Piquant Burger and Onion Rings

A coupon for Jakes Burgers arrived in the mail today. They're voted Best Burgers in Dallas - I disagree. The patties are thin and that's a big fat NO in my book. The best burger I've ever had was from JC's Burgers located 5 min from my high school. My friends and I would always drive there for lunch and I've never had a burger since that tops theirs. The burgers aren't fancy, just simple and the patties are thick and beefy. Anyways this burger was inspired by JCs - You guys rock!!!

These aren't JC's Burgers, but they're pretty stick-to-your-ribs tasty too!


Beef Pattys
1 lb Ground Beef
1/2 Onion - minced
1 Garlic Clove - minced
Salt & Pepper
1-2 tsp Worchestershire Sauce
1-2 tsp Canola Oil
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
*Mix all ingredients in a bowl and set aside for about 10 min. Heat grill. Portion and shape beef mixture into 8 patties. Flatten the patties and make an indentation in the center (the patties will plump once they're on the grill). Grill about 2-3 min on each side

Beer Batter Onion Rings (Serves 6)
1 cup all-purpose Flour
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup beer
1 large egg
Canola oil
2 large white onions, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, separated into rings
Salt
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving


*Combine flour, salt, and cayenne. Add buttermilk, beer and egg and let sit 20 minutes.
*Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place a baking sheet on middle rack of oven. Heat oil to 380 degrees in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Dip a few slices of onion in batter, turning to coat. Gently drop slices into oil. Cook, turning once with a wire-mesh skimmer, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer rings to paper towels, season with salt immediately, then transfer onions to the baking sheet to keep warm. Repeat with remaining onions. (Adjust heat as necessary to keep oil at a steady temperature.) Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.