Summer means different things to different people. For some, it’s time to head to sandy beaches, for others, the mountains call for epic hikes. Gardeners are either trying to survive drought or torrential rain, or in our case here in Colorado, the threat of hail. If summer has a sound it would be a mix of hissing water sprinklers, barking dogs, ice dropping in a glass, and the sizzle of food’s first kiss on hot grill grates.
For me, the warm invitation of this season means a fresh coat of red polish on my toes, vibrant blooms in the garden, a full hummingbird feeder, long evenings on the deck, arms full from the farmers market, early morning walks, and a hot grill for fast and easy dinners. Since we are talking summertime in America, burgers top the list of quick and easy meals.
Blue cheese is my all-time favorite burger add-in, providing a flavor one-two punch that requires little else than hot coals. In this case, you don’t even need a bun. Gluten-free doesn’t have to mean choosing a sub-par bun to enjoy a good burger. In this recipe, we forgo the bun and embrace ripe summer tomatoes for our blue cheese burger to rest on and avocado as a topper. Without the distraction of condiments, the choice of ground meat is especially important, as is trusting the source if you like them cooked less than well-done, which we do. Don’t be tempted by lean options either, 80% lean is ideal for burgers, even when you’re adding blue cheese.
Grilled sweet corn is another marker of warm weather goodness and its natural sweetness brings balance to a savory burger. It can be a little intimidating to try and remove hot charred husks straight from the grill, but we have some tips for saving your hands without letting the corn cool so much the butter doesn’t melt. Oh yes, sweet cream butter. I’m a purist here, nothing but butter for me, but feel free to sprinkle your favorite chile or curry powder, sharp cheese, or herb butter on top just before serving.
- ⅔ pound ground chuck -- 80% lean is ideal
- ⅓ cup blue cheese + 1 tablespoon for garnish -- crumbled
- ½ teaspoon paprika -- optional
- ½ teaspoon sea salt & pepper
- ½ teaspoon papper
- 1 large tomato -- or 2 small-medium -- sliced ¼" thick
- 1 whole avocado -- sliced ¼" thick
- In a mixing bowl, break ground meat apart and line the bottom of the bowl so it is loose and spread out. Sprinkle ⅓ cup of crumbled blue cheese over the meat and gently mix into the meat with a fork or with your fingertips. Separate the mixture and form into approx ⅓ lb patties and place on a platter. Sprinkle with paprika, salt, and pepper on both sides. Make a small indentation in the center of the patty with your thumb about ¼" deep -- this will help the patty keep its shape when grilled.
- Grill burgers over high heat or directly over hot coals until seared well and the meat releases easily from the grill, about 4-5 minutes on each side and cooked through. If using a meat thermometer, the inside temperature should be 125° for rare, 140° for medium, 155-160 for well done. When done, let rest on a platter tented with foil for 5 minutes.
- While the burgers are resting, arrange the sliced tomatoes on plates for each burger. Sprinkle salt and pepper over tomatoes. Place burgers directly on tomatoes and top with 2-3 slices of avocado and a few crumbles of blue cheese.
**The USDA recommends 160 degrees for all ground meat. We prefer our burgers cooked medium rather than well done, but we feel more confident in the meat we purchase from local butchers. Another option to reduce risk is to purchase whole muscle meat, cut it into 1 inch cubes, add small cubes of butter if it's lean, then place in the freezer for about 30 minutes until it is slightly hardened on the edges, yet still pliable. Pulse in a food processor until it resembles ground meat, 10-15 pulses.
- 4 ears sweet corn -- in the husk
- ¼ cup butter -- softened
- Heat a gas or charcoal grill for 15 minutes or until hot (about 400°). Place corn on the grill directly over the heat and cook for about 15 mintues. Watch for flare-ups and rotate the corn once the husks begin to blacken so that it cooks on all sides and most of the husks are charred or at least well browned.
- Remove from the grill and let cool slightly on a baking sheet. Wearing cooking gloves or heavy neoprene-type gloves to protect your hands, peel away the husks from the corn and place corn on a platter with the butter. The easiest way to do this to grasp the husk with fingertips at the tip of the corn and peeling down. Once all the husk is at the bottom of the cob, grasp the cob with one hand and the husks in the other and twist the husks off of the cob like you're wringing water out of a towel. Don't worry too much about bits of husk or silks that may cling to the corn, it's easier to remove those once it's all shucked and you're not wearing gloves.
- When all the corn in on the platter, roll in the butter and serve.
We served these with a salad as well, but that isn’t always the case. We’re not above skipping the salad for just burgers and corn. Yes, three ears of corn per person is probably over the top, but we are happy to indulge during peak season.
I’d love to know, what does summer mean to you?
The perfect summer meal!
