the Tasting, Road to Burger Bash NCYWFF

George Hirsch October 16, 2014

the Tasting the Testing, Road to Burger Bash NCYWFF

Countdown is 24 Hours and clock is ticking...

50,000 Burgers grilled in a couple hours---28 Chefs and all for a good cause #NoKidHungry

OK, so my arm was twisted yesterday by Martins Famous Pastry, who is in the know of my secret recipe.

“George we are so excited! Can we at least share the name of your burger?”

So, I’ve been outed, here you go, GEORGE HIRSCH’S SLOPPY GIUSEPPE BURGER

What’s is a George Sloppy Burger? You’ll still have to wait until Friday 3PM. I will say it’s packed with so much WOW you’ll run to the grill this weekend! If I was you I'd plan on getting Martins Potato Rolls at the ready.

And, no, my burger is not out of a can, but it’s made with a lot of fun & love from my Team of farmers and chefs. More to come on that too.

Join us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to be part of the fun.

George's Burger Bash Secret Tasting-don’t let these undressed burgers fool you

My tasting panel fully agrees with Martins and shares the excitment!

a Winning Burger, Road to Burger Bash NCYWFF

George Hirsch October 10, 2014

Countdown is one week until many of the countries top chefs will flip thousands of burgers at the NYCWFF 7th annual Burger Bash presented by Pat LaFrieda Meats hosted by Rachael Ray. We will soon know who will win honors with best burger this year. Join me & Martin Famous on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram next Friday, October 17th after 3PM EST for live messaging and pictures from NYCWFF. Plus, the release of my all new "secret burger" for Burger Bash this year. My first secret ingredient is well known by many, Martins Potato Rolls.

One more hint, several ingredients in my "secret burger" recipe for this years Burger Bash was started months ago...Care to guess?

image Alex Goetzfried © Hirsch Media George's "secret burger recipe" for 7th Annual Burger Bash Until then, enjoy one of my past winning burgers. The judges and the three thousand guests did, and you will too!

A grilled Tuscan-style burger with caramelized onions and grilled pepper tomato marmalade topped with arugula Parmesan

The George Burger, a winning burger

The George Burger

Recipe By Chef George Hirsch | chefgeorgehirsch.com

Makes 8, ¼ pound burgers

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, short rib blend, 80/20 lean / fat ratio

½ pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Accompaniments: Martins Potato Rolls, caramelized onion, arugula, Parmesan flakes

Preheat the grill to medium-high. Place the burgers on a hot grill and cook about 3-4 minutes per side, turning once.

Serve on lightly toasted potato rolls with caramelized onions and grilled pepper tomato marmalade. Top with arugula and Parmesan.

Grilled Pepper Tomato Marmalade

Makes about 3 cups

1/2 Ounce portion per 3 ounce slider burger

2 cups good quality ketchup, (not high fructose)

2 Red peppers, split deseeded grilled and charred

Cloves from 1 head Caramelized garlic

¼ cup Virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon hot sauce

Pulse all above, leaving slightly chunky and add to ketchup.

Chef George’s Caramelized Onions

Preheat a nonstick saucepan to a medium heat. Place 2 cups sliced onions in the pan and cover. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the onions begin to brown. Stir and cover again. Continue the process until the onions are a golden brown. Remove the cover. Cook off any excess moisture. Remove the onions from the pan and cool.

Road to Burger Bash NYCWFF

George Hirsch October 2, 2014

I'm very excited to announce that I have teamed up with Martins Famous Pastry to grill up almost 2000 burgers + sides for the NYCWFF 7th annual Burger Bash presented by Pat LaFrieda Meats hosted by Rachael Ray. My top-secret burger will be revealed on October 17th. My tasting panel, sworn to secrecy, had an opportunity for first bites on a new fun spin of America's favorite grilled meat sandwiched between a soft potato bun. Delighted to report that they ate every bite with smiles on their faces, giving big thumbs up all around!

Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for more on the Road to Burger Bash.

BB8 GSG Martins Release Announcement Oct 2.tiff

Chef George Hirsch Secret Burger for 7th Annual Burger Bash Meanwhile, there's no need to wait until October 17th to light up the grill with one of my other winning burgers.

