Grilling Corn 411

George Hirsch June 12, 2025

ENJOY George’s Tips + Recipe for baking perfect pie

If ever there is a time, this is it — farm-fresh ears of corn at your local farm stand or market this week. Buy extra to grill or roast; as leftovers, they are an ideal addition to many dishes. Cut leftover corn off the cob and use it in salads, salsas, soups, tacos, beignets, etc. Sufferin’ succotash - add grilled corn to lima beans and tomatoes. The charred kernels add a robust nutty flavor and an excellent texture. Fresh is where it's at.

I am sure you have heard a version of this tale.

"My grandmother learned from a farmer how to cook the best corn, start the water boiling, run to the corn field, pick the corn, run back to the pot, cook the corn, and eat immediately."

A good tip is to stress freshness. But how good is this advice if you don’t know how to select sweet and juicy-tasting ears?

Here's The 411: When picking: The kernels should be smooth and plump, and the juice inside the kernel should appear milky. The kernels should not be too mature, soggy, and doughy. The corn is good when there is a slight browning of the silks, and it is cool to the touch, full of the tip kernels, and firmness of the unhusked ears.

I’m still trying to figure out why people husk their corn at the market and leave husks everywhere. I may have to ask why next time. It helps the corn retain its freshness by leaving the husk on until right before cooking. Ears of corn should also be chilled as soon as possible after picking to slow down the sugar in the corn, as it turns to starch. Think of corn like fresh whole fish; the ears should be firm, moist, and chilled. I suggest taking a cooler to the market for the ride home.

- Begin by pulling the husks of the corn back, but do not remove them. Remove and discard the silk and then soak the whole cobs in a pot of cold water for 15 minutes.

- Preheat the grill to a medium temperature.

- Remove the corn from the water and brush the kernels with olive oil. Before you re-wrap the corn in the husks, add a little caramelized garlic, chopped onion, nutmeg, and black pepper.

- For a flavorful twist, try using herbs & spices such as cilantro, garlic, chipotle chili, and fresh lime juice.

- Then, reposition the husks over the kernels and tie each ear with a piece of loose husk or twine.

- Place the prepared ears of corn on medium heat, turning every 2 minutes.

- After a couple of turns, place the corn husk on indirect heat or the top shelf of your grill and close the cover.

- Allow the corn to roast for another 10 minutes slowly.

- You will know it is done when you press a kernel and it shoots out its sweet liquid.

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Burger Time

George Hirsch June 6, 2025

Hamburger is the most popular food for the grill, followed by steak and chicken. Did you know — one out of every five times Americans fire up the grill, it's to cook a hamburger?

Burgers 101

George Hirsch Lifestyle TV Series Charcoal

You can start with the meat, which is usually beef. My preference is for at least 83-85% lean ground round. There is no need for sirloin; all the fixings and condiments will overpower the meat's flavor. Since the meat is ground, it should be prepared within 24 hours. Alternatively, you can pre-make your patties, wrap them in plastic wrap, and freeze them—defrost them in the refrigerator for 24 hours before grilling.

For the purist, you can always grind your meat. The benefit is knowing exactly what type of meat and the proper ratio of fat to meat. Keep everything well-iced, including placing the grinder blades in the freezer before the big grind.

Fresh Ground: At all costs, avoid the frozen hockey pucks. There is no way of telling what kind of meat it is. It may be labeled as 100% beef patties, but they are likely from old dairy cows, not steers raised for meat consumption. Hockey pucks will not cook properly if frozen and are likely to flare up your grill with excessive fat. It is well worth the time to pre-make your patties from scratch. It’s easy, and they’ll look gourmet, even if they look more rectangle than round. Allow the patties to chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour before cooking after making them. A well-chilled burger will prevent the patty from breaking up.

Divide + Keep Patties Cold: To make the burger patty, for every pound of meat, divide into 4 for four-ounce servings, 3 for 5 ounces, 2 for 8 ounces, and so on. Lightly shape each serving into a round, then press and rotate the meat in your hands until it forms a patty-like shape. Don’t overwork the patty, or you will warm up the meat. This will reduce the binding, making them more likely to fall apart and be too dense.