Greg recently posted..Eggplant and Tomato Sandwiches with Pesto and Feta
Oh that all looks so deliciously summery… saying hello from a bone-bitingly cold Winter day downunder! xo
Lizzy (Good Things) recently posted..Favourite flavours – blood oranges
Hi Lizzy, I know it is far colder on your side of the world right now. Hope you are recovering well and that you’re ready to get outside when the weather warms up!
No other way to grill corn than with the husks on. Always so good!
Looks like a perfect summer meal Judy, and boy am I missing having a grill right now.
Jed Gray (sportsglutton) recently posted..Burrata Summer Pizza
Hey Jed! Without a grill it can’t really be summer can it?!
I ‘Pinned’ this immediately – can’t wait to try both the burgers & the corn !!
Cecile recently posted..Quick ‘n Easy Corn Salad
Hi Cecile, thanks for stopping by! I do hope you enjoy this easy meal as much as we do.
Butter (with salt and pepper) for my corn too. At least 98% of the time, although sometimes I do enjoy a herb or cheese garnish. Burgers really are so great for cookouts, aren’t they? A burger and corn on the cob is a frequent summer meal for us. Fun post — thanks.
John@Kitchen Riffs recently posted..Chilled Cucumber Soup with Yogurt and Dill
Hi John, maybe next time I’ll make an herb butter just to give it a try.
This is, perhaps, my favorite summertime meal, Judy. So quick to prepare and so very good, too. I’ve a meat grinder and it’s been ages since I bought anything already ground. Your food processor tips are great, too, if one doesn’t have a grinder.
Hope you’re having a great summer!
ChgoJohn recently posted..A Souvenir from Florence: Fried Sage
I am having a great summer, John, thanks. I once thought about buying a meat grinder, but learned the food processor trick from Cooks Illustrated and haven’t needed to as yet. Someday I would like to make my own sausages, so the meat grinder with the feed attachment would be needed for that.
Love this idea of serving blue cheese burgers on top of the tomato and topped by the avocado instead of bread…terrific! I’m definitely going to try that next time as well as mixing the blue cheese into the burger. I’ve topped it with the cheese and stuffed it with the cheese, but mixing all the way through sounds so much better.
Glad you’re enjoying summer, Judy!
betsyb recently posted..Camping and Hiking Part II, Fruited Farro Salad, and Grilled Za’atar Spiced Chicken with Peppers and Onions
Hi Betsy! Thanks, I am enjoying summer, feeling great and love being in the kitchen creatively again. I do hope you try mixing the blue cheese into your burgers — I think you’ll love it.
This is the first year in a million years give or take a hundred, that I haven’t personally owned a grill. I am still on the fence about getting another, but when I see a burger like this I am pushed to get off the dang fence and just get one!
Carol at Wild Goose Tea recently posted..Hey Mama Goose – Advice Column Food for Forgiveness
Summer grilling is a staple for us, and it came in quite handy this week when my stove suddenly stopped working — I could still cook! Funny how the repairman thought it was a good excuse not to, but food bloggers just don’t think that way.
I soak my corn in salted water before grilling but maybe I don’t need to. Yours looks great and what’s not to love about a burger you can fit in your mouth.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef recently posted..Foods Australia Brought to the World
I know what you mean about the 6 inch burger stacks — how does anyone eat that with dignity? Ha! Though they are pretty.
I love your description of summer sounds, it is so true. I think your burgers and corn are a prefect meal to enjoy…I certainly miss not having a grill since we sold our cottage in Maine.
Karen (Back Road Journal) recently posted..The Biltmore
Oh Karen, I would miss my grill terribly. Hope all is going well for you with the estate sale.
Thats the best way of preparing a corn, grilling them. Also that burger sounds amazing with that blue cheese and the avocadoes. Yum!
Raymund recently posted..Gisadong Sayote
Hi Raymund, you are right about the corn — makes me regret all the years I boiled it.
Summer for me means red polish on my toes as well! I love to BBQ when it’s summer and I love to eat outdoors and burgers are so great to prepare for a summer evening’s dinner. I love how you have blue cheese on your burgers – delicious and the GF take is good too xx
Hotly Spiced recently posted..The Spotted Pig, Greenwich Village, New York
Hi Charlie! Summer is an easy season to love — I will always think of you when applying a fresh coat of red.
Oh this is so funny! I JUST pulled some ground beef from the freezer to make burgers and grill corn tonight. My initial plan was to top the burgers with onions and mushrooms which would go great with the blue cheese. Looks like I need to stop by the store and pick up some blue cheese. What a great meal!
mjskit recently posted..Raspberry Mole’ Jam
You are right, MJ, onions and mushroom do go great with blue cheese — my favorite sauce for steak is a mushroom ragout with blue cheese; simply the best savory flavor combo. Enjoy!