My son was taught a snappy little tune in first grade this year, “The first vowel does the talkin’, the second vowel does the walkin’.” I think it means the second vowel is the workhorse of the pair, holding the whole thing together. But, I gotta admit, I’m roughly 58% certain he has completely maligned the parse in some way, so who knows. Nevertheless, it is a catchy little refrain. And here’s the best part: He likes to say it with a swagger and you-know-what eating grin. Every once in awhile he throws in an eyebrow raise – you know, a little something for the ladies. Yes, somehow, someway, my young son has imparted a slightly-sketchy-yet-extremely-endearing undertone to his grammar lesson. Makes me proud, he does.

Fast forward to now: Everytime I make a burger with our Farmer Girl grass fed ground beef, I can’t help but find myself humming ‘The seasoning does the talkin’, the burger does the walkin’.”Minus the swagger and you-know-what eating grin, most of the time. Point is, the flavor of the grass fed ground beef is really doing all the work, carrying the flavor of the entire burger on its shoulders per se. It’s taste is flavorful yet clean, rich yet light. And any seasoning one might use? Meh…it provides a little swagger, a little charm.

Seasoning is like an eyebrow raise for a really great burger – it gets your attention, but the goodness of that grass fed ground beef is what keeps you coming back for another bite.

 This Farmer’s Blend Burger with Hickory Smoked Garlic Aioli recipe embodies this sentiment fully. No doubt, the hickory smoked garlic aioli is phenomonal. But it is meant to be a flavor compliment, not a flavor usurper, so use wisely. Let that grass fed ground beef do the walkin’, the work of making this burger great. Before I sign-off, a note on one self-admitted technical cheat used in this recipe. Cooking purists and chefs please close your eyes for a moment. The aioli is not technically an aioli…ok, let’s be honest, organic mayo is used as the base of the aioli in this recipe. There, I said it, and I did it. With that I bid you good eating, with a little swagger and eyebrow raise on top.

Leslie

Farmer’s Blend Burger with Hickory Smoked Garlic Aioli

Serving Size: 3-4 servings

Cooking: Easy

Prep Time: 5 min.

Cook Time: 10-15 min.

Ingredients

Burgers

• 1 lb. grass fed beef, thawed
• Grapeseed oil
• Brioche rolls, sliced in half
• Red onion, sliced
• Arugula, washe

Hickory Smoked Garlic Aioli

• Organic mayonnaise, 1 cup
• Hickory Smoked Garlic Salt, 2 teaspoons

Farmer Girl Grass Fed Cooking Tips:

1.) Just Say No To The Squish: Never squish, stamp down, or squeeze a grass fed beef burger with a spatula. Doing so releases all the good juices your grass fed burger needs to stay moist and yummy. So just say no to the squish, and leave dry burgers behind you forever.

2.) Remember Carryover Cooking: Remember, carryover cooking raises the temperature of meat an additional 5 to 10 degrees. The final temp, after the burgers have rested and finished cooking, should be 125/130 (rare) or 135/140 F (medium rare).

3.) So, Pull ‘Em Off Before You Think You Should: To prevent overcooking your burger during the rest, pull ‘em off that grill before they reach desired doneness. If they are too rare after resting, throw ‘em back on the grill. You can always cook more, but you can never undo overcooking.

Directions

Step 1: Thaw Farmer Girl hamburger patties

• Thaw Farmer Girl hamburger patties – plan on 1 day or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Let patties rest at room temperature for ~30 minutes.
• Remove from packaging. Pat patties dry with paper towel to remove excess moisture.

 Step 2: Prepare Grill

• Start grill, creating a direct heat (sear) and indirect heat (cook) area. Take a gander at How To Set-Up A Charcoal Grill, for a quick-and-easy tutorial.
• Clean grates, then oil with grapeseed oil to prevent sticking.

Step 3: Grill Burgers – Sear & Cook

• Make a small indention on top of each patty with thumb – this prevents burgers from swelling and curling.
• Place burgers over direct heat to sear, for approximately 2-3 minutes. The burger is ready to flip when it releases easily from the grill.
• Flip and sear the other side over direct heat. Again, the searing process is complete when the burger releases easily from the grill grate.
• Move burgers to indirect heat to finish cooking, approximately 3 minutes depending on preferred level of doneness.
• Go ahead and toast those brioche rolls on the grill while it is fired up and the burgers are cooking – they just taste better.

Step 4: R&R – Remove & Rest

• Remove burgers from heat source (grill).
• Plate and loosely tent with foil. Rest for 5 to 10 minutes to redistribute juices and complete cooking.

Step 5: Prepare Hickory Smoked Garlic Aioli

• Add 1 cup of organic mayonnaise to a bowl.
• Add 2 teaspoons of hickory smoked garlic salt.
• Stir it up.

Step 6: Assemble & Serve

• Place burger on one side of toasted brioche roll.
• Place arugula on top, followed by sliced red onion and a dollop of Hickory Smoked Garlic Aoili.
• Place other side of toasted brioche roll on top.