Chef George Hirsch Ultimate Turkey Burger

George’s Ultimate Turkey Burger

Recipe By Chef George Hirsch | Makes 6-8 burgers

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Living it UP! cookbook

2 pounds lean ground turkey

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 Tablespoons bbq sauce

1/4 cup finely chopped mushrooms

2 jalapeño peppers, grilled for about 3 minutes, seeded and chopped

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Accompaniments: potato rolls, lettuce, sliced tomato and cranberry relish

In a 2-quart mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix with a fork, taking care not to overwork the meat. Divide into 6 or 8 equal portions and form into 3/4 inch thick patties. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Preheat the grill to medium-high. Place the burgers on a hot grill and cook about 4 inches from the heat source for 2 minutes per side, turning once. Lower the heat slightly and cook for another 7 or 8 minutes, or until done.

Tuna Travels from Montauk to JBJ Soul Kitchen

George Hirsch September 24, 2014

Knowing where food is sourced is just as important as the final prepraed dish. One selection on the main course for my guest chef menu at JBJ Soul Kitchen was the 'fresh catch' of the day, which I prepared with local sourced tuna, the pride fish from my hometown on Long Island. As a chef it's always a Team effort, working with farmers and producers for the best of the season. For the fish course, master fisherman Doug Oakland of Oakland’s Restaurant in Hampton Bays stepped up. I was ensured there would be a tuna in "under 12." Note, the best tuna is caught 30-70 miles offshore Montauk LI. No easy task, but with Doug at the reel it was a guarantee. With a perfect 175-pound yellowfin tuna dressed for my guest chef farm & sea to-table menu, we traveled from Eastern Long Island to our friends and neighbors at Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, NJ. Thank you Doug, mission accomplished! With the support of Doug and many others we were able to serve a healthy menu of love for our neighbors to the west. PS. I kept the recipe simple, and let the flavor of your tuna shine!

The Oakland family, Doug, Christian and Doug Jr

The Oakland family, Doug, Christian and Doug Jr with a 223lb big eye tuna, a little bigger then the 175 pound yellowfin tuna Oaklands Restaurant donated for my guest chef JBJ Soul Kitchen Sunday Supper menu.

If there was ever a fish perfect for the fire, tuna fits the grill. Anyone who has tried to turn a delicate fish fillet only to find it stuck to the grate will appreciate the firm flesh of a tuna steak. Fresh tuna is ideal for bold flavors, but you don’t want to overpower the taste of the tuna. Start with fresh fish that has springy flesh and no fishy odor. Use caution, overcooking it will quickly make it dry. Sardinia is an island off the coast of Italy where fishing is a way of life. When the tuna is running, most families have tuna for dinner many nights in a row. The tuna in this recipe is quickly grilled for only a few minutes on each side, but you can cook it to your liking.

Tuna Sardinian Style

Makes 4 servings  chefgeorgehirsch.com | From Adventures in Grilling cookbook

Four 5 ounce tuna steaks

4 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Fresh ground black pepper

Pre heat grill to high.

Brush the tuna with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, place it on a hot grill, and sear for two minutes on each side. Remove the tuna, set it aside, and keep it warm. Use caution, overcooking it will quickly make it dry. Top with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and caponata. Serve with Mousseline Potatoes.

A caponata is a staple in southern Italy. My version uses all farm fresh veggies in place of canned tomatoes. Make today and refrigerate at least a couple of days to bring out all the flavor of the fresh vegetables.

Chef George Hirsch's Garden Caponata

Caponata

Makes 2 cups

chefgeorgehirsch.com | From George Hirsch Living it UP cookbook and TV Series

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cups eggplant, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup onion, chopped

8 cloves Caramelized Garlic

12 plum tomatoes, split in half, deseeded and chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup green olives, chopped

2 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon pure cane sugar

1 teaspoon each: dried basil, oregano, thyme

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 Tablespoon capers

1 Tablespoon pine nuts, toasted

1 Tablespoon fresh basil, tear leaves into small pieces

Fresh ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

Preheat a large nonstick saucepan. Add the olive oil, eggplant, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and bell pepper. Cook until light brown. Add the vinegar, sugar, olives, dried basil, oregano, thyme and hot sauce. Cook for 15 minutes. Add pepper and sea salt to taste. Serve warm, room temperature

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

Inspiration of Summer Dreams

George Hirsch August 26, 2014

Labor Day does not put an end to my summer, as an East End September is celebrated for it’s bounty of the farms and water. I've shared a window of inspiration of a few summer dishes I prepared on the land and water this past summer. I hope you keep the spirit of summer alive!

Chef George Hirsch Summer Seafood