Homemade Hamburgers: Texture

Posted in food by Allan Goulding on December 11, 2011

Practically everyone has his or her own favorite homemade hamburgers. Hamburgers are extremely versatile, so it’s easy to create the burger that’s just the right fit for you and your family. Seasonings, cooking methods, buns, and condiments can all be tweaked to change the flavor of the hamburgers. Of course, different meats can be used, as well. One element of homemade hamburgers that’s often overlooked, however, is the texture of the meat.

Ground beef is the traditional choice for making hamburgers. Even so, there can be different textures of beef that lends itself to making burgers. You might not see this in a typical supermarket, but you’ll probably find them in a butcher’s shop. Generally speaking, beef can be turned into textures ranging from coarse to fine. If you prefer coarse ground beef in your burgers, ask the butcher for chopped meat. If you want fine ground beef, ask the butcher to double grind the meat. Which texture is best? That’s a matter of personal taste.

The texture of a hamburger can also be altered in the cooking process. For example, we like our homemade hamburgers to be crunchy on the outside but soft and juicy on the inside. This is accomplished by searing the outside of the burgers on a hot grill, then moving the patties away from the direct heat to finish cooking at a slow rate.

Pulled Pork Pizza Recipe

Posted in Pizza Recipes by Allan Goulding on September 18, 2011

Have you ever thought about using your favorite pulled pork recipe on a pizza? When I first heard of a pulled pork recipe that was served on a pizza crust, I thought it was a bad idea. I don’t know if you remember this, but Pizza Hut came out with a barbecue pizza a few years back, and for a while, it was all the rage in the South. Even though I was reluctant to give it a try, I finally did. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was!

I’ve made barbecue pizza several times at home, but I usually omit putting cheese on the meat. If you want to add cheese, grated cheddar is a good choice.

Pulled pork pizza

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium refrigerated pizza crust
  • Homemade or bottled barbecue sauce
  • 1 cup pulled pork
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ½ cup diced onion
  • ½ cup diced green bell pepper

 

Directions: Place pizza crust on metal pizza pan or on pizza stone. Spoon barbecue sauce on pizza crust, almost to edges. Flake pork with a fork and sprinkle on pizza.

In a nonstick skillet, melt butter. Add onion and bell pepper and cook over medium heat until veggies are just tender. Distribute evenly over pulled pork.

Bake pizza according to pizza package directions. Turn on broiler unit to get the pork brown and crisp.

Lladro Figurines

Posted in pizza by Allan Goulding on July 28, 2011

I love my figurine collection. First of all, it reminds me of all the people who have given me a figurine over the years. Each figurine gift reminds me of the person who gave it to me and the special occasion that inspired the gift.

But second, I love the figurines that I have bought myself over the years. They are the special artwork that I love sprinkling around my home decor and home accessories. My Lladro figurine collection is one of my most prized possessions.

The three Lladro brothers began making figurines in the 1950′s in Spain. So Lladro figurines have a distinct mid-century vibe and flair to them. They have clean and graceful lines with soft color details. So if you’ve always thought that figurines were too busy for your home decor, you might find that Lladro figurines are great for your sleek  style.

I have a Lladro figurine for events and people that I want to celebrate and remember. There are mother and father figurines that depict special moments I loved participating in. I also buy a baby figurine to represent all of the new babies in the family. The kids have started to refer to this as the “nursery.”