slightly salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer until the outer leaves of the cabbage begin to pull away easily. Remove it from the water, let drain and cool. Discard the water it was boiled in. Brown the hamburger in the butter, add the onion to the meat and continue to cook until the onion is transparent. Remove from the heat and stir in the rice just as it comes from the package. Carefully remove the cabbage leaves from the head, using a sharp knife to cut them off from the core or heart. In the center of each leaf, place a tablespoonful of the meat and rice mixture. Fold the leaf around very tightly and fasten with a toothpick. Melt the butter and brown the cabbage rolls on all sides. When browned, place in a casserole in layers. To the butter you have left after browning the cabbage rolls, add the flour and then add the beef stock. Cook until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat, stir in the sour cream, add the salt and the pepper; then add the lemon juice and tomatoes. Blend well, and pour over the cabbage rolls. Bake in a 350 F oven for 45 minutes.

Stuffed Onions

  • 1 lb. hamburger
  • 10 yellow onions
  • 1 cup rice, precooked
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • ½ cup condensed milk
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. pepper

Cut off the stem ends of the onions to a depth of ½-inch. Pare the root end just enough to remove the roots. Then peel each onion carefully, making sure that the outside first layer is completely intact. Put the onions in a kettle and cover with salted water, then boil for 10 minutes, or until the outer three layers of each onion can be pricked easily with a toothpick. Meanwhile, simmer the cooked rice in the condensed milk until it is thick and the consistency of rice pudding. Set aside to cool. When cool, mix with the meat and egg. Add the salt and pepper. Drain the cooked onions, reserving ½-cup of the liquid. With a teaspoon, scoop out the centers of the onions and replace with the meat mixture, packing as firmly as possible. Place the stuffed onions in a casserole dish, using the center portions to fill in between the stuffed onions. Heat the half cup of onion liquid in a saucepan, add the butter and the lemon juice. When hot, pour over the onions. Then place the casserole in a 350 F oven for about 30 minutes.

Stuffed Tomatoes

  • 1 lb. hamburger
  • 4 large ripe tomatoes
  • ½ cup precooked rice
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan-Romano cheese
  • 2 4-inch square slices of Swiss cheese, cut into ¼-inch cubes
  • 2 tbsp. parsley, chopped
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. pepper
  • ¼ tsp. sweet basil

Brown the hamburger in a skillet until it is completely separated. Turn off the heat, and let cool until you have the tomatoes ready. Boil the rice in 1½ cups water until double in size; rinse and drain. Set aside to cool. Cut off ¼-inch of the top of each tomato. With a teaspoon, very carefully scoop out the center pulp, leaving about a ½-inch wall. Add the pulp you have removed to the hamburger, and turn the heat low. Cook for five minutes longer, or until the tomato pulp is broken up. Add the Parmesan-Romano cheese, parsley, Swiss cheese, salt, pepper, and basil. Lastly, fold in the cooked rice. Fill each tomato cavity with the mixture, and pack it carefully with a teaspoon. Place the stuffed tomatoes in a greased shallow baking dish. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Take care not to overcook this dish. You want the tomatoes to retain their shapes, and not to become a mushy mess. Variations: You may use American cheese instead of the Parmesan-Romano cheese. You may also add ½ cup green pepper, diced very fine. Try wrapping each tomato with a slice of bacon fastened with a toothpick before putting it in the oven.

 

Visit our Sister Site: Pasties, Plain & Simple