Tag Archives: Worcestershire sauce

The Juiciest Turkey Burger You’ll Ever Make

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Plate of six turkey burgers

Grated onion and pockets of butter turn lean ground turkey into a burger that is anything but dry.

Recipe excerpt from:
American Gravy
by Andrew Gruel

Turkey burgers should be an easy win. They are often cheaper than ground beef and they make for a simple weeknight dinner.

So why don’t more people make them?

Because most turkey burgers are dry, flavorless hockey pucks.

This recipe fixes both of those problems. The key is not one complicated ingredient or an elaborate cooking method. It comes down to adding moisture in the right places and handling the meat correctly.

We are going to grate fresh onion directly into the turkey, work in small pockets of softened butter, and mix everything gently with a spoon. The result is a turkey burger that is juicy, rich, and packed with flavor.

Juicy Turkey Burgers

Makes 4 large burgers or 6 smaller burgers

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground turkey, preferably 90/10

  • 1 large egg

  • About 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, such as flat leaf parsley, thyme, and cilantro

  • ½ teaspoon granulated garlic

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • ¼ white onion, finely grated

  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 tablespoons room temperature butter, cut into small pieces

  • Kosher salt

  • Extra virgin olive oil

  • Brioche buns

  • Your favorite grated or sliced cheese

  • Your preferred burger toppings

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
  2. Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg, fresh herbs, granulated garlic, Dijon mustard, grated onion, and Worcestershire sauce.
  3. Add the softened butter in small pieces so it can distribute throughout the turkey.
  4. Gently fold everything together with a spoon. Do not overmix it. You should still be able to see a few small pockets of butter throughout the mixture.
  5. Shape the mixture into 4 large patties or 6 smaller patties. The mixture will feel wet and sticky. That is exactly what you want. There is no need to press a divot into the center as you would with a beef burger.
  6. Heat a carbon steel or heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add enough extra virgin olive oil to lightly coat the pan.
  7. Season one side of each burger with kosher salt and place that side down in the hot pan. Season the other side once the burgers are in the pan.
  8. Leave the burgers alone for approximately 2½ to 3 minutes. When the cooked portion has started moving about halfway up the sides, they are ready to flip.
  9. Flip the burgers and gently press them just enough to widen them slightly. Give the second side a quick sear to set the exterior.
  10. Transfer the burgers to a lightly oiled sheet pan and place them in the oven. Bake for approximately 8 minutes, depending on their size.
  11. When the burgers are almost finished, add the cheese and return them to the oven until it melts. Use a food thermometer to make sure the center of each burger reaches 165°F. The USDA recommends 165°F for all ground poultry. View the USDA temperature guide here.
  12. While the burgers finish, place the brioche buns cut side down in the same skillet. Toast them in the turkey drippings until golden brown.
  13. Assemble the burgers with your favorite toppings and serve immediately.

Cooking them on the grill

You can use the same recipe on the grill.

Sear the burgers over direct heat to develop color on both sides. Then move them to an upper rack or an area of indirect heat to finish cooking without burning the exterior.

Continue cooking until the center reaches 165°F.

Make them ahead

The patties can be prepared 12 to 24 hours in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator.
Just wait to salt the outside until immediately before cooking.

Turn them into Turkey Meatballs

This mixture also makes an excellent base for turkey meatballs. Shape the mixture into balls and add a little Italian seasoning if you want to take the flavors in that direction.

Just like the burgers, the center of the meatballs should reach 165°F.

The grated onion, butter, and gentle mixing make all the difference here. This is proof that a turkey burger does not have to feel like the disappointing substitute for a beef burger.

Make it correctly, and it may become the burger you choose on purpose.

Why this recipe works

  • Grated onion adds moisture
  • Grating the onion releases its juices directly into the turkey. It also gives you a finer texture, so you get the flavor without biting into large pieces of onion.
  • Butter creates little pockets of richness
  • The softened butter does not need to disappear completely into the meat. Those small pockets melt as the burgers cook, adding flavor and helping the inside remain moist.
  • The egg helps retain moisture
  • One egg for every two pounds of turkey adds richness and helps bring everything together without relying on breadcrumbs.
  • Gentle mixing keeps the burgers tender
  • Mixing aggressively with your hands can compress the meat and create a tighter texture. A spoon lets you incorporate everything while keeping the mixture relatively loose.
  • The salt stays on the outside
  • Instead of mixing salt throughout the turkey, season the outside of each patty immediately before cooking. This helps the burgers maintain a looser, more tender texture.

