Wednesday, March 18

In which she sees pink

Shamefully my writing has withered on the vine of no inspiration with little done to resuscitate breath or form. My time has been spent in part, patiently waiting in mock scholarly fashion upon the odd laboratory set up in the recesses of my kitchen cupboard where lacto-fermentation experiments age to near perfection. In unison it would seem, I too slung slow in quiet invisible reverie, imitating the very manner of my closeted minuscular cohorts. After all who needs the fuss of too many singular ingredients chopped and cooked just so, added to the synchronization of each moving part into one harmonic whole? I’ve got kraut with pow, zip, and swing; and I don’t mind saying that it has become my “go to” accessory which enlivens and occasionally even rectifies just about every food scenario.

But months of crunching upon lactic acid soaked veggies has created a now gnawing need for an opulent, richly marbled counterpart, something perhaps- like a fatty pink patty. As it is a rare occasion when I purchase beef and though devilishly armed with my beloved Foreman Grill, something quite extraordinary must stroll my way in order to be steered in that direction. Something perhaps like a bejeweled burger richly anointed.

The first iteration of this beef motif showed up with the same friend who brought me the B-52’s and LOTR. Armed with sliced butter pickles and cheese, we formed hunks of ground chuck into lumpy softballs and wiggled our thumbs into the sides, meat doughnuts asking to be filled. Coins of pickles and wads of Kraft American were obligingly stuffed into their hidden caves. Pan fried and no nonsensically slapped onto a bun, this was a true gustatory revelation eaten in hungry silence. Years later I would upgrade to a slightly more refined version of the“secret” burger now containing a royal cache of blue cheese and chopped onion. However as delicious as it was, I couldn’t help feeling led astray by the name. The tell tale crumbles of Blue which should have hollered out “Ahoy!” instead melted down into an invisible nonexistent whimper, a mere whiff of eau d’bleu.

So rightfully pleased I was to discover this third and most charmed version in a recent Saveur perusal. In this Swede inspired dream, cubes of pickled beets make merry with chopped pickles, onions, and even chunks of dairy rich butter. Being ever so efficiently designed, the pickled bits and creamy counterparts are simply mixed into the venison/beef/reindeer rather than stuffed and sealed. Served in my mind on rye bread with a hearty back slap of stout mustard and blue cheese, this burger brings the best of all worlds seen and in between. To boot, the red cabbage kraut I have been nurturing these past months would make a most welcomed mouthwatering and visual partner.

In other terms this burger represents at least one of my favorite flavor profiles, the one that might wear a handmade fisherman sweater, smoke a pipe, and shout out, “Ahoy”. But then there is that confusing pink coloration which makes one fear the meat is far too rare, all the while flaunting a somewhat feminine lilt of allspice. In deep consideration of this little bit of heaven lovingly seared in butter with a barely sweet tender center; perhaps pink holds more complexity than previously assumed. No one liner relegated to bubble gum and soda fountain drinks, this intersection between red and white just might be where intensity and gentleness play. And that is absolutely worth writing about.

*Thank you to everyone who continues to read in spite of my travels to faraway places...

Biff à la Lindström: adapted from Saveur issue no. 117, serves 4
Ingredient:
1 lb. ground beef
½ C bread crumbs
5 tbsp. chopped pickled beets
2 tbsp. pickled beet juice
3 tbsp. chopped pickles
2 tbsp. dark beer
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 eggs beaten
1 clove garlic chopped
½ onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp. butter diced
2 tbsp. parsley chopped

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a bowl until just mixed. Divide mixture into 8 patties, one inch thick. Heat butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Cook half of the burgers, approximately 5 minutes each side until browned. Repeat with remaining burgers. Enjoy with coarse mustard, blue cheese, rye bread, and kraut.

10 comments:

judyyb said...

Hallelujah!!!! Welcome back from the black hole of food deprivation. If ever there was anything to bring one's life juices flowing again, it would be a nice exotic burger sans bread! Rock on little lady, even as I am the vanilla of burger eaters, your amped up one is truly inspirational. Who would have thunk, beets in a burger but then why the heck not?

Anonymous said...

yeahhhh (in a small happy voice), you're .

Anonymous said...

back!

Nate @ House of Annie said...

Isn't Saveur great? I love the addition of chopped beets to the recipe. What a deliciously interesting combination.

Thanks for adding us as friends on Foodbuzz. We welcome you to come visit our site. Perhaps it will inspire you to continue blogging.

Callipygia said...

judyb- it is a "boiga-o-beauty", strangely beautiful and the beets give it serious moistitude. This was dedicated to you, my #1 fan!

anon- Aw thanks. I truly couldn't bear to bore my readers with some of my kitchen assemblages, a study in leftovers. Hopefully I will get my kitchen mojo on.

Nate-n-Annie: Yes,just got the newest issue about an hour ago. The photos from Dan Barber's farm, ahh! And the stick of butter on slate...a perfect mouthful.

Anonymous said...

And a big, beefy, iron-rich comeback it is. Pickled pink bits meet veg-enriched pink flesh and then (oh my!) blue cheese.

Celebration a-go-go! Thrilled to bits that you're back in the kitchen and rolling out those luscious words of yours. Love the jaunty Swedish flag.

Callipygia said...

lucy- the pink is fun, as much as I hate to admit to liking it. Jaunty- that is much better.

nansita said...

GRRRRR!!! Bite in, so juicy!

Callipygia said...

nansita- woof woof!

Gattina Cheung said...

Calli, you are crazy... I love it! Reading your post my mind ready for being smashed with various exciting scenes... one time somewhere in Germany ), the other time on a rocking boat of fishing boat... anywhere, all let me to paradise ultimately :D. Your burger has been through a few revolutions, and they are just getting more bold and merrier (I wouldn't say "better" as each is already the BEST to me). Oh buddy, I have to try (or all!) of them during my vacation in NJ!!!