Category: Burgers & Hot Dogs

You know. Everything is not a recipe. Sometimes when you are grilling, you just need to turn loose the creative juices.

My buddy Sean told me he was grilling hot dogs and did not have buns. So he put them in a tortilla. Added cheese to the dogs while they were on the grill, them put them in the wrap.
Now you can do what you want as far as seasoning, but I think some chili on them would be terrific! Taco sauce would make a different combination.

He grilled the tortillas for a minute on each side. That adds a nice grill flavoring. The thing is, with this you can put some good fixings on it and not sog up the bun and watch it fall in pieces.

Thanks Sean! Just in time for Cinco de Mayo.

Next barbecue - try a change of pace by grilling up some of these delicious combo burgers.

Don’t be afraid to experiment either, by swapping ingredients for other ingredients you think might work.

However, I like to test these things myself before serving them at a barbecue party.

1/2 pound lean ground sirloin
1/2 pound lean ground pork
1/2 pound lean ground veal
2 tablespoons ice water
1/4 cup ground oats
1/4 cup bottled chili sauce
onion powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Fresh ground pepper and salt — to taste

Toss them on the grill and grill until the juices run clear.

With health concerns at a all time high, many people are cutting down on their red meat intake. OK - Us real men continue to include red meat in almost every meal, but it doesn’t hurt to make a change occasionally.

I make certain to include chicken in my diet, but I do that because it tastes good. But many people have been telling me to try the turkey burgers so . . . . .

8 oz. 99% lean ground turkey
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Hand mix the egg and the ground turkey. Season to taste with pepper.

Grill patties with top closed until browned and cooked throughout, 5 to 6 minutes per side, brushing cooked sides with barbecue sauce during the last couple minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted in center of patties should register 165 degrees. About 1 minute before patties are done, place buns, cut side down, on grill grate until lightly toasted.

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
Vegetable oil 4 slices sweet onion — 1/2 inch thick
4 crusty rolls — split, toasted
4 romaine lettuce leaves
4 tomato slices — 1/2 inch thick
8 slices Swiss cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

In small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients (mayonnaise and Dijon mustard); set aside.

Shape ground beef into four 3/4″ thick patties. Lightly brush oil onto cut sides of onion. Place patties and onions on the grill with the setting at medium. Grill, uncovered, 13 to 15 minutes or until centers are no longer pink and onions are tender.

Season burgers with salt and pepper. Approximately 1 minute before burgers are done, top each burger with 2 slices of cheese.

Spread equal parts of sauce mixture on top half of each roll and line the bottom half of each roll with lettuce and tomato and top with cheeseburger and onion.

I like to butter the buns and place them on the warming rack until they start to turn brown. This adds to the flavor of the burgers.

It’s the time of year when it’s cooler in the evenings and many of us enjoy sitting around an open fire - roasting hot dogs, grilling hamburgers, etc.

If you are in charge of the fire, you want to get the fire going well before the guests arrive so there will be plenty of hot coals for cooking. When grilling, you will want the flames to die down so you can grill over the coals. Wrap some potatoes and some corn in aluminum foil and toss into the coals for your side dishes.

Grill as usual. The amount of time the burgers or steaks take will depend on how close the grate is to the coals.

Roasting hot dogs on a stick is very popular, especially with the kids. Again, roasting over the coals is ideal, but in the evening when the fire is blazing, just hold the dogs high enough above the flames to get the heat and not burn them so they cook inside and outside. When the dogs casings begin to expand and the juices start falling, you know you are going to be loving the taste.

I wanted to give you a important warning. DO NOT burn treated wood in your fire. There are poisonous chemicals inside the wood and they can be dangerous. There has been reports of people burning treated wood in their indoor fireplaces and having serious side effects. You certainly do not want to put anybody at risk by burning treated wood and cooking over it.

This is a great time of the year for sitting around the fire in the evening. I love the fall. Enjoy it.

Sausage links on the grill are delicious and easy to make. Really easy. It’s not a whole lot different from grilling hot dogs. But a little more care needs to be taken.

You buy the fresh sausage links - the thick kind - at the store and cut them into hot dog bun length. I preheat the grill as usual, then turn the burners to low and put on the sausage. We all know pork needs to be thoroughly cooked with an internal temperature around 155 degrees.

Don’t overcook! Here is where the care comes in. I grill them on low heat so the outside doesn’t get charred while waiting for the inside to cook. I like to lay them on the grill going with the grid. They don’t roll all over and they allow me to turn them a little at a time and get a nice crust on the entire sausage. Just my preference.

Once you see the juices turning clear, test with a thermometer. If they are near or at the finish temperature, crank up the heat and char the outside - keeping the top open and turning frequently. You’ll only do this for 2 or 3 minutes. This crusts the casing. Don’t overdue them. A dried out sausage with no juices loses it’s appeal.

Put them on a bun and add your condiments and enjoy! They also have the thicker buns for these but I prefer the hot dog buns. I’m more interested in getting that sausage taste!