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think. Are you normally a turkey burger fan, or have you been avoiding them because they always turn out dry?

How To Make Homemade Ranch Dressing

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Recipe excerpt from:
American Gravy
by Andrew Gruel

The right ratio, fresh herbs, bright lemon, and a savory finish that takes homemade ranch beyond the bottle

If your ranch tastes like seasoned mayonnaise, you are using the wrong ingredients.

Mayonnaise should give ranch its body, but it should not become the entire personality of the dressing. Good ranch is creamy but still pourable. It has enough tang to cut through the richness, fresh herbs you can actually taste, and a savory finish that keeps you going back for another bite.

The most important place to start is the ratio. My base uses mayonnaise, buttermilk, and sour cream. The buttermilk and sour cream bring the tang, while the mayonnaise holds everything together. From there, fresh dill and chives make the dressing taste alive. Lemon juice and zest brighten it, and Worcestershire sauce, nutritional yeast, and aged Parmesan build the deep savory flavor that makes homemade ranch so difficult to stop eating.

This is not just one ranch recipe. Once you understand the base, you can make it thicker for wings, thinner for salads, or turn it into chipotle ranch, jalapeño ranch, or smoky ranch.

A Little Ranch Science

Ranch is really a balance of richness, acidity, fresh flavor, and savoriness.

Mayonnaise provides richness and structure. Buttermilk loosens the dressing and brings acidity. Sour cream adds tang while keeping the texture creamy. Change the balance of those three ingredients and you change how the ranch behaves.

For a thicker dip, add a little more sour cream. For a thinner dressing that coats salad greens properly, add more buttermilk. The ranch will also thicken as it sits in the refrigerator, so it is always better to make it slightly looser than you think you need.

I use granulated garlic and onion instead of fresh garlic because their flavor stays consistent as the dressing rests. Fresh dill and chives do the opposite job. They bring the fresh herbal flavor that separates homemade ranch from something designed to sit on a shelf.

The lemon juice cuts through the richness, while the zest adds the aromatic oils from the outside of the fruit. Worcestershire sauce, nutritional yeast, and aged Parmesan build layers of umami without making the dressing taste like Caesar.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Ingredients

Creamy Base

  • 1 cup avocado oil mayonnaise
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup sour cream

Seasoning & Fresh Herbs

  • 1 tablespoon granulated onion
  • 1/2 tablespoon granulated garlic
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped

Brightness

  • 1/4 lemon zest
  • 1/2 lemon juice

Savory Finish

  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated aged Parmesan
  • Freshly cracked black pepper, generously

Instructions

  1. Build the Base
    Add the mayonnaise, buttermilk, and sour cream to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until completely smooth.
    The mixture should be creamy but still loose enough to pour. If you want a thicker ranch for wings or vegetables, add a little more sour cream. If you want it thinner for salad, add a splash of buttermilk.
  2. Add the Garlic and Onion
    Whisk in the granulated onion and granulated garlic.
    Ranch actually needs more onion than garlic. The onion builds the foundation of the flavor, while the garlic gives it a sharper edge. Granulated seasonings also stay more consistent as the dressing rests than freshly chopped garlic.
  3. Add the Fresh Herbs
    Stir in the dill and chives.
    This is where the dressing starts to taste fresh. I leave out the parsley because it does not add much here. For me, ranch is all about dill and chives.
  4. Brighten It with Lemon
    Zest about one quarter of the lemon directly into the dressing, then squeeze in the juice from half of the lemon.
    The goal is not to make the ranch taste like a vinaigrette. The lemon should soften the richness and make the other flavors pop. The zest adds citrus flavor without bringing too much additional acidity.
  5. Build the Savory Flavor
    Add a small splash of Worcestershire sauce, nutritional yeast to taste, and the grated Parmesan. Whisk everything together.
    Use a high quality aged Parmesan and keep the amount restrained. You want the richness and umami without pushing the ranch into Caesar dressing territory.
  6. Finish with Freshly Cracked Pepper
    Crack a generous amount of black pepper directly into the dressing and mix again.
    Pre ground pepper has already lost much of the aromatic oil that gives pepper its flavor. Freshly cracking it into the ranch makes a noticeable difference.
  7. Chill and Adjust
    Cover the ranch and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes before serving. The flavor will settle and the dressing will thicken slightly as it rests.
    Before serving, taste the ranch and check the consistency. If it has become too thick, whisk in a little more buttermilk. Taste before adding any salt because the mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, and Parmesan may already provide enough.

