If you follow these rules, you will get a gourmet sandwich!

The meat must be chopped rather than minced. It should be a balanced mix of sirloin, neck and bow. It would be ideal to chop it with a knife in order to have the right consistency. So as not to dry out during cooking, it must contain at least 20 percent fat (though, personally, I prefer a good 30%) in fact it is  the key element which, when combined with the right cooking, avoids a stringy result.

Having been chopped, the meat is pressed to form medallions.  The operation must be done quickly, to prevent the mixture from heating up and fat from melting.  The meat should not be pressed too vigorously: it is important to balance your efforts, so that the burger is compact and soft at the same time.

Once the burgers are formed, they should be seasoned with salt and pepper and left to rest in the fridge for about 20 minutes for it to acquire a rich flavor.

Cooking

Before cooking the burgers, it is best to let them rest at room temperature for at least 10 minutes, so that the inside is not too cold.

The hamburger is placed on a hot pan, without adding oil, cooked for about 2 minutes per side and turned only once.  It is better not to prolong cooking too much and above all, never crush it, to avoid losing the juices.  It is better to avoid aggressive cooking, I advice cooking the outside quickly and leaving the inside completely raw.  In this regard, I recommend our apple and pear charcoal which gives a constant and unaggressive heat. The more experienced could further enrich the cooking by putting flavored chips on the embers after having wet them in order to give an unmistakable smoked aroma to the burgers, plus the more cooking is gradual and homogeneous, the better the result.

These small precautions will allow you to have a soft hamburger with right consistency.  When it is almost cooked, if desired, you can complete with thin slices of cheese. Remove the meat with cheese from the grill and cover it with a lid (or a metal bowl) and let the cheese melt slightly.

The perfect hamburger, in addition to meat, also includes lettuce, tomato, cheese and bacon.  Bacon makes the flavor of the burger more intriguing. Bacon should be cut into strips that are not too thin, I recommend weaving several strips of bacon into a checkerboard pattern before cooking it on the grill.  In this way, the hamburger will be covered evenly.

The lettuce must be crunchy and fresh, with leaves of a balanced size relative to bread. It is better to take tomatoes for salads. A tomato must be firm and not too ripe, I also add oregano. The ideal cheese has a delicate flavor and melts well without moistening the meat.  The original is cheddar, but provolone and fontina also can be used.

The bread must be soft and should absorb the seasoning well. It also shouldn’t drip excessively and must be able to be  bitten easily.  Before stuffing it with meat it should be lightly toasted.

This is done only at last moment, when the meat is almost cooked.

What about sauces?  It depends on the taste, my kids love ketchup, I like a spicy and smoked note, and you?

Salt-Roasted Prawns

Quick to make and spectacular to serve that’s this entree. The shrimp are simply roasted in salt, which keeps them juicy.

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 3 pounds coarse sea salt, pink salt, or rock salt (or a combination)
• 4 red finger peppers, split lengthwise, plus thin slices for serving
• 2 lemons, quartered
• 1 head garlic, cloves separated and smashed
• 5 cinnamon sticks
• 12 whole cloves
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 3 pounds shell-on, head-on jumbo shrimp (about 10 per pound), preferably wild, deveined if desired
• Melted unsalted butter or drawn butter, for serving

Directions

Instructions Checklist

Step 1

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine salt, finger peppers, lemons, garlic, cinnamon, cloves, and peppercorns in a 3-quart baking dish. Roast until hot and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Spoon two-thirds of salt mixture into a heatproof bowl. Layer shrimp into baking dish, spooning salt mixture from bowl over shrimp in between layers, then sprinkling shrimp with remaining salt mixture.

Step 2

Roast until shrimp are firm to the touch and just opaque throughout, 13 to 17 minutes. Carefully remove a few lemon wedges; brush off excess salt and squeeze lemon juice into butter, then add pepper slices. Serve shrimp immediately, with butter on the side.

Good appetite!

Preparation : 15 mins

Total: 45 mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 1 cup short-grain brown rice
• 2 cups water
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 8 ounces grass-fed sirloin steak, trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 zucchini, halved and cut into spears
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
• 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving

Directions

Instructions Checklist

Step 1

Bring rice and water to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook 45 minutes, until tender. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Stir in scallions.

Step 2

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Thread beef on skewers. Season beef and zucchini with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Grill, turning, until cooked through and blackened in parts, about 6 to 8 minutes. Serve over rice. Top with mint leaves and red chile flakes. Serve with lime wedges.

Good appetite!