Pre-prep: To serve the perfect burger, prepare your condiments before you fire up the grill. Slice your tomatoes, onion, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and other ingredients. Prepare the mustard, ketchup, and mayo if you prefer. The time to run for the condiments is not when the burgers ooze their juices all over the platter.

The Hasty Flipper: Preheat your grill to high heat. Place the burgers on a clean grill over high heat for 3-4 minutes. Please do not flip them, but move them to another hot spot to continue to cook at a high temperature so they do not steam. Once you see the juices rising to the top, you can flip the burgers over to the original cooking spot, which has become a new hot spot.

sliced kosher dill pickles are a must-topping

Patience: Next, grab a soda or a beer. This is the most crucial step because it will give you something to do. Otherwise, you will begin to press the burgers or, worse, flip them repeatedly. The burgers are flipped only once. And please, for the sake of making a juicy 5-star burger, DO NOT PRESS THE MEAT.

Burger Under Cover: Avoid flare-ups by keeping the lid closed on the grill. The oxygen will be cut off, reducing the likelihood of a flare-up. You can even cook burgers on indirect heat. Keep one section of the grill without heat. After searing the burgers on very high heat, before the fat runs onto the flames, move the burgers to the side with no direct heat underneath.

Time Is On Your Side: Ding, the bell rang, but you can’t possibly tell how well those burgers are cooked by setting a clock. Chefs may have a clock in their heads, but you will need to rely on experience and the many conditions that face your outdoor kitchen—such as outdoor temperature, wind, the heat of your coals, or gas grill.

As a guide, four to five minutes on each side for a five-ounce burger will give you a medium-done burger. Everyone likes their burger prepared differently, so as long as you know the risks of serving a burger not fully cooked, consider this: lightly touch the patty with the back of the grill fork; the more the meat springs back, the more done the meat is cooked. If you use a meat thermometer, it will read 160 degrees for a well-done burger. But try not to let anyone see you using a meat thermometer for grilling a burger; it just looks silly:).

The time to serve the burgers is immediately after they come off the grill, not 10 or 20 minutes later. So be sure to ready your fixings and be ready to serve the food that is the most sought-after of all cuisine —The American Hamburger!

One Other Helpful Tip:

- Don’t overcrowd. Your grill is only so big. The more crowded the surface of the cooking area is, the more likely you will steam your food or cause a flare-up.

If I am invited to your backyard BBQ, I like my hamburger with lots of ketchup, sliced pickles on the bottom of an un-toasted soft potato bun, and more ketchup on the topside with a slice of heirloom tomato. Now go ahead and wear that fancy apron; you’ve earned it!

Burger Recipes Beyond Beef, SEE BELOW

★

Once you start eating turkey burgers, you’ll never want another drive-through burger again!

George's ULTIMATE TURKEY BURGER serve w/ Brownies + Ice Cream

Makes 6-8 burgers

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

2 pounds lean ground turkey

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 Tablespoons BBQ sauce

1/4 cup finely chopped mushrooms

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

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Accompaniments: crusty rolls, lettuce, and sliced tomato

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. Serve in rolls with lettuce and tomatoes.

If you don’t see a ground lamb in your supermarket or butcher shop, by all means, ask for it. Whenever you’re mixing any ground meat product, it’s a good idea to have the meat and bowl well chilled. Not only will a chilled bowl cut down on bacterial growth, but it will help bind the meat. So if possible, use a metal bowl for mixing the ingredients and place it in the freezer beforehand. If your kitchen is warm, place the bowl over a bowl of ice when you’re incorporating the meat with the spices.

Don’t even think of serving these or any rare burgers. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, all ground meats should be cooked until the ingredient’s internal temperature is 160 degrees. The patties can also be wrapped with precooked bacon on the grill.

★

George's LAMBURGERS

Makes 4 Servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

2 pounds ground lamb

2 eggs

1/4 cup chopped scallions

4 cloves garlic chopped fine

2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts or Pine nuts

1 Tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

salt and pepper, to taste

Combine the lamb, eggs, scallions, garlic, pine nuts, parsley, hot sauce, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a well-chilled bowl and mix gently but well. Form the mixture into 4 patties and grill for 4-5 minutes for well done.

When you think burger these days, you don't have to think beef. Meaty tuna marinated in a flavorful marinade makes a nice switch. Be sure to keep the tuna cold during the preparation.

