Grilled Burgers and Greens

Today is Monday.

Ugh we are stuck in the winter doldrums over here. It's so cold out and they say it's going to snow like one to eight inches or something so probably school will be closed tomorrow. Damn school district will do anything to get rid of my children. I'm on to those crafty, clever little buggers. Hmmm...I have just the thing to help shake the winter blues for me/celebrate the chance of a snow day for the kiddies. Big ole juicy burgers! With a side of Swiss chard (muhahahahaha)! Grilled food! I love my grill so much I literally would marry it if it took out the garbage and put gas in my car for me (the latter of which Steve DOESN'T do). I miss it a lot during the colder months and have a few tricks up my sleeve to get some grilled food up in here without burning down the house or catching a chill outside.

Are you very impressed that I do all the grilling around here? I personally am very impressed with myself. I try to teach me one new life skill per year. "Gardening" last year didn't go quite as well as grilling did a few years back. Hopefully 2021's life lesson of "blogging" works out better and doesn't kill as many colonies of living organisms. Maybe I can grow some Swiss chard, grill it, then blog about how I torture my family with Swiss chard! I just don't want them to truly enjoy anything ya know? Oh stop. You like Swiss chard. Especially this Swiss chard. It was awesome.

My 7 year-old daughter finished all but a few bites of this bad boy.

Balsamic Onion Grilled Burgers & Greens

Makes 8 sliders or 4 big boy (or little girl) burgers

Ingredients

2 lbs. ground beef, 80% lean, at room temp for one hour if you have time. I had 85% on hand. And lots and lots of time on my hands.

Salt and pepper

1 large red onion

3 T. balsamic vinegar yummmmmm

1 tsp. sugar 

2 T. olive oil

1 bunch chard (Swiss, red, or rainbow) I actually had red chard, not Swiss. I think its the same thing? Rainbow chard are the most beautiful but my store bunched them by color so one couldn't actually purchase a rainbow of colors! Rude! 

Swiss chard. Red chard. Whatever, still gorg.

Burger accompaniments: buns, cheese slices, fried eggs, mayonnaise, jalapeños, Ha ha ha or ketchup

These were our toppings. Plus eggs and condiments.

Instructions 

1) Form your beef into 1/2 lb. patties or 1/4 lb. patties for sliders and dieters. Season patties generously on both sides with salt and pepper.

2) Slice your red onion into very thin slices. Toss them in a bowl with the sugar and balsamic vinegar. Swoosh them around with tongs or a fork every once in a while. These are ready after 5 minutes, but can soak however long you like. Make ahead!

3) Slice the chard leaves off the stems and stalks. Chop up the stalks into small pieces and put in a foil grill pan with 2 T. olive oil. Make sure pan can accommodate the leaves of the chard as well. Cut the leaves up into 2 in. ribbons and rinse. Do not pat dry.

4) Grill patties over medium-high heat on both sides. For 1/2 lb. burgers, grill 6 minutes per side for medium rare. For 1/4 lb. burgers, grill 3 minutes per side for medium rare. If using cheese, top with it after flipping. After grilling, let them rest for 5 minutes. If you want your buns toasted, toss them on the grill for 30 seconds afterwards. While the burgers are grilling, make your chard.

Two January grilling options for you. One is this All Clad electric grill that my in-laws handed down to me. I am not seeing it on Amazon, likely because it set off my smoke alarm. Use it under your hood if you have it!

Option 2 is this Lodge grill pan. This is conveniently used under the fan already- perfect for inside grilling, just not as roomy as the fancy one.

5) Add your foil pan with the Swiss chard stalks to the grill. Add in half the balsamic onions and grill for 2 minutes. Add in the chard leaves, still wet from the rinse. Top with salt and pepper to taste. Grill everything together for 3 more minutes, stirring often.  Serve alongside burgers. Note: if your grill isn't large enough to accommodate the chard, you can also sauté it on the next burner.

6) Top burgers with cheese, ONIONS, fried egg, jalapeños, whatever floats your boat. But don't forget the onions or I will pun- be very mad at you.

Red Meat, Red Chard, Red Onion = Red Hot Burger Night 

7) If you've been good today, fry up a few eggs while your burgers rest: crack egg carefully into greased pan over medium heat. When the white becomes opaque, flip egg and fry for 10 more seconds. 

See? Counterclockwise from top: ready to flip, almost there, not quite ready.