Books > Throw Me a Bone >

Excerpts

From Throw Me a Bone

BOW WOW OH WOW! SURPRIZE CHEEZBURGERS

Besides our freckles, our waggly tails, and our long floppy ears, my friend Jessie and I have something very important in common: we are cheese fanatics. I'm partial to Velveeta; Jessie is a cheddarhead. We do agree that this recipe for burgers is terrific. The center is canine caviar -- cheese, of course! -- and it gets nice and melty and gooey. Oops, I'm drooling...

6 ounces ground beef or turkey
1 large egg yolk
1 egg shell, ground (optional)
1/4 to 1/2 cup cooked rice or leftover cooked oatmeal
2 tablespoon grated cheddar or Swiss cheese

Place the beef, egg yolk and shell, if using, and rice in a small bowl and mix well. Using a knife or your hands, divide the mixture into 6 equal parts, about 1 1/2 ounces each. Flatten each part into a patty. Place 1/3 of the cheese on each of 3 patties, and place the other 3 patties on top of the cheese. Using your hands, pinch the sides together to reseal them. (The burgers can be covered and refrigerated up to one day at this point.)

To cook:

Preheat the broiler. Place the cheezburger on a broiler pan or baking sheet about 2 1/2 to 3 inches from the heat and broil until no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes per side.

or

Place a cast iron skillet over high heat and heat until it is so hot that droplets of water bounce off. Add the cheezburger. Cook until no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes per side.

or

Prepare a grill. Place the cheezburger on the grill and cook until no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes per side.

Store any extra in the refrigerator, covered.

YIELD: 3 BURGERS

SERVING SIZE: 1 BURGER

Copyright © 2003 by Susan Orlean and Sally Sampson