Could it Be? The Homemade “Lena Burger”?

Alas, nope. I am SO sad right now. Satisfied, but sad.

Here’s the scoop: this past weekend, my husband joyfully announced that he had found a recipe online that claimed to be a dupe of Harvey’s hamburgers. Mmm… Harvey’s. Flavourful, juicy beef… charbroiled to perfection on an open-flame grill… yes, it’s a beautiful thing.

Gleefully, he sent me a link to the site – a Canadian food blog, holla! – Kalofagas.ca.

(In Greek, Kalofagas means “Gourmet”.)

Since the photo posted by Chef Peter Minakis (see right) immediately had us wanting to reach through the computer and take a bite, I happily conceded that this recipe was indeed a must-try. And since the good Lord had bestowed a sunny, beautiful day for my birthday last week, I decided to celebrate by passing the mealtime responsibilities to my resident grillmaster.

Of course, I did help with the prep-work; thanks to a very simple recipe incorporating easy-to-find, staple ingredients, the burgers were ready for the flame in about 5 minutes (though we did rest them for an hour in the fridge, as suggested). Visit Kalofagas.ca for the complete recipe and grilling instructions.

The verdict? While the final product was a tasty, über flavourful and incredibly moist burger, it just was not a homemade “Lena Burger”. Close… but no Harvey’s.

(That being said, the recipe is a keeper for us. It’s a guaranteed trip to flavourtown and the recipe can be followed by anyone. Try it; you’ll like it.)

Another keeper? These Grilled Chipotle Burgers with Guacamole (yup, another easy recipe from Life Made Delicious). I first made them last year at another BBQ-filled long weekend. Instead of guacamole, I quickly layered sliced avocado on the flavour-packed burgers – an option listed in the original recipe. What can I say? It’s a party in your mouth.

INGREDIENTS

Burgers
2 1/2 lb (1.25 kg) lean ground beef
1/4 tsp (1 mL) red pepper sauce
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt, if desired
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can Old El Paso Chopped Green Chilies
3 tbsp (45 mL) chopped canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, undrained
8 slices Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, if desired
8 burger buns, split
2 medium tomatoes, sliced

Guacamole
2 large avocados, pitted, peeled and cubed
1 tbsp (15 mL) lime juice

The recipe posted above serves 8 but I scaled it back to just 4 servings. Also, we are a family of burgers sans tomato, so unfortunately that colourful element was missing… but the burgers were delicious, nonetheless.

DIRECTIONS

Heat gas or charcoal grill. In large bowl, mix beef, green chiles and chipotle chiles. Shape into 8 patties, about 3/4 inch thick. In medium bowl, mash guacamole ingredients, using pastry blender or fork.

Place patties on grill over medium heat. cover grill; cook 13 to 15 minutes, turning once, until meat thermometer inserted in center of patties reads 160ºF (71ºC). Top each patty with cheese slice; cook just until cheese is melted. To toast buns, place cut sides down on grill during last 1 to 2 minutes of cook time.

Layer buns with tomato slices, burgers and guacamole.

I only used about half the can of green chillies, but I will make this recipe again using close to a whole can. We just loved the spicy, tangy flavour! I also added a dash of salt, as it was an optional ingredient, and do recommend adding it to the burgers. I was a little worried that I didn’t have to add egg and breadcrumbs as a binding agent, but the patties held together very well. All in all, the combination of flavourful beef, cheese and buttery avocado made this BBQ recipe a hit!

Click here for more easy recipes from Life Made Delicious.

I am part of the Life Made Delicious Blogger program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.