The Best Burgers Ever
When I was in my early 20s and lived in Seattle, there was a restaurant on Capitol Hill that served a hamburger with a fried egg on top. Those being my foodie-informative years, I not only thought this was a culinary masterpiece; I soon became addicted to it. I served embellished versions (adding bacon and Havarti) for dinner guests, and years later even put it on the menu when I first opened my restaurant. To be honest, I now know that not everyone loves a burger with an egg on top as much as I do, but I do know that almost everyone loves a good burger. Over the years, the hamburger has taken on a more prominent place on many fine dining establishment menus. Chefs have gotten creative and serve the burger in many forms with exciting flavors, ingredients, and toppings; here are some of our local chef's favorite burgers. For the recipes see below. - Terryl Gavre, photos by Vincent Knakal

Grilled Hamburger (Meyers) with Caramelized Onions and Cheddar Cheese by chef Susan Sbicca of Meritage Restaurant & Bar in Encinitas

JULY RECIPES

Grilled Hamburger (Meyers) with Caramelized Onions and Cheddar Cheese
By chef Susan Sbicca of Meritage Restaurant & Bar in Encinitas

Ingredients:
3 lbs good quality ground chuck (not too lean!)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
12 slices medium cheddar cheese

Vidalia onion marmalade ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1 cup vidalia onion diced
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt to taste

Preparation for the marmalade:
Melt butter in a warm pan...Not too hot! Add onion, turn up the heat a little. Allow onions to cook until slightly brown. Stir. Cook slowly again until slightly browner. When the onions are soft and about the color of dark caramel...add vinegars. Continue to cook until the vinegars have reduced to make a nice paste.
Salt to taste. Set aside.

Fire up the grill:
I like it nice and hot. Really hot!
Form the hamburger into six patties. Bigger for the big eaters, smaller for the others...
Do not over work the burgers! They get tired and tough really fast. Handle them just
enough to make the shape.
Tip: Press them out more than you think you should. When they cook, they shrink and puff a bit. If you don't, they end up like a raw-in-the-middle, well-done-sided spacecraft.
Grill them how you like them: rare, medium-rare, and so on.
When they are just about done, lay on the cheese and move them to a warm (not hot) part of the
grill and cover for just a couple of minutes.

Get your buns ready!
Put the patties on the bun and spoon the marmalade over the cheese. (Yum.)
This is also great with blue cheese crumbles.
Serve with your favorite condiments.

serves 6 (hungry folks!)

Ground Natural Beef Short Rib Burger With Cabrales Blue Cheese,
Black Pepper Aioli, And Duck Fat Fries
By chef Wade Hageman of Blanca in Solana Beach

Ingredients:
11/2 lb. ground short ribs (ask your butcher)
11/2 lb. lean ground chuck
6oz. Cabrales blue cheese
3 avocados
2 bunches organic watercress
12 dill pickles slices
12 applewood smoked bacon slices
fresh ground pepper
kosher salt
3oz. black pepper aioli (recipe below)
6 brioche buns

Preparation:
In large bowl combine ground short ribs and lean ground chuck. Take the mixture and section it into 6 patties. Salt and pepper the patties. Grill hamburgers to desired temperature. Melt 1 oz. of Cabrales blue cheese. Take brioche buns and dress with black pepper aioli. Add burger, top with dill pickle and smoked bacon slices. Add avocado (half an avocado sliced, fanned out), salt and pepper to taste, and organic watercress.

Ingredients For The Black Pepper Aioli:
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 lemon
1 garlic clove
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup canola oil
fresh ground black pepper
salt

Preparation:
Combine in food processor the egg, egg yolk, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and smashed garlic. Process for 30 seconds; slowly drizzle oil until fully incorporated. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Brie Stuffed Burger With Port Mushroom Sauce
By chef Izzy Balderas at Wild Note Cafe

Brie Burger Ingredients:
7 oz ground certified Sterling beef
1 oz Brie cheese
1.5 oz saut?ed mushrooms
1 oz port wine sauce (see below)
1 hamburger bun

Preparation:
1. Form the ground sterling and Brie cheese into a patty and put the cheese in the middle.
2. Season the patty with salt and pepper and grill to desired doneness, turning once.
3. Remove the patty from the grill, place on one of the half buns topped with saut?ed
mushrooms and port sauce.

Port Sauce Ingredients:
11/2 cup of rich ruby Paul Masson
11/2 cup of Porto Cock burns
2 tbsp chopped shallots
3 tbsp Sugar
10 oz unsalted butter

Preparation:
1. Simmer wines and shallots in saucepot until reduced to 1/4.
2. Add sugar, lower heat.
3. Add butter, 1-2 pieces at a time.
4. Wisk until melted.
5. Season with salt and pepper.

Grilled Kobe Beef Burger with Siracusan Caramelized Onions, Portabella Mushroom,
Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese and a Fried Farm Fresh Egg

By executive chef Ryan Johnston of Blackhorse Grille in Del Mar

Ingredients:
1 8-oz patty of ground kobe
1 farm fresh egg, fried sunny side up
3 oz Humboldt fog goat cheese
3 oz Siracusan onion
1 portabella mushroom
1 sesame seed bun
1 ear of Brentwood sweet corn

For the Siracusan onions:
1 yellow onion
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tbsp garlic, chopped

Preparation:
Slice onions 1/4 inch thick in rounds, caramelize with oil in oven on sheet tray at
400 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown and soft.
Take onions out of oven then pour remaining ingredients over the top while still hot, let cool, and serve.

Portabella mushroom ingredients:
1 Portabella, gills and stem removed
1 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Preparation:
Marinate with oil, salt and pepper. Grill over high heat until soft.

Brentwood sweet corn preparation:
Grill 1 ear of corn in husk until tender, peel back husk like a banana peel, and then tie a knot with husk at bottom. Add butter, salt, and Parmesan cheese on top.