NOT FOUND: BBQ-Moinks.pngGround beef, turkey, salmon or tofu, the hamburger is the foundation of a good backyard barbeque. It is very easy to go get a bag of frozen premade patties and throw them on the grill and in ten minutes, dinner is ready.

But let’s take a look at that frozen pattie. Depending on what part of the world it came from, that pattie may be made up of “meat” parts from a hundred different cows. The more cows, the more chances of bad bacteria and germs entering that pattie. It’s ok to eat it, but I would’nt recommend eating it “rare”. Sometimes going to the store and getting that “bulk pack” of ground beef is not the answer to a great burger either. Once again, that package could contain meat and fillers from multiple sources.

Now I am not trying to turn anyone off from eating burgers. I love a good burger. But the key is to make it a good burger. Here’s how….

1. Spend some time choosing your Burger items.

A. Choose your hamburger meat from the meat counter and have the Meat Department “double grind” it. This may be harder than it sounds but here are a few tricks of the trade. Chuck Eye or Chuck Roast can make a great ground beef pattie because of the fat content in the meat. If you prefer a leaner cut of beef use sirloin or round steak. These make a leaner burger, but will be easier to fall apart while you cook them. The best thing about choosing your beef like this is knowing your meat came from one cow.

NOT FOUND: BBQ-gobloinks.pngB. Pre-make your patties and stick them in the freezer for an hour. This will make the burger stay together more effectively on the grill.

C. Try not to add things that will mask the flavor of your burgers. Things like Worchester sauce, salad dressing mixes, and seasoning salts all add different flavors to your burger, but when you use good meat, you want that flavor to hit your taste buds first.

2. Spend some time finding good buns. Bakeries and whole food stores often have specials on hamburger buns. This will make that burger taste like it came from a four star restaurant.

3. Select quality toppings. Cheese, bacon, onions, tomatoes, lettuce should all be prepared or presliced so that it can be added to the sandwich as soon as it is ready to be served.

Here’s hoping that your “better” are the hit of your Barbeque!

Now here’s a little delicious appetizer you might want to try… Moinks or Gobloinks Use a Charcoal grill or set foil on Gas Grill in 250-300 degree setting range. You may want to use wood chips to create smoking effect.

Make meatballs with ground beef (moinks) or turkey (gobloinks) and whatever seasoning, ingredients you like. Make your meatball a little smaller than usual (bite sized) 1. Put a small cube of cheese in the middle of them. A smoked cheese or cheddar or monterey jack will work.

2. Wrap a strip of bacon around each one, secure with toothpick.

3. Slow grill “moinks” without turning them over for about an hour.

4. While they are cooking, make a bbq sauce. We use that Raspberry Chipotle sauce from Costco, mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with KC Masterpiece.

5. When the moinks are done cooking, slather them up with the sauce and put them back on the grill, closer to the fire and "burn" the sauce on for about 5 minutes.