Big Juicy Burgers

My husband and I had the fanciest hamburgers out at my company's Christmas party last month,  Kobe beef burgers on brioche rolls with tomato jam and cheddar cheese. Since that night I have been craving a big juicy burger! Being on our budget I don't think I can replicate the exact meal (Kobe beef is expensive!) but I came pretty damn close! Paired with roasted sweet potato fries these beef burgers with cheddar cheese, tomato jam, and romaine lettuce on a toasted kaiser roll were perfection!

mmm tell me that doesn't ask to have a huge bite taken out of it!

Burgers can sometimes be challenging, how big, how long to cook them? What I usually will plan on is about a 1/4 - 1/3 pound of hamburger for each person. Form the patty but don't overwork the meat. I like to form a small well in the middle of the patty, it creates a spot for the juices to gather rather than flowing out of the burger - making it juicer. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on the first side and then 2-3 for the second. When topping with cheese place slices on top of the burger immediately after flipping, if it doesn't melt to your liking with just the heat from the pan feel free to cover and let it steam, or if you have fries going in the oven you can slide the pan in for a minute.

Tomato jam, taken from this NY Times Recipe by Mark Bitman, is a wonderful alternative to ketchup. Sweet like a fruit jam but with a kick like spicy ketchup this really will impress a crowd and its easy to boot! I made some changes to Mark's recipe and it came out great! My changes are below.

Tomato jam is a great fancy alternative to ketchup!

Tomato JamYields 1 cup sauce, about 6 servings

1 pint grape tomatoes coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh grated or minced ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/b teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch red pepper flakes


Combine all ingredients in a heavy medium saucepan, Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture has consistency of thick jam, about 1 hour. Taste and adjust seasoning, then cool and refrigerate until ready to use; this will keep at least a week. Use to top sandwiches, burgers, or on its own with biscuits!