Make it Yours

Once you have the basic ranch finished, use it as a foundation.

  • For chipotle ranch, mix in finely chopped chipotle peppers and a little adobo sauce.
  • For jalapeno ranch, add finely chopped fresh jalapeno.
  • For smoky ranch, add a little smoked paprika or bacon fat.
  • For a thicker wing dip, leave the dressing as it is or add a little more sour cream.
  • For a thinner salad dressing, whisk in buttermilk a little at a time.

The Details That Make the Difference

  • Think in ratios. The balance of mayonnaise, buttermilk, and sour cream controls both the flavor and texture.
  • Do not let mayonnaise take over. Ranch should be creamy and pourable, not thick enough to hold a spoon upright.
  • Use fresh herbs. Dill and chives give the dressing the freshness bottled ranch cannot replicate.
  • Use lemon with restraint. It should brighten the dressing, not turn it into a vinaigrette.
  • Layer the savory ingredients. Worcestershire sauce, nutritional yeast, and Parmesan each bring a different kind of depth.
  • Crack the pepper fresh. The aromatic oils make a much bigger difference than pre ground pepper.
  • Adjust after chilling. The dressing will thicken in the refrigerator, so use a splash of buttermilk to loosen it before serving.

This is ranch the way it is supposed to taste. Creamy without being heavy, tangy without being sharp, full of fresh herbs, and savory enough to make just about anything taste better.

Courtesy of Chef Andrew Gruel and American Gravy,

Oysters Rockefeller

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Antoine’s guards their recipe very closely. It definitely does not contain spinach or bacon, but is said to contain parsley, celery and scallions.

Tom Fitzmorris Replica Recipe

Antonie's Oysters Rockefeller RecipeMr. Fitzmorris says it took him about 50 tries to match the flavor of Antoine’s recipe. So if you want to give it a try, I’d say he saved you a good deal of time and expense.

  • 2 cups celery, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cup scallion tops,chopped
  • 2 cups parsley leaves, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh fennel, chopped (bulbs,stalks and/or fronds are fine)
  • 1 cup watercress, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic, chopped
  • 3 anchovy filets, rinsed and chopped
  • Liquor from 4 dozen oysters plus enough water to make 2 cups of liquid
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
  • 2 drops green food coloring (Fitzmorris says this is optional, but authentic)
  • 1/2 pound butter
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 cup very fine fresh bread crumbs
  • 4 dozen oysters
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
  2. Combine the vegetables and anchovies in small batches, and process to a near puree in a food processor, using enough of the oyster liquor/water mixture to keep things moving.
  3. Combine the vegetable/anchovy mixture with the rest of the liquid in a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring every now and then, until the excess water is gone, but the greens reman very moist. Add the sugar, ketchup, salt, white pepper, cayenne, Worchestershire, bitters and food coloring.
  4. Make a blond roux with the butter and flour. Blend well into the greens, until the sauce takes on a lighter texture. Mix in the bread crumbs.
  5. Place the fresh oysters into oyster shells, small ovenproof ramekins or gratin dishes. Top each oyster with a generous tablespoon (or more, if you like) of the sauce. Bake fifteen minutes, until the sauce barely begins to brown. Serve immediately.
    Note: If you bake the oysters on shells, serve on a bed of rock salt to keep the shells steady.

Yield: 4 Dozen

Bon Appetit!

From Hungry Town, A Culinary History of New Orleans by Tom Fitzmorris
Courtesy of Tom Fitzmorris