★

George's TUNA BURGER

Makes 4 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

1 1/2 pounds fresh tuna, either yellowfin, blue, or ahi

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon chopped cilantro

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 marinade recipe

4 burger buns

1 bunch arugula, washed and dried

For Asian Style Marinade

Makes 1 cup

2 fresh limes

1/2 cup olive oil

3 Tablespoons sesame oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

2 Tablespoons ginger, chopped fine

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 Tablespoon fresh Cilantro, chopped

Cut the zest from the limes. Place the limes on a cutting board and firmly roll them back and forth with the palm of your hand to loosen the juice. Cut the limes in half and squeeze out the juice. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice with the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Cut the tuna into 1-inch pieces and place them in the bowl of a food processor. Using an on-off motion, grind the tuna for 45 to 60 seconds, or until it is chopped but not pureed. Over-processing the tuna will make it warm.

Transfer the tuna to a bowl, stir in the egg whites, and mix well. Add the cilantro, lime zest, hot sauce, and mustard. Blend well. Shape the tuna mixture into four burgers. Place them in the marinade and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

Place the burgers on a preheated hot grill and cook them for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until rare or medium rare. Overcooking the burgers will dry them out. Place the burgers on a bun and serve on a bed of arugula.

Lamb Burger: from Gather ‘round the Grill cookbook

Tuna Burger: from Grilling with Chef George Hirsch cookbook

Turkey Burger: from George Hirsch Living it UP! cookbook

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Home Run Sticky Ribs

George Hirsch May 29, 2025

As the weekend approaches, you may be searching for just the right BBQ to serve. Go smokin'- like a 95MPH fastball, and you'll score with my homerun sticky ribs. However, you need to start early; they take time, but it's so worth the wait! Your friends and family will be so glad you did.

Ribs & Sauce a perfect relationship

Everyone has a favorite way to serve ribs. Some like it dry, with just a rub. Others will dip dry ribs and then wet them down with a vinegary sauce or lather them up with a sugary, sticky sauce right before they come off the grill. Myself, I enjoy all versions. Variety is a good thing!

Ribs cannot be prepared in a hurry, so toss a burger on a separate hot grill while you wait. How to prepare the Ribs.

For Making Ribs with Sticky Sauce:

15 minutes before removing the slow-cooked ribs, lightly brush them with a little sauce to moisten and add flavor. Remove, cut, and serve ribs as is, or serve extra sauce on the side for pouring over ribs.

GH Rib Sauce

Makes 3 cups

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon thyme

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons fresh grated orange zest

1 cup ketchup

1 cup tomato sauce

1 teaspoon hot sauce

Place the onion, green onions, garlic, cumin, thyme, vinegar, orange juice, and sugar in a small pot. Boil until the vinegar is reduced by half. Add orange zest, soy sauce, ketchup, tomato sauce, and hot sauce, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Sold out

$19.95

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

GEORGE HIRSCH’S SLOPPY GIUSEPPE BURGER

George Hirsch May 22, 2025

The weekend calls for a burger, but not just any burger. Grilled slider served on a potato roll, with pickled bourbon peppers, an Italian-style sweet sloppy Joe sauce, topped with crisp sriracha slaw made with farm-fresh veggies, and a side of garlic kettle chips.

Burger Bash Chef George Hirsch Beauty Plate

George's SLOPPY GIUSEPPE is a winning combination

Grilling a winning burger from the bun up takes time and the freshest farm-picked ingredients. For my SLOPPY GIUSEPPE, the peppers were farm-picked and pickled the same day, two months ahead of adding to my burger. I used a colorful mix of vine-ripen sweet and hot peppers, and the vinegary brine was topped off with bourbon for added zip. The Sloppy Sauce is a homemade sweetened Italian tomato sauce, and the slaw—is a mixture of crunch tossed at the last moment in a creamy sriracha dressing. With no compromise to the meat tossed on the grill, my signature special meat blend, and the only bun of distinction worthy for such honest “sloppy goodness’ is a soft potato roll.

SLOPPY GIUSEPPE BURGER

Makes eight quarter-pound burgers.

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

*Weight before cooking

1 3/4 pounds ground beef, short rib blend, 80/20 lean/fat ratio

3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Accompaniments: Potato Rolls, a mix of sweet & hot vinegar peppers, sloppy sauce, sriracha slaw,

In a 2-quart mixing bowl, combine the beef and sausage meat, then mix with a fork, taking care not to overwork the meat. Divide into 8 or 10 equal portions and form into 3/4-inch-thick patties. Use raw meat from two of the above-formed burgers for sloppy sauce. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Sloppy Sauce

George Hirsch Lifestyle | chefgeorgehirsch.com

Makes about 2 Quarts or enough topping for 16 SLOPPY GIUSEPPE burgers.

2 Tablespoons Olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onions, sweet red peppers

8 cloves fresh garlic, chopped fine

1 - 15 ounces each of Tomato Sauce & Tomato Puree

1 1/2 cups ketchup

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

1 pint of IPA

1 teaspoon each dried basil and oregano

2 bay leaves

2 cups water

Preheat a saucepot to medium temperature. Add olive oil and two burger patties, browning lightly; add onions, peppers, and garlic. Cook for an additional 2 minutes; do not brown the vegetables. Add all remaining ingredients using water to rinse out any additional tomato sauce left in cans. Simmer for 45 minutes. Keep warm until topping burgers.

For Slaw & Dressing as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

Vegetables: 1 small head of shredded white cabbage, 1/2 head of shredded red cabbage, two grated carrots, 1/4 of a sweet onion, thinly sliced, two cloves of finely chopped garlic, and three chopped green onions. Mix 2 cups of mayonnaise, 1/4 cup of white vinegar, 1/2 cup of sweet chili sauce, 1/4 cup of sriracha, 1/2 cup of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, pepper, and sea salt to taste. Add dressing to slaw thirty minutes before serving.

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

Serve on lightly toasted Potato Rolls, first the peppers, then the burger, sloppy sauce, and slaw. Serve extra Sloppy Sauce on the side, accompanied by plenty of napkins.

Note: If you don’t see ground short-rib beef in your butcher shop, by all means, ask for it. Whenever you’re mixing any ground meat product, it’s a good practice to have the meat and bowl well chilled. Not only will a chilled bowl help reduce bacterial growth, but it will also aid in binding the beef. If possible, use a metal bowl for mixing the ingredients and place it in the freezer beforehand. If your kitchen is warm, place the bowl over a bowl of ice when incorporating the meat with the spices.

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Grilled Pork Sliders as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

George Hirsch May 16, 2025

You can’t beat traditional low-and-slow BBQ pulled pork. But what if you don’t have hours to Q? The solution is the Grilled Pork Sliders. Pork tenderloins benefit from a good rub and sauce, and they cook up quickly on the grill. In a pinch, the pork can be grilled or roasted indoors.

George's Grilled Pork Sliders

Makes six servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

1 1/4 TO 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed

1/4 cup Pork Rub

2 Tablespoons olive oil

12 soft potato slider buns

1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage, or 1 cup slaw

1 cup Chipotle Sauce

One day prior or at least two hours before cooking, dry rub the pork tenderloin.

Rub pork spices over pork tenderloin and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Pork Rub:

2 teaspoons each of powdered garlic, paprika

1 Tablespoon each of black pepper, rosemary, thyme, Chipolte rub

To Cook Pork: Preheat the grill or a cast-iron grill pan to high heat, or preheat a 375-degree oven.

Rub olive oil over the pork tenderloin. Place the tenderloins on high heat and grill to a golden brown, turning once on all sides (Use a roasting pan if cooking in the oven). Lower the heat to medium; cook until the pork is fully cooked, about 15-25 minutes. Remove the meat from the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Slice pork tenderloin very thin and pile high on soft buns. Drizzle Chipotle Sauce over the meat, and top with finely shredded cabbage or slaw.

Chipotle Sauce

1/4 cup BBQ Sauce

1/4 cup Steak Sauce

1/4 cup Hoisin sauce (Chinese BBQ sauce)

2 Tablespoons ketchup

2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons Chipolte roasted paste

Mix all ingredients. Heat up to warm, and serve the sauce warm or at room temperature.

If you are setting up for a BBQ or just a weekend social, An ever-popular menu for comfort recipes such as mac-and-cheese, crispy oven-fried garlic chicken, steamy waffles, BBQ pork sliders, and double-chocolate brownies!