Gut Busting Smokehouse Burger Food

SUNNY'S SMOKEHOUSE BURGER

Steps:

• Roast the mushrooms: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil.
• In a large bowl, add the mushrooms, a generous drizzle of oil, Italian seasoning, paprika and red chile flakes and toss to coat. Spread the mushrooms out on the lined baking sheet. Bake until they shrink a bit and the moisture looks mostly wicked away, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove and lightly season with salt. Allow to cool a bit on the sheet, then transfer to a bowl.
• Make the patties: In a large bowl, add the beef in chunks and sprinkle with the salt and plenty of pepper. With your less dominant hand, fold and mix the burger with your fingers stretched open like a pitchfork. Mix until just combined. Divide into 4 equal parts and make a ball out of each. Flatten to a size just a bit wider in circumference than your buns.
• Fit a baking sheet with a rack and set aside. In a cast-iron pan or griddle on medium heat, add a bit of oil, then the patties. Cook, flipping once, until desired doneness, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to the baking sheet and top each with two slices of cheese. Tent with aluminum foil or cover with an upside-down metal baking dish for about 5 minutes.
• Make the onion rings: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Pour 2 inches of peanut oil in a tall pot and heat on medium-high heat until the temperature registers 350 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Fit a baking sheet with a rack and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups of the flour, the smoked paprika and a nice pinch of salt. Whisk in the beer until the mixture resembles a thick pancake batter. Drink the remaining beer. In a separate bowl, add and separate the rings of onion, then dust them with the remaining 1/2 cup flour, tossing with your hands to ensure that they are all coated.
• Working in small batches so as to not overcrowd the pot, dunk the flour-coated onions into the batter, then directly into the oil. Fry until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the onion rings to the wire rack and keep warm in the oven. Continue to fry the onion rings, allowing the oil to return to 350 degrees F before adding more.
• Assemble burgers: Place a patty on each bun bottom, then add some mushrooms, 2 to 3 onion rings and drizzle of your favorite barbecue sauce. Top with the bun tops.

GUT-BUSTING SMOKEHOUSE BURGER

Steps:

• In olive oil, briefly saute ham slices and onion slices together until lightly browned.
• Remove and wrap in foil to keep warm in oven.
• Mix barbecue sauce, chipotle Tabasco sauce, and Liquid Smoke into ground sirloin.
• Separate into 2 or 3 servings, then separate again to make two separate patties per burger.
• Layer smoked cheese of choice in the center; cover with"matching" patty and seal edges tightly.
• At this point, you can either cook the cheese-stuffed patties in the same skillet used to saute the ham and onions, or throw'em on the grill (mmmmmmm!) For the pan-frying method, it will take about 7 minutes per side for the two burgers (1/2 pound size).
• To serve, top each burger with 3 or 4 slices of ham and some onions.
• I like to serve with more barbecue sauce and Jack Daniels Hickory Smoke mustard.

BAKED CAVATAPPI WITH SMOKED HAM AND FONTINA

Steps:

• Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil.
• Meanwhile, saute mushrooms in 1 tbs.
• butter over medium heat for two minutes.
• Add Sherry, stir for 1 minute and remove mushrooms from heat.
• Cook the cavatappi in the boiling water until al dente and drain.
• While pasta is cooking, melt 3 tbs.
• butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Add the flour and whisk until smooth.
• Gradually add milk and continue whisking.
• Stir over heat until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and add sauteed mushrooms, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
• Butter a large ovenproof dish, and arrange 1/3 of the cavatappi in the dish.
• Top with 1/3 of the cheese and ham and spoon on 1/3 of the sauce.
• Repeat the layers two more times, ending with sauce.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until heated through and bubbly, about 20 to 30 minutes minutes.
• (Casserole may also be refrigerated and baked later. Increase baking time to 30 minutes for a chilled casserole.) (DJM notes: use a dish smaller and a little deeper than a basic 9x13.).

GRILLED GOUDA CHEESE SANDWICHES WITH SMOKED HAM AND PUMPERNICKEL

Steps:

• Prepare sandwiches as you would for regular grilled cheese sandwiches and enjoy!

SMOKED BURGER

Steps:

• Preheat smoker to 225. Use your water tray if you have one.
• Form beef into 6 patties. Aim for 1/2" to 3/4" thickness.
• Sprinkle rub onto both sides of the patties.
• Smoke for about 90 minutes. Use a strong-flavored wood (mesquite, oak, walnut, etc).
• Meat is done when internal temperature reaches 160.

AVOCADO CUCUMBER AND SMOKED GOUDA CHEESE SANDWICH

Steps:

• Herbal Mayonnaise: In a bowl whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice, zest and garlic powder. Fold-in cilantro, fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Whish until mayonnaise is combined.
• Toast country bread, spread with Herbal Mayo, add lettuce, Smoked Gouda cheese, Maui onion, English cucumber, Heirloom tomato, Hass avocado and top with lettuce. Slice sandwich in half and place on serving plate.
• Garnish plates with Baby Dill Pickles.

ELAINE'S SIRLOIN BURGER SOUP

Steps:

• Cook ground sirloin and onions in butter in large saucepan, stirring to break up as small as possible for about 5 minutes, until meat is no longer pink.
• Sprinkle steak seasoning and Worcestershire sauce over meat and continue stirring until meat browns.
• Pour in water, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan. Add broth, vegetable juice, and vegetables. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes.
• Return to boil, break up noodles into soup, stir well.
• Reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 10 more minutes.