WHAT MAKES A GREAT BURGER?

A great burger is a matter of timing.

If you haven’t eaten all day anything would be great.

That last thing you ate was a little off so you’ve been looking forward to the next meal.

This burger fought through adversity to land on greatness.

With July 4th coming up I got everything for a  barbecue, which included buns and beef, but not just any buns and beef.

I went with the premade patties of 100% Angus and extra large buns, which are actually normal sized buns after the other got smaller.

Instead of making my own meat patties that would be lumpy and uneven, I bought the factory special.

Just because it’s already hamburger shaped does’t count as extra processing, right?

It all matched up, but it was a fight.

The first time I planned on cooking, the timing was wrong.

We had a carload going to the Blues Festival.

Yeah, okay. That was the 4th.

After a day, more like a few hours, of music we went back home with plans for the drone show after dark.

One by one we each tried to back out, but nothing worked.

“I’ll stay and watch the dog.”

No.

“I’m at the best part of my book.”

No.

“I found an SVU episode I haven’t seen.”

Not possble.

Somehow we all got out of the house again. Afterwards we congratulated each other for being young and vibrant.

More like feeling young and vibrant after parking on my kid’s yard and walking to the high school.

After a closer look at young and vibrant, the feeling came from spending time with parents of young, vibrant, kids.

What are those kids doing up so late? Lol

 

What About A Great Burger

After one thing, then another, a day passed by with no burgers.

I put my spatula down and said, “This is the day of a great burger. Today.”

Wife: What’s got into you? You usually make excuses to avoid grilling.

Me: That’s not true. But the Traeger is too big for cooking small meals.

Wife: Add more ingredients. Where’s that veggie-grill platter.

Me: Then we’ll have too much. Then what?

Together: Don’t throw it away.

Turns out eight burger patties and eight buns opened up fill the big grill most of the way.

Wife: If you start too early they’ll be cold.

Me: Today’s the day, Great Burger Day.

And so it was.

After hustling around to more activities than watering plants, pulling weeds, and watching TV, it was time to make magic happen.

From blues fest in Portland and drone fireworks one day, more blues fest and McMenamins the next,  then Beaverton Farmer’s Market and blues fest, I worked in some grill time.

 

Finally, Burger Time

Have you found yourself in shock over the cost of a burger?

Twenty bucks? Add fries, salad, and beer and you’re looking at $30.

I’m not complaining, just adding journalistic observation.

When you cook up a show-stopper at home, it qualifies for the great burger competition.

Cook up eight of them and they fill up a platter with beauty.

Add a short glass of Hawk’s View wine, a view of Mount Hood from the back deck, and loved ones for the complete picture.

Is it a better burger than anything around?

Yep.

Is there any evidence?

Nope.

Like so many wonderful things, they’ll only exist in the memory of those present.

It’ll be ‘The Day David Made A Difference.’

We also put up a sun cover with a broken leg, wife made her famous bean salad, and the boys played some blues.

The highlight was baby girl yelling, “Let’s play music,” and running over to a drum set and banging away.

After she got tired I sat in and learned a three part percussion part that made my brain unscramble and focus.

Not long after we packed up for Day Three of the blues fest.

 

Day Four?

Listen, three days of decision making, plans, more plans, more decisions, and actually doing the things planned for?

We decided the fourth day, which is also a travel day, was a scratch.

I wanted to go for the fourth day to out do Woodstock and Sasquatch, both three day events.

Sure, I could have gone alone, but I like my group, which includes a designated driver to clear the way for walking-beer.

But we’re a good group who stuck together.

And no, we didn’t miss the fourth day from food poisoning.

A great burger can’t do that and retain